I don't even know how to describe the scene today. Our plane just landed when my daughter text me to call. I call to hear her sobbing uncontrollably, she had just driven home from school to find feathers everywhere. All, but two of my chickens all over our yard and our neighbors yard. An hour later, pulling up to the scene, was awful. They were everywhere, front, side, back and the neighbors. We are on 5 acres they have NEVER gone to the neighbors. My devastation and anger only increase as I walk up to find one after another, but NONE eaten or even torn apart. Some have a couple of puncture wounds, most have broken necks. My neighbor has dogs on invisible fences which have gotten lose before, but it's been awhile. My daughter was anxious for me to walk up their drive to see all of them (10) in their yard. They were all gone, went to the door, no answer. As we started to head back down, she pulled up and tried to say she heard a fox last night outside when her dogs were inside with her. We informed her my chickens were locked up until my daughter let them out before school. I asked where she put the bodies so I would know which ones were gone. She already had someone put the in the bottom of the trash can with a plastic bag of trash on top of them. I know I have no way to prove it was one or both of her dogs, but I just know it was. It's just so upsetting right now. I'm just numb, it was just pointless killing.
Sorry for your loss...I have been through the same situation and it's never easy. You may want to remind your neighbors of the monitary value involved in your loss not to mention the emotional turmoil her neglect has caused you. After I suffered a horriffic attack like yours (40+ birds killed) I told them that if my chickens enter their yard they can feel free to kill them, and if their dog every came on my property again I would drop her dead in her tracks.....they got rid of their rottie.
Sounds like dogs. Fox usually take what they need and run. I wouldn't automatically assume it was the neighbor's dogs, since others tend to let their dogs roam too. Do you have any left? Soooo sorry for your loss. I would suggest building a fort knox run for your ladies while you aren't home.
I know it doesn't matter but what kind of dogs do they have? I have two labs and both of them killed off all my chickens about 5 years ago. They too didn't try to eat them, just killed them. Most dogs I have seen usually eat them at least a little bit. Had a neighbor that went as far as to break into my run till I put up the electric line. Anyway sorry for your loss. Mine aren't my pets like most but I do know what it takes to raise them and what needs to be pit into them to get eggs out of them.
