Venting about neighbors dogs please ignore.

[Hens_And_Chicks]

The next time I saw my neighbor's unwelcome mutt on my property, I'd get my gun - hopefully, my percentage to make the mark would not be less than 100%

If it's on my property - it's a dead dog. Keep in mind - your neighbor needs to be made aware and also needs to pay/reimburse/replace your dead birds.

I think it's no coincidence your birds are dead after the dog burrowed under the fence. Can you put a concrete footer in? Personally, a hot hot wire could do the job quite nicely - I like the idea of wetting the ground down.

I'd prop me a nice chair just within view and wait for the show. I'd love to hear that mutt yelp and take off with it's tail between it's legs hellbentforleather.

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
Be careful with paintballs and pellet/bb guns. In most places it is legal to shoot the dogs but illegal to do anything that just bruises them or causes any kind kind of nonlethal injury. It's considered animal abuse. It's stupid, but that's the way it is. You could be arrested if you bruise a dog with a paintball gun in most jurisdictions.

 

[wisefool]

Quote:
I have not talked to them directly yet. The reason is I live on an old farm with very old buildings. I have very old equipment that have to store outside. I have 40+ acres and it is all zoned agriculture, but over the years the city people houses have sprung up all around me. When the first few new houses came it, it did not matter. These new people were outnumbered and did not make much headway at the zoning boards, building inspectors etc. Most planted privacy trees and kept to themselves.

Now it seems that there are many more houses on 3 acres as there was small farms. And most of the land that was left over from these purchases is now being tennent farmed by the BIG boys.

I am not a big timer which means I have old equpment and old smaller sheds. I do my absolute best to keep the place picked up and sorted. But I have things outside that I need to operate. And these dogs will tear up anything that I leave out that even hints of biodegradability. Especially my compost pile that is like a WWII pill box bunker. yet the dogs will still try to get in. Now they they are focusing on my chickens.

So I know that if I SSS or confront them in a way that makes them angry, it is likely they'll escalate and have the building, weed control, and other inspectors on me. And the people in charge of my county now usually favor on the side of the yuppies because thier new houses bring in more tax revenue than my old farm. Especially on a per acre basis. 20 years ago the culture and revenue base was different. That when SSS was honored. I know it still is, but there is more at stake now. And people think my old tractors and trucks is dragging down the value of thier new home.

Sorry for the long explanation but that is the jam I am in and why have not directly contacted them yet. I was hoping hints would be a less escalation prone way to do this. I think people deserve to live in the country, and I have some really. really neat new neighbors in some of the new houses. But I just wish the others would kinda follow the rules without having to be told.

 

[speckledhen]

The key to SSS is the shutup part. You do not tell them that you shot their dogs. You just bury them and claim ignorance if asked.

 

[wisefool]

Quote:
Sage advice and very valuable. I just have to the weigh out the impacts to my blood pressure on a chickens vs. bad politics basis and how it will affect my future livestock operations. It is very likely if I shot the animals they would be watching when I do it. Which is the irony here. They are often in the yard or on the porch where they are watching thier dogs tear up my stuff and dig under the chicken run. Like I said, I am not perfect either. But nothing I do is actually on thier land, and I work at my "appearance flaws" every single day. But old equpiment and projects take time and money, and nothing I have, including the chickens is a luxury like the dogs are.

I'll do the shutup part here now that I have vented and got lots of support from you all. Thank you! I will not shut up when I am around my coop though. Last night, after disposing of my bruised but intact dead bird, I re-enacted Foghorn Leghorn cartoon skits at the top of my voice for an hour. Its indirect, but nothing got hurt except for peoples pride, especially mine cause I probably seemed like a fool to the other neighbors who didn't know what was going on

 

[toletiquesbysam]

wisefool-
I think lizardz has it right, if you can trap or catch the animals and take them to the shelter and let the owners PAY to have them back, that is the only confrontation you need to give. Money talks and let them pay like you have for the loss of your chicken. They wouldn't understand what a chicken means to you so you need to speak in terms they understand by making them pay for letting their dogs out.
Good Luck, we are with you in your frustration!!

 

[horsejody]

How about not shooting the dog, but blasting a shotgun in the air just to scare it and make the owners think that it might get shot.

Or better yet, talk to the neighbors. Tell them that dogs have been getting at your animals. Pretend that you are not even aware that it's their dog. Say that you just purchased a shotgun to kill stray dogs, and you don't want them to be alarmed when they hear shots being fired. Then go home and shoot a few rounds into the manure pile. Or you could lie and say that you have put poison bait out to kill predators, and you wanted to let them know so that they could keep their dog safe in their house. Don't really put any poison out, just say you have.

 

[wisefool]

thanks for both suggestions. trapping and direct talk about shooting predators, then SSS. They know I have a shotgun a 22LR and a 22LR pistol for predators and have seen me use them for that purpose (wild animals). And where I live there is constant recreational shooting going on all the time so the dogs are not afriad at all. Even some of the wild ones/strays will keep walking on thier path with bullets flying around them.

I will do the suggestions in that order: trapping+pound, direct conversation, then SSS. But only If I still have problems after my theater performance last night.

Again my hesitation is that I do not have a perfect manicured farm yet, intend to add more animals, and I know that I am going have noise complaints when my boys finally grow up but are not ready for harvest yet.

I miss the old days. And I say that admitting that I was on the other end of this situation when I was a boy. Constant crowing (chickens were always on our ground instead of the owner's) , his weekly threat that my dog would be shot even though he was always restrained, etc. But then it semed like preventative measures were worth it and respected and life lessons were learned. Now a days it seems like people are just crazy/lazy/ or actually looking for a fight that has no real benefit to either party.

TIme to check the coop again. Thank you all.

 

[horsejody]

By the way,

 

[Buster]

I've said this before but it bears repeating. I know that I assume a certain risk by free ranging my chickens. People who free range their dogs assume the same risk. Shoot it, bury it and never say another word. It will build your confidence knowing you take care of a problem like that despite your reckless and irresponsible dog owning neighbors.