We are here most of the time and our dogs are outside a lot, so we've been fortunate not to have lost any of our free range chickens until today.
It's cold and rainy, so we were all in the house and John had already done a chicken check earlier. We heard a huge commotion - so much more than usual, so we let the dogs out and they chased three dogs off of the property, but one of the Australorps was ripped open and we had to end her suffering.
My instinct (besides shooting the offenders, and we're pretty sure they are from the pack across the street down the road a bit) is to put all the girls into the enclosed run.
I feel that now those dogs know the girls are here so they'll be back. Even when we all leave (or dogs either come with our get out into the house) the chickens get to free range, and we've consciously accepted the risks (hawk, coyotes, and dogs during daylight hours when they aren't securely in the coop built like a fort).
But my resolve to let them be truly free range is suffering. She wasn't one of my favorites but I'm sad she suffered.
Im thinking we will go and warn the owner of the dogs involved. He takes on all the strays that wander up and feeds them. They've formed a pack of sorts and he needs to know we will shoot them if they are on our property anywhere near our chickens.
I love dogs. I don't want to shoot a dog. If we shoot a dog with a rock salt load would it deter then? Sorry for the long ramble...
It's cold and rainy, so we were all in the house and John had already done a chicken check earlier. We heard a huge commotion - so much more than usual, so we let the dogs out and they chased three dogs off of the property, but one of the Australorps was ripped open and we had to end her suffering.
My instinct (besides shooting the offenders, and we're pretty sure they are from the pack across the street down the road a bit) is to put all the girls into the enclosed run.
I feel that now those dogs know the girls are here so they'll be back. Even when we all leave (or dogs either come with our get out into the house) the chickens get to free range, and we've consciously accepted the risks (hawk, coyotes, and dogs during daylight hours when they aren't securely in the coop built like a fort).
But my resolve to let them be truly free range is suffering. She wasn't one of my favorites but I'm sad she suffered.
Im thinking we will go and warn the owner of the dogs involved. He takes on all the strays that wander up and feeds them. They've formed a pack of sorts and he needs to know we will shoot them if they are on our property anywhere near our chickens.
I love dogs. I don't want to shoot a dog. If we shoot a dog with a rock salt load would it deter then? Sorry for the long ramble...