What kinds of Predators have taken your birds?

[bobbi-j]

Shooting is a permeant solution to an instance of a problem, but not the main problem itself. So you killed your neighbor's pet. Congratulations. I understand that it's the neighbor's responsibility to care for their pet, not yours. But what happens when another neighbor moves in with a loose dog? If the dog is a problem dog, it probably would disappear one day. Or get hit by a car. Loose dogs in the country (I'm talking "real" country. Rural, not some development a few miles from town where everyone has an acre that they call a "farm") don't last long. Or a stray dog roams by? We don't have strays. We know our neighbors' dogs. An unknown dog is most likely a dumped dog. Or if a usually responsible owner's dog slips out by mistake and attacks before the owner is able to recapture it? Dogs are generally given more than one chance, if we know the dog and the owners. It's the repeat offenders that don't get to go home again. You have three more dead dogs and it might've not even saved your chickens in time. You're not always going to be there to shoot. And that's the chance I take when free ranging. But our closest neighbor is 1/2 a mile away. Their dog is too far from home if it's on my property. The best thing is just having a really good defense. Yeah, it's annoying to pay for extra protection against your neighbor's carelessness. But it's a good idea to do anyway. Your chickens are safe, the others keep their pets, and the original owner's dog ends up flat in the road anyway.

Also, even if you are within the law to use lethal force, you'll gain the everlasting loathing of your neighbor. Or the neighbor will understand the situation, just as I would understand that if my dog were killing their livestock, they would be well within their rights to protect their stock by whatever means necessary. You can bet that they will watch meticulously for any little mishap that they could use to indict you and have your chickens taken away (If you are living in an area where the city has certain limits on raising chickens).

According to the sheep herding book I read at TSC there are 15 or 20 ways to run a dog off and protect sheep from dogs, and not one thing on the list included shooting or harming the dog. If shepherds can run a dog off and protect their sheep without shooting the dog, and if I can run dogs off of my property without hurting them, so can you.

Shooting dogs is totally unnecessary!!! Not always The shepherd's book recommended firing over the dog's head as just one of many ways to stop dog attacks and run them off. The last dog we had was such an avid hunter, he would run toward gunshots. It never would have occurred to him to run away - he was afraid he'd miss out on all the fun! I have seen dogs so scared by the sound of one gunshot they bust right through a screen door to come inside, and twice busted right through the gate of their chain link kennel. Which goes to show that a dog could also bust into a chicken coop if it were determined enough.

When I walk my dogs around the farm, my dogs will not even allow me to walk towards gunshots that I can barely hear.

Most Ag laws are passed bc corporate lobbyists push for the cheapest way of doing things even though it's the cruelest way! A well-placed bullet is not cruel. It's instant death. The animal doesn't have a chance to be scared or hurt. You could spend just a small amount of money to put hot wire around you chickens, or spend a bit more for electric poultry netting, a jenny, a llama, etc. Guard animals are not always an option.

What happens to your chickens when you're not home to shoot the dogs??? You are morally responsible to make your chicken area 100 percent dog proof Realistically speaking, I don't believe that there is such a thing as 100% dog proof. Maybe dog resistant, but some breeds will tear apart a fence or coop if they're determined enough. whether you're home or away, even if corporate cruelty Ag laws don't say you have to. I'm not sure where this type of thinking comes from. Shooting stock-killing predators has been the law of the land for centuries.

The chicken-killing dog debate continues.. It's a subject that many are passionate about, and there is no black and white, all right or all wrong answer. It depends on the situation. I think it's safe to say that most people who kill dogs that kill their chickens have been putting up with those stray dogs, or continuously free roaming neighbor dogs for some time. Sure, some will kill a first-time attacker, but not everyone. In the interest of keeping good relations with neighbors, it's a good idea to talk to them first and let them know that their dog has been to your place (photo evidence is always helpful) and harassing your chickens. Depending on your neighbors, you may or may not want to tell them that if the problem continues the dog will not come home. Where I live, "Animal Control" is what we do ourselves. If we call the sheriff's dept. about a stray dog, we'd be told to shoot it.

 

[bobbi-j]

In response to the original question, I have lost chickens to hawks, owls, coyotes, skunks and my own dog from time to time. I have been raising chickens for a long time, and these losses have occurred over many years. Most of the problem areas have been resolved.

 

[OnlyOrps]

The other day a constant roaming dog that had been allowed to run lose for years suddenly crossed the road and took after the neighbors pregnant cows. One broke a leg and lost its baby. They had warned us when we moved on thst the dog was impossible to keep in but never bothered livestock. They also explained that if she wound up shot they would totally understand. Most farmers understand the risk they're adopting when they let their dogs roam. In this case he owes the neighbor a lot of money for the lost calf and broken leg. The funny part is that his dog miraculously stays in the fenced yard now lol.

 

[jtn42248]

For me it is not just an issue of a chicken killing dog and an irresponsible owner. It is an issue of the rights that come with the ownership of property. Just as I have a responsibility to do everything possible to assure my stock have safe and healthy environments in which to live. I also have a responsibility to assure the security and the sanctity of the property I own. I have several times had to shoot into the air to "encourage" a predator to leave. That is my responsibility as opposed to allowing anything to just roam at will killing my stock and risking the lives of my pets and family. My land is fenced and does have an electric wire around the entire parameter. That exists as much to keep my stock on my property as it does to discourage something or someone from trespassing. My chickens, ducks and geese all live in metal coops/houses that have concrete floors, very secure ventilation surrounded by buried 1/4 inch fence fabric, chain link enclosed runs with 1/2 inch fence fabric over the tops. The runs open into enclosed controlled range areas surrounded by 5 foot metal fencing with electric wire along the top and bottom. These enclosed controlled range areas in turn open into three acres of free range that is used ONLY when one of us can be outside to supervise since we have any number of wild predators that can drop in from above (owls, hawks, buzzards, eagles, etc.). Even with these protections in place we have had issues with coyotes, raccoons, skunks, armadillos, bobcats and most recently a mountain lion. We have been informed that there seems to be a return of the Mexican Black Bear to our area as well. So far the only dogs we have had issues with are dogs that have been dumped in the country and had to learn to survive in packs that roam pretty large areas. Most of them are, sadly, taken care of by the coyotes and large cats but some of them do on occasion venture onto our property. Usually a warning shot send them running and I am glad of that because I have a number of dogs of my own and have a soft spot in my heart for dogs.

All that said, I would not hesitate for an instant to use my rifle(s) in the defense of my home and family...including my animal family. That is, afterall, why they are called home defense weapons.

What I guess I am trying to point out is that no matter what precautions you may take there may come a time when the only solution to protection of your home and property is one that is more violent than any of us may want. So, dog or otherwise, if you are on my property without my knowledge and consent they you are at risk of serious injury as I will fulfill my responsibilities to my stock and family to provide them with a safe place to live.

 

[CrazyTalk]

You are morally responsible to keep your dogs on your property. Nothing is 100% Dog Proof. They killed a Lamb too. We will have to just not agree. God Bless

One can completely agree with that and still think that one is morally responsible for keeping their own animals safe. The phrase "trust, but verify" or "hope for the best, prepare for the worst'" give the best attitude. It can both be your neighbor's responsibility to keep his dog off your property, and your responsibility to protect your animals from neighbor's dogs, coyotes, etc.

If the neighbor's dog can get your birds, anything can.

I have no problem with people shooting dogs in the act of harassing livestock - what I have a problem with is thinking that it solves anything.

 

[WalleyWaller]

I have had Dogs and a Opossum kill my chickens. I actually had one burrow under the run, got into the coop and killed one of my Araucanas. He dragged her out of the coop and out of the run. There was a few feathers and a little blood on the ground. I set a trap and 2 nights later I had a Big opossum in it. I have caught 2 more since.

 

[debscraps07]

We had a pack of coyotes take two of our birds that weren't able to get back into the enclosure.

 

[CrazyTalk]

I would have to believe that the folks posting about not shooting a dog or any other predator that kills livestock has never seen one of there animals killed by a predator or either allows their dogs to run free and are not concerned of the outcome.

You should stop making assumptions about people.

 

[WalleyWaller]

You should stop making assumptions about people.

Thanks for the advise! Nothing wrong with agreeing to disagree either. Thank you officer for correcting me!!

 

[mrballance]

Did you mean like this one??

LOL, Now that's Funny