What sort of damage would a dog do?

[chickintexas]

I've become a bit suspicious of my Border Collie female. The day I discovered the goose body, I had invited both of my BC into the back yard with me to help find 'something.' The entire time I was looking, my female was acting as if she had done something wrong. I blew it off and figured that she was just being her normal, squirrely self. She's psycho. This afternoon, when I got back from the store, a goose feather in the driveway caught my attention. The feather looked as if it had been pooped out by a dog. The goose was killed in the backyard.

I'm not looking forward to it but it looks like I'll be doing some poop poking to see if I find more feathers and maybe even some bones. If I find bones, a certain dog is going to be in big trouble. Don't worry, I won't kill her. Although there are days when I want to! My question is: if it was a dog that decided to eat my goose, what sort of damage would they have done?

 

[nzpouter]

rip apart if it's just kill for fun.... but for eating, head, offal, legs will be the first to go, doubt a border collie can finish a goose....

 

[chickintexas]

I still haven't gotten around to my poop poking. I need to first thing in the morning. I haven't had a repeat of the other night; one goose demolished and 3 chicks (7 weeks old and very large) missing. The only signs I had for the chicks was that there were a few bloody feathers. The goose was a mess, though. Before I bagged it up, I noticed that it's back was torn up. Head was demolished but still there. I could still make out the poor thing's bills. Innards had been pulled out. Most of everything was gone except for it's crop/gizzard. Breast meat had not been touched. Everything that I've read about raccoons does not match. I'm so freakin' confused! But then again, I know that raccoons have not read the latest version of what they are supposed to do with their prey.

 

[chicken911]

I have recent experience with this as far as chickens go Head gone, swallowed whole; rest of animal mainly gone, sometimes a bit of "guts" still left. The poo generally has no bones as they digest them, feathers are usually vomitted up or some pooped out.

 

[chickintexas]

Quote:
Meaning...........was it because of a dog? The way my female dog (system won't allow me to say the real word of what she is

) behaved...Head down, body low, walking in front of me ready to pee all over herself as is her usual behavior when she's done something that she knows she shouldn't have done. Border Collies are smart but they also give themselves away. But...I'm not entirely sure if she did it or had the whole 'guilty conscience' thing going on. "Someone whacked your birds, Mom, but I swear. It wasn't me!"

 

[Tala]

Well, I raw feed and I can tell you that both of my dogs generally gnaw on the easier to get into their mouth parts first ---- the legs, wings, thighs, head/neck (although sometimes they play with the heads......much to DH's dismay) then they get the ribs generally starting from a bird's butt area. They eat heart/liver/lungs like candy, but don't care for intestines/crops. At this point the breast is the last to go, and my 85lb pig of a Lab mix will LEAVE the breast of a 14lb turkey to save for later....so don't know how far into the bird your border collie would get.

 

[chickintexas]

Legs, wings, and thighs and breast were untouched. Backside was bloodied to heck. Head as I previously mentioned. Crop and a tiny bit of intestine were the only things left from the inside. I sure hope it wasn't her. Since I've been leaving out traps, poison baits, and snares, I haven't caught a dam thing besides feral cats (they seem to prefer my live traps

).

 

[BarkerChickens]

Quote:
Meaning...........was it because of a dog? The way my female dog (system won't allow me to say the real word of what she is

) behaved...Head down, body low, walking in front of me ready to pee all over herself as is her usual behavior when she's done something that she knows she shouldn't have done. Border Collies are smart but they also give themselves away. But...I'm not entirely sure if she did it or had the whole 'guilty conscience' thing going on. "Someone whacked your birds, Mom, but I swear. It wasn't me!"

That's the problem with BCs. They tattle on themselves, but also feel really guilty witnessing someone else doing something bad. I love BCs. My most favorite breed. I wouldn't rule her out, but wouldn't blame her just yet either. Is there anything else that could have gotten into your yard? Was her snout and/or paws bloody at all?

 

[chickintexas]

By the time I got up to find the damage done, she could have licked herself clean, for all I know. I'm not entirely ruling her out. I'm starting to think that there may have been more than one sort of predator in my back yard that night. For the chicks, I found a few blood spots on some leaves leading under the fence into the neighbor's yard. No other signs. That tells me either possum, coon, or a small fox. The goose originally told me coon but since the breast was untouched..makes me question. Gah!I'm so freakin' confuddled!