Why Are There So Many Irresponsible Dog Owners...Another Turkey Killed

[Nivrocco]

I just want to add that if your pet can trot by my property or even through it and not chase or kill anything, I will not have a problem with it coming by...

 

[judyc]

Sunday evening we returned from Kansas City. DD had let the poultry out of the tractor. Evidently, 3 of the young turkeys decided to roost outside that night. She didn't do a head count when she locked up. Well, I wouldn't have either.

I slept in Monday morning. I went out to move the tractor and feed. There is one dead turkey, (hen) one crippled turkey, (hen) and a young tom, unscathed, outside the tractor.

The FIRST time anyone was outside the tractor, and we get a neighbor's dog!

I put the crippled hen in another tractor where the chickens wouldn't eat her, disposed of the dead one, and put the tom back in the tractor. I was in such a bad mood. I am soooo tired of stupid, irresponsible dog owners.

Tuesday night, there's a note on the door from the dog owner. A FIRST! The lady wanted to pay me for the two turkeys! I'm still hot, 'cause I only have one hen left, and who knows if the other will survive? So, Hubby calls the woman last night and talks to her. Seems her BIRD dog got away from her and killed my turks. I told him to get $50 from her, and he came home with a check for $50! It doesn't make up for the turkeys, but maybe she'll keep a little tighter grip on that predator from now on.

I DID tell Hubby that she didn't need to give me the money--just the dog.

The wounded hen is standing now, and it looks like she's going to make it. She doesn't have any open wounds; just couldn't walk real well, and lost enough feathers that the hens were going to pick her to death. I let the poultry out last night for about an hour when I got home, and the others walked over and visited with her.


Hubby said the woman was in tears last night when he went over there. She felt so bad. He told her I feel bad too. She offered to talk to me over the phone, and he didn't think that was a good idea.

Sure, I'll talk to her--as soon as I cash her check. I'll tell her how tired I am of not being able to let my birds enjoy my property because of da*n useless dogs and their owners.

The only good part of this was finding a lady
on Craigslist tonight with Narries for sale. I'll replace my young hen tomorrow. I'm still ticked, but at least I'm not out of the game, breeding-wise.

 

[Chickens n' more]

Have to put my 2 cents in here. My husband and I are the proud owners of 3 Labrador Retreivers. One of them (Abby) did like to roam when we first moved deep into the country and another (Shadow) is my husbands bird dog. The youngest (Lucy) is my little helper and would never hurt a chicken. She has been raised with them. She lays out by the coop and they climb on her! Our closest neighbors are 1/4 mile south and 1/2 mile north. Then nothing for a couple of miles. Shortly after moving here, Abby decided to go tear up the neighbor to the souths trash, we put up invisible shock fence that very day. She CAN not and WILL not leave our property now. The second summer we were here, despite having a 100 lb Lab trained to hunt birds, I decided I wanted a few chickens. Dumb idea!! Shadow did what he was trained to do. Years of training! One morning I woke up, walked out the back door, and tripped over 7 of my lifeless chickens. He brought the birds to us.

I was furious to say the least! My husband and I fought all day. Of course, he protected his dog, his buddy, his pal. I came to my senses and realized that it was MY fault. It was a dumn idea. The next morning, another chicken at the back door. This time, in spite of possibly ruining his perfect bird dog by making him scared to touch a bird, my husband beat that dog with a dead chicken and then layed it in his kennel with him all day. On the hour, every hour, all day that day he would walk out there, pick up the chicken, and give the dog a good whollop (sp) with it and leave again. To this day, 3 years later, that dog has not touched another chicken. I will never trust him alone with them, but when I am home, the chickens are out free ranging with the dogs.
I love my dogs and I love my chickens. As far as stray dogs coming in my yard, I dont have to worry about that. They wander by every now and again, but they get met at the road by 3 huge Labs and they usually leave pretty quickly..LOL! My husband has fired a few shots over stray dogs heads before and they usually dont come back. He has also caught a few trying to cut through our back pasture in a big live trap he made.
My point to this long drawn out story is that I live in the country, I let my dogs roam, and I am a RESPONSIBLE pet owner at the same time. When my Abby went and tore up the neighbors trash, I am probably very lucky that they didnt have chickens. It only took one time and we immediately took care of the problem without having to be approached by the neighbors. If we had not have been able to control her, she would have had to go for sure.

 

[Chickens n' more]

SandyC....I am very sorry to hear about your pet turkey. My heart goes out to you.

It does seem that there are SO many more stray dogs in town than the country. The people who own that dog are very irresponsible people who should not be allowed to own a dog if they can not obey the "leash laws". After living in the city for 5 years, I would never be brave enough to try to have birds there. There was a different stray dog in our yard every day! Of course, out here in the boondocks, we have many other predators to deal with. I just keep a VERY close eye on my chickens and make sure that they are as safe as I can possibly keep them from harm. Unfortunately, the pets that you and I choose to keep are "prey" to most other animals in the animal kingdom.

 

[toredano]

I am sorry about your turkeys.Its so unnessesary to loose any birds to stray dogs. Sadly most of the time its to late by the time we get out there to protect them.

I really hate hearing this dog stuff all the time. People wont learn unless their dog is missing or run over or shot

We live way out in teh country. Our propertry isnt fenced in but we do let our dog outside to go to the bathroom.We never let her roam or go out of sight. But then again, she is a housedog. Why is it so hard for peopel to keep dogs penned up or in the hosue or in a fenced in yard? The excuses are what gets me.Either you have a dog and take care of it or dont own one at all. Hunting dogs do what they are bred to do.. they hunt. Sadly its other people`s chickens or turkeys. And thats where the problem lies.

People dont have a sense of responsibilty anymore. Just because you live on 20 or 50 or more or less acres, and think your dog wont roam and kill stuff doesnt make it so.

I can understand that this is a bad situation for both sides but by owning dogs or cats that you let roam and go onto other people`s property , you assure yourself that there will be a problem.


And if the dog doesnt touch your chickens at home.. they will hunt them down when they are in pack with others dogs roaming around. Its called pack mentality,, its called preydrive and its called nature. Ole fluffy might be a lamb at home.. and he will act like a wolf when he is with 2 females and another male out somewhere hunting down chickens and turkeys and cats.
I have seen it..
I heard the old.. But its Muffin.. he wouldnt hurt a fly.. yeah.. right..Try telling that to the flock owners who just lost their livelyhood to fluffy and mopsy that wont hurt a fly.

You let your dogs roam on purpose around me and they will be dead. My property.. my chickens ..my laws apply .

 

[chickenannie]

Sometimes I think keeping the wrong breed of dog in an incompatible situation with that breed is the problem. Like my neighbors who live next to the road (but on a farm) got an Australian Cattle Dog. That dog needs to be working/herding/excercising all day. They cannot provide that type of environment for the dog, therefore, the dog chews through his chain and causes trouble. When the man is home, the dog sticks by his side. When the man leaves, the kids are just playing in the yard or go inside the house, then the dog gets bored and takes off to my farm to kill my turkeys or chickens. They should not have this kind of dog. They should have a small breed that is not going to roam. I researched their breed, and gave them information about how to desensitize their breed of dog to poultry (it IS possible). But do I think they tried the techniques? No, I don't. I think they just kept doing what they were doing and didn't bother.

So all my blathering is to say that get the appropriate breed for the family and the situation. Otherwise it won't work and the dog will suffer.

By the way, I just went to another farm where they have 3 Great Pyrenees GUARDING their chickens (broiler pens). See how well that works? The dogs were trained to guard chickens and now they do their job and are happy.