We did find this turkey hen alive but after closer examination of her Papa Bear put her down. One tom was barely breathing and he got put down as well.
Total body count was 33. A few turkeys that still had flight feathers were able to fly up on top of the hen house and got away. I think I have 3 chicken hens that may live and one rooster.
We had a problem with the neighbors dogs back during the summer. I caught them in the act in broad daylight but I did not have my gun so they got away. I had a talk with neighbor and he paid for damages. At that time we lost 7 hens and 2 turkeys. This time it happened in the wee hours of the morning so we heard and saw nothing.
I called Animal Control. They used to bring traps out to catch stray animals but now you have to go in and pay a deposit of $35.00. When you take the trap back you get your money back. I am OK with this but there won't be any caught animals going back with the traps.
Years ago, we had a small pack of four "pets" chasing and killing calves in our neighborhood. The killing stopped only by gunpowder.
ReplyDeleteThat is the only way to stop some GS. The one time I caught the dogs who done the killing, If I had not have made the man pay for damages he would not have contained his dogs. They are now contained and as far as I know they weren't his dogs this time. If it was I am sure he has seen my sign. I buried the bodies but left the sign up.
DeleteThis is awful so sorry for you guys!! We lost chickens and turkeys over the years with dogs, possums etc but since we got our great perinesse (knock on wood) We have had no other problems chewy has her perimeter and she goes around it off and on all night long.
ReplyDeleteWe have a mixed breed of Austrian Shepherd and GP in one of the does pens and another mixed breed in with the bucks. I have never tried one in with the chickens or turkeys. I would love to have one that I could turn loose on the property and it not roam off. After threatening to shoot everyone's dog, I am sure mine would be shot even if it wasn't doing a thing.
DeleteI know what you mean I worry if chewy would leave our property the neighbor behind us I know would shoot her (he has told me he would) but so far we have had her 4 years and she has not ventured off
DeleteOuch. Predation is the main reason I haven't jumped on the chicken wagon here. I remember the massacres from my childhood.
ReplyDeleteWe have had only two episodes in the past 5 years , this was the worse but it still hurts! I have some electric netting I am going to string around the pens as soon as I can get the area clear of weeds.. It operates off of solar. I will start back over as soon as everything is as secure as I can get it.
Deleteoh Mamma - how terrible and what a useless loss of life! i have seen/heard of packs of dogs busting into someone's chicken coop but they usually only leave feet because they actually eat the chickens!!! this seems like these dogs just wanted to kill....not eat. i am so very sorry - i can't imagine having to clean up that massacre! are the other birds ok or traumatized? i am sending much love to you, i hope Papa feels better soon and of course - give that Marine a kiss for me!
ReplyDeleteyour friend,
kymber
I called the lady down the road who has had a problem with dogs. She bought 2 kids from me last year and a pack of dogs killed them and one of her horses. She said there was a mama bulldog looking dog with some large pups she has spotted in the woods. I guess we'll set a trap in between our properties and see if we can catch them. Our road seems to be the dump for strays. I don't even like the idea of taking an animals life unless you are using it for food but animals are now taking away from our food supply. It is time to do something.
DeleteToday is the first day they have ate since this happened. The 3 surviving hens and rooster are staying huddled together. The one hen I thought I could save is doing poorly. Her wounds did not look deep and I sprayed Colloidal Silver on her but I think her leg or back may be broken. I will probably put her down before the day is over.
I am so sorry to see this. Years ago, in California, there was a subdivision next to the stable where I kept my horse. People would let their "cute" dogs out at night. Horses were run thru fences and attacked. At that time the county had people that hunted these animals down. Nowadays, though...especially in rural areas, we take care of this stuff ourselves. SSS :Shoot, Shovel, Silence. City people move here and think they can let their dogs run loose. Once again, so sorry you had to experience this.
ReplyDeleteI like your SSS. I think that is the most excellent way to go. Of course if anyones animals go missing I will be the first who is accused because of my sign! I was really angry when I piled all those bodies up and made my sign. I had to bury them yesterday morning. 75 degree weather and dead bodies do not mix well.
DeleteMamma Bear,
ReplyDeleteWe got back into town last night. I'm starting to read all my blogger friends posts and making comments, moving slow this afternoon.
First, please take care of Papa Bear. Sending big hugs and prayers he gets well soon.
OMG......I'm so sorry to hear and see what this pack of dogs did to your birds. This is terrible, the owners of these dogs need to tread lightly. I would be shooting these dogs if they came back. Are these all domesticated dogs running in a pack?
Can you make an official report with the Sheriff? Sending hugs your way to you, Papa Bear, and the Marine.
Sandy...We get strays dropped off in our area all the time. If they come on the property I put them in the back fence, worm them and give them a rabies shot. I then put them on Craigs list as soon as I know they are OK. I have always found a home for them so far. Now more and more are dropped off. Sometimes all it takes is for a bitch in heat and then every dog in the area are following her and that is usually trouble.
DeleteThanks for your well wishes for Papa Bear. Not only a respiratory problem but a skin cancer was removed last month and it looks like it is back. It was an area on his back about the size of a fifty cent piece that was removed. Please keep him in your prayers. He has an appointment next Tuesday to have it looked at.
Oh How Awful. I can imagine your reaction when you walked out this morning and saw that. I am sorry. That just sucks..
ReplyDeleteIt is a good thing I am not easily traumatized!. The sad thing is no one heard anything. Our home is so well insulated you can't hear anything unless you are at a window. My Mom who is a park model travel trailer next door didn't even hear anything and my little brother always said she could hear a bumblebee walking!
DeleteI've been lurking lately, so sorry about Papa Bear's illness and cancer. Hugs and prayers.
ReplyDeleteSaturday was our last day of decent weather, fairly clear and in the 30's. Hubby and I indulged in a long walk with the Labragirl who owns hubby's heart. We got home around 1600 and began doing our evening chores. Chickens were out and came to greet us. One was missing to I went to look in coop and found her before I got there. She was injured and we went to get the dog kennel to separate her. No sign of perpetrator. While we were working in the barn, we heard chickens squawking and I burst out of the barn to find a half grown black lab and border collie shaking my hens. I yelled at them and they both dropped the birds and came to me. I can't tell you how lucky I was. I picked each up and stored it for the time in my husband's pickup (he has a topper) and we spent 3 hours trying to find the hens that fled. Well after dark when the temps were dangerously cold we had them all accounted for and the hen most badly hurt in the tack room, not thinking she'd live. She's still with us, but I'm not betting either way on her survival.
A kind deputy came and picked the dogs up. He tracked the owner down through a facebook posting asking people to help her find her dogs...again, then she listed a nonworking phone number. Deputy asked me to call him if any of the birds don't make it. It will probably pan out the same way the previous incident with "other people's dogs" did when they injured my daughter's eventing horse. I can't even bring myself to type the expense of that fiasco, and the dog's owner had the gall to tell me his unemployed stock dog was "too good" to tie, chain, pen at night, but that he also didn't allow dogs in his house.
I hope you get resolution on this matter. I told the deputy I figured the value of each of my laying hens at 300 egg/year x $.3 x 5years or $450. He thought that was fair since he pays $4/dozen for ranch eggs himself.
Prayers for you both.
Thank you... I am glad you were able to rescue your birds. I know most dogs just want to play with the birds not realizing they are killing them. Some of my birds were ate, mangled and ripped apart. We followed feathers to the edge of the swamp where there is a trail now. Best I can tell is they took 3 with them. We have special "treats" set out for them near their trail. If we can't see them to shoot them I hope they partake of the treats.
DeleteNone of the dogs have ever gotten a hen, but anyone with hens or knows much of anything about chickens knows that being chased will traumatize a hen for days and will most likely stop laying for at least a day or two. I caught another raccoon who, unfortunately, did not make it alive out of the live trap. It's funny how a dead raccoon causes its friend to quit coming around.
ReplyDeleteMy hens are on the other side of the house from my bedroom, so I cannot hear them in the night. However, I was up still in the middle of the night when I did hear a commotion from the pen. That time I ran out and just found a hen having some sort of fit, flopping and dying on the ground--no predator. Can you put something on the order of a baby monitor out there to help with hearing what happens?
I hate that you are having to deal with this on top of everything else you do.
We were trying a camera tonight but it got cold and shut off. I need a new adapter for my goat monitor camera. If I can find one I will put that down in the pen tomorrow. There are very few birds remaining. Whatever it is hit us again during the night.
DeleteTo stop digging raccoons or anything else, I had a 4 foot width of hog wire laid on the ground under the walls of the chain link pen. Neither dogs or raccoons are smart enough to realize they have to back up 2 feet to dig under the wire on the ground. I then used landscaping pins to hold the edges down to prevent a trip hazard for humans.
ReplyDeleteSo far, this has worked, and I see no reason it will fail to work. A friend gave me this wire he found on the side of the road. He picked it up for me. So, it was sort of raggedy in places. That will not allow an animal through. Maybe this would not work for you this time. The suggestions to me were to dig a trench 2 feet deep and bury the bottom of the fence. That was not happening! I cannot do that and could not afford to have it done.
That was a tragic sight.
Those panels are 30 and 40 dollars each and I would need about 20 or more. Can't do it. Hopefully we will get the goats moved to the new barn and the old goat area will accommodate the chickens and turkeys. It is near the security light. We had chickens here at one time and nothing bothered them. Maybe it was because of the light.
Delete