Dogs more important than Chickens?

[FrostRanger]

It does depend on the situation, obviously if the dog is not in the process of chasing anything and seems friendly I'd try and catch the dog and figure out who they belong to (people leave the door open and the dog gets loose, it happens). However if the dog is actively chasing or attacking my animals or otherwise seems aggressive, I have no issue with doing what needs to be done. If the owner makes themselves known I'll send them the bill. Accidents may happen, but they do have consequences. One doesn't have to be happy about it but they should understand that of their dog is loose and tresspasses and especially chases someone's animals they may very well get shot and it is 100% on you to prevent that situation

 

[aviatrix85]

A non-lethal solution is to capture the dog, especially if it's friendly, and deliver it to the county animal control department. In some places they will hold the animal until restitution is made by the owner to replace the cost of the animals killed. Take lots of pictures as evidence.

I’m hoping the electric fence will take care of the issue.

But If the dog is friendly and not attacking my chickens, I wouldn’t harm the dog. We have had multiple dogs in our backyard but these are the first that have been aggressive towards the chickens.

 

[aviatrix85]

So one of the same dogs just came by and got through the electric fence. We will have to add more fencing. If it comes by while I’m at home, it’s going to be shot at

 

[aart]

So one of the same dogs just came by and got through the electric fence.

Do you have a tester for the fence, make sure it's HOT?
Might bait the efence with raw bacon for 'training'.

 

[DLA]

If a dog really was like their child, they'd take better care of it to keep it from wandering into other people's yards and into situations out of their control. You don't let toddlers wander out into the world with no supervision and just hope they'll come back. Their dogs are their responsibility and if anything were to happen to them outside, it's on their heads first and foremost because they're the ones who let the dog get out of their supervision/property in the first place, either purposefully or through carelessness. I dislike when people act like they love their pets so much but let them spend hours and hours outside unattended and unpenned with no real idea what they're actually up to or what kind of situations they're facing, with dogs as well but especially with cats.

If a dog came into my yard and attacked my chickens, I would hurt it with the intent to kill in order to protect my flock. And if I ever met the owners, I would chew them out for letting their dog ever get into that situation because I don't want to have to be doing that and they would have made the situation happen in the first place. I love dogs, I have a dog, but I don't think the life of a random dog who is currently attacking my chickens is worth more than my flock's lives.

This is so true!!!! "If a dog really was like their child, they'd take better care of it to keep it from wandering into other people's yards and into situations out of their control. You don't let toddlers wander out into the world with no supervision and just hope they'll come back. Their dogs are their responsibility and if anything were to happen to them outside, it's on their heads first and foremost because they're the ones who let the dog get out of their supervision/property in the first place, either purposefully or through carelessness. I dislike when people act like they love their pets so much but let them spend hours and hours outside unattended and unpenned with no real idea what they're actually up to or what kind of situations they're facing, with dogs as well but especially with cats."

As far as shooting a dog if it was attacking my chickens, I would personally probably have trouble doing that unless it was obviously sick (like rabies or distemper) or extremely aggressive and threatening me. The ones I've had come around I was able to scare them away and then put deterrents in place in case they came back. If it was a dog that was continuing to return and I wasn't able to resolve it some other way then I may, in the end, opt to do that but it would be the last option for me. My neighbors dog came over and went after my chickens one day, no one got hurt and my neighbor felt really bad about it. It was an accident, she saw me and wanted to visit but then saw the chickens and just couldn't help herself. I am super lucky and have an awesome responsible dog owner neighbor. I know not all dog owners are and in that situation if they are warned and don't take steps to contain their dog then whatever happens is their fault not yours.

 

[aviatrix85]

Do you have a tester for the fence, make sure it's HOT?
Might bait the efence with raw bacon for 'training'.

Yes, we tested it. I am going to Tractor supply today to get a stronger energy source tho. I bought a 5 mile and will change it out for a 30 mile.

My good friend had a dog that didn’t care about his shock collar so we may just have a dumb dog that will just go through it anyways. I’ve already asked the owner to constrain their dog. Don’t want to shoot it but I’m already wasting time and money on a pest I don’t want to deal with. Easier just to shoot it and be done with it.

 

[aviatrix85]

This is the route i

I think Joel Salatin said it best "Shoot, shovel, shut up."

m leaning towards at this point

 

[SourRoses]

The issue is about love.
One person may love their dog more, or their boa constrictor, or their hamster.
I can't say someone's hamster is less important than my chickens, because what matters to me and what matters to them are different so it's a tie.

If their snake came into my space to kill what I love, then I will kill the snake.
If their dog came into my space to kill what I love, then I might kill the dog.
There's a "might" here because I love dogs too! What would make the difference to me is, can I approach this dog and restrain it so I can send it back where it needs to be? If it's too nasty to handle I'd lean towards killing it. If it's a nice dog I might just cry into his fur instead.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

A new neighbor's dog got one of my chickens this summer. I let him know it would cost me $30 to replace her, and he paid it. He was very contrite, promised to keep the dog confined and we actually became friends. Later the dog got another one, and he came over immediately to tell me about it (the dog had taken the hen home) and pay up again. He knows if I catch his dog over here, I will shoot it on sight and he's fine with that. The dog has not been back. He's one of my nearest neighbors and lives at least a mile away. This is country living.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

I recently had an issue come up that got me thinking. I had a few dogs attack my chickens and I contacted the owner within my neighborhood chat.

A few people have made comments like: “a dog is my child” and “a dog is more important than your chickens”

“If you would shoot a dog, I hope you wouldn’t shoot a child”

I don’t agree that a dog is the equivalent to a child. They are animals.

Do you all believe it’s acceptable to protect your chickens against all predators? (Including someone’s dog)

The law states I can kill a dog attacking my chickens. Hopefully, more people can be aware of this issue so they can protect their own animals.

We ended up putting up an electric fence.

some people think violence is or isn't the answer, but I say violence is the question. If this animal is hurting your flock, the answer is yes. although I would personally shoot blanks or rubber bullets to start, and aim for the paw first as a warning shot, and then take more drastic measures if the dog comes back.