Dogs savaged chickens

[Muser]

I so badly wish there was something else we could say or do to help you through this situation. The pain and anger you’re feeling must be almost unbearable. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Glad to hear there is hope on the horizon for those recovering, though.

I hope that through all of this, the pictures and memories of your sweet girls will bring you some peace. Or that they eventually are able to. Someone once told me that our chickens bring us so many good days and a few really bad ones. Those bad ones are terrible. Feel free to share stories about them with us if it helps. What were their names? I know that you did all you could for them and they had amazing lives with you. They will be waiting for you at that big coop in the sky

Awwe thank you so much for your kind words, they mean a lot in this trying time and it feels equally good and bad that others understand this painful experience.

Cookie was my favorite, she was a little black copper marans mutt bird from my uncles farm. An independent lady, my first chicken who would fly up on my arm when I tapped it and would be the first to greet me in the mornings, i will feel her loss the most. She died in my arms, a place she always wanted to be. Here she is being a house chicken on my lap.

The other was Oreo, a beautiful black Ayam Cemani, I raised her last year from an egg. She would get so excited about my arrival in the morning she would try crowing like a rooster and was my prettiest bird. Here she is laying her first pretty little pale pink egg. She wasn't even a year old.

Gutted for both but comforted knowing they had really good lives, albeit cut short.

My survivors are what are keeping me going.

 

[thistlewick]

dogs off lead in the UK are a menace, and the people who believe their precious little angel dogs could never do any harm are the *worst*

I am not sure there are any council ordinances that can help you? I'd certainly report this to my county council though.

 

[alinas2010]

Awwe thank you so much for your kind words, they mean a lot in this trying time and it feels equally good and bad that others understand this painful experience.

Cookie was my favorite, she was a little black copper marans mutt bird from my uncles farm. An independent lady, my first chicken who would fly up on my arm when I tapped it and would be the first to greet me in the mornings, i will feel her loss the most. She died in my arms, a place she always wanted to be. Here she is being a house chicken on my lap.

View attachment 4080135

The other was Oreo, a beautiful black Ayam Cemani, I raised her last year from an egg. She would get so excited about my arrival in the morning she would try crowing like a rooster and was my prettiest bird. Here she is laying her first pretty little pale pink egg. She wasn't even a year old.

View attachment 4080140

Gutted for both but comforted knowing they had really good lives, albeit cut short.

My survivors are what are keeping me going.

Aw look at them, both beautiful girls, and I know they knew nothing but happy, enriched lives. Thank you for sharing Cookie and Oreo with us.

Cookie must’ve known your arms were such a safe place to be and that it was okay to rest there. What an honor. It’s not often chickens give us that privilege. And Oreo, the crowing hen, an anomaly herself, too good for this place. Just know you will hear her crown again and she’ll be just as excited to see you. They both sound like such special girls.

Keep us updated on the recovering ones and if you need help, or just want to share more or vent, don’t hesitate to do so.

 

[Muser]

Aw look at them, both beautiful girls, and I know they knew nothing but happy, enriched lives. Thank you for sharing Cookie and Oreo with us.

Cookie must’ve known your arms were such a safe place to be and that it was okay to rest there. What an honor. It’s not often chickens give us that privilege. And Oreo, the crowing hen, an anomaly herself, too good for this place. Just know you will hear her crown again and she’ll be just as excited to see you. They both sound like such special girls.

Keep us updated on the recovering ones and if you need help, or just want to share more or vent, don’t hesitate to do so.

Gosh you are so lovely <3 thank you for such kind words. It's so surreal that they are gone, and it's so quiet out there at the moment. The others are still a bit shook up but they will be alright I think. The other two are still doing well at the moment, keeping a close eye on them

 

[Muser]

So I think it's going to take a fair while before I can reintegrate the injured girls back to the main coop. I've been trying to take them in there once a day but the coop girls are already looking to re-establish the pecking order now my head hen is gone and these two are obviously going to be bottom of that. Is this the best way to do this until they can all go back together? I've never had to reintroduce an injured chicken before (let alone two) so not sure how much they can defend themselves. I have saddles over the injuries to stop the pecking, but I feel so bad for them I keep getting between all the birds which I know isn't a good idea long term! Thanks

 

[alinas2010]

So I think it's going to take a fair while before I can reintegrate the injured girls back to the main coop. I've been trying to take them in there once a day but the coop girls are already looking to re-establish the pecking order now my head hen is gone and these two are obviously going to be bottom of that. Is this the best way to do this until they can all go back together? I've never had to reintroduce an injured chicken before (let alone two) so not sure how much they can defend themselves. I have saddles over the injuries to stop the pecking, but I feel so bad for them I keep getting between all the birds which I know isn't a good idea long term! Thanks

I know it doesn’t seem like it, but you’re actually starting out in decent spot because you have a pair to integrate together instead of just a lone hen. The fact that there are two is going to help them integrate a little easier. When the other hens see these two, does it seem like more than normal “establishing the pecking order” behavior?

I think what you’re already doing will help for sure. Keeping them familiar is good. What I would also recommend once you plan on leaving them out for good (or a longer period of time) is doing a see, no touch method for a week or so. After that see if they can safely be let go into the run without (significant) injuries or blood being drawn. Depending on how familiar and integrated into the flock these two stay, you might not have to do that even. Putting the two injured girls in something like a large wire dog kennel inside the run would work well. Just so the others can see them and get re-used to them being around without being able to touch them. Once you remove them from the dog kennel, the more space, the better. And the more objects to break up the lines of site the better. More places to hide, the better, the more feeding and watering stations, the better, etc.

Again, if they happen to stay pretty integrated with the way you’re doing visits outside, you may not need to do the see, no touch method. It’s by far the easiest way to reintegrate when there are troubles, though. Integration is always a bit easier with a friend, so I’m glad there are two of them.

 

[Bawkbok]

It pains me to read this thread. I am so sorry you're going through this and lost hens/pets as a result of someone else's negligence and obvious disregard for anyone else.

That dog sounds to have a huge prey drive with nothing but kill on it's mind. I would deliver the dead chickens to the neighbor and tell them the next time their dog enters your property, you will shoot to kill it. Period.

Sometimes, despite our elevated character compared to others, we must meet people where they are. Tough and nasty with tough and nasty. You may want to consider getting a protective beast (dog) of your own.

I wish you the best. I'm sorry you're grieving over the losses and now dealing with stress and trauma of injuries and the re-integration process. I wouldn't expect things to calm down in the flock for a couple of weeks. Wishing you the best with everything. Hugs.

 

[Muser]

It pains me to read this thread. I am so sorry you're going through this and lost hens/pets as a result of someone else's negligence and obvious disregard for anyone else.

That dog sounds to have a huge prey drive with nothing but kill on it's mind. I would deliver the dead chickens to the neighbor and tell them the next time their dog enters your property, you will shoot to kill it. Period.

Sometimes, despite our elevated character compared to others, we must meet people where they are. Tough and nasty with tough and nasty. You may want to consider getting a protective beast (dog) of your own.

I wish you the best. I'm sorry you're grieving over the losses and now dealing with stress and trauma of injuries and the re-integration process. I wouldn't expect things to calm down in the flock for a couple of weeks. Wishing you the best with everything. Hugs.

Yes, I did walk up there with my dead hen, tears in my eyes but it was the mother babysitting the grandkid so when a little boy opened the door, I had to turn away not to traumatise him until the 'gran' came out. She said sorry and said she would ask her daughter (the actual dog owner) to call in to see me later that day. She didn't come down and with every hour, I got angrier and angrier. I got up early (stress and rage kept me from sleeping a wink that night). I wrote a rather spite induced letter starting with 'I'm disgusted you haven't even apologised'. I posted it and sods law the owner was driving up the road to their house as I was leaving. She pulled over immediately and apologised profusely. She said she didn't get in until late and wasn't sure it would be appropriate to turn up to our house late after such a trauma. She said she took it incredibly seriously and started genuinely crying at my distress. She offered to pay for anything I wanted, but I said I don't want money, I just want my babies back. She said her and her husband argued over getting rid of the dog but either way they reassured me that they will be super diligent going forward and it will not happen again. I accepted the apology, we hugged as upset neighbours and left. They turned up a few days later with a card of apology and a beautiful flower planter that I could put on my girls graves. Hopefully that's the last of it. But I've installed an electric fence and I have a builder to put in a 6ft fence at the back (mainly to secure that area from dogs or foxes). It's all i can do extra to protect my remaining girls. It was negligence but they fully accepted responsibility and that, if nothing else, subsided the rage. That sadness persists though. Sorry for the wall of text, jee whizz!

 

[Muser]

I know it doesn’t seem like it, but you’re actually starting out in decent spot because you have a pair to integrate together instead of just a lone hen. The fact that there are two is going to help them integrate a little easier. When the other hens see these two, does it seem like more than normal “establishing the pecking order” behavior?

I think what you’re already doing will help for sure. Keeping them familiar is good. What I would also recommend once you plan on leaving them out for good (or a longer period of time) is doing a see, no touch method for a week or so. After that see if they can safely be let go into the run without (significant) injuries or blood being drawn. Depending on how familiar and integrated into the flock these two stay, you might not have to do that even. Putting the two injured girls in something like a large wire dog kennel inside the run would work well. Just so the others can see them and get re-used to them being around without being able to touch them. Once you remove them from the dog kennel, the more space, the better. And the more objects to break up the lines of site the better. More places to hide, the better, the more feeding and watering stations, the better, etc.

Again, if they happen to stay pretty integrated with the way you’re doing visits outside, you may not need to do the see, no touch method. It’s by far the easiest way to reintegrate when there are troubles, though. Integration is always a bit easier with a friend, so I’m glad there are two of them.

Yes I said that to my husband, least both of them are together not lonely too whilst they recover. They both scoffed some mealworms earlier so got some nice full crops to go to sleep on. Their wounds are doing better day by day and their limps less and less

I have a small run (one of those eglu 2meter runs that come with the coop - too small for a proper run, but good for broodies and rehabs) so I will put that up tomorrow to let them have some outside time. Being stuck in the intensive care unit that is my downstairs toilet isn't an ideal spot for day and night

Their wounds are thankfully on their backs so I have covered that with chicken saddles to stop others and themselves pecking at the injuries.

I lost my head hen so the second in command is just trying to assert her new found dominance and normally I would just let them work it out but it feels so cruel when they are already injured! I think it is just normal pecking order stuff but I'm being overly protective I think

Cookie was my head hen and she wouldn't have any fighting or upset in the flock so this is devastating on so many levels a non chicken owner wouldn't understand! But it could have been so much worse had we not come home when we did.

 

[Bawkbok]

I'm happy the neighbor thing worked out as well as it did. At least it's open communication and it sounds like they were genuinely disturbed by their dog's behavior.

I don't think it's possible to be overly protective in this situation. Many of us would be the same way. It sounds like you have a good option with the eglu cube and run. We have the same set up for the same purpose. Wheel it over next to the run so they can all see each other.

It's difficult when the leader is suddenly gone. Upsets everyone on the team, so to speak. Like a bunch of flailing kids searching for direction. They will work it out; it takes time.

Grief in loss can be profound. Allow yourself time but channel your energies into positive thoughts as you can. Best of luck to you.