Well I am down to two hens again and still not sure about a ewe. About 9:30 this morning as I was getting the finishing touches on the set up for shearing day when two dogs came from out of nowhere and started chasing the sheep and bit one on the leg then discovered there were also chickens running around so started tearing them apart when they could get one cornered.
I lost the first hen when she got stuck in a hay bale and I lost the second hen when she was trying to get through my fence.
Luckily the old black hen was in the coop laying an egg, the rooster was no where to be found and the last red hen was also absent. It took myself and the shearer (and his wife) the better part of two hours to get the sheep calmed down so we could shear. I could not find any actual puncture marks or blood on the ewe so I am assuming she is fine at this point.
The two dogs were the largest German Shepard I have ever seen and a pretty small Husky. Both dogs have recently had pictures posted to the local web groups as being seen wandering around the nearest small town alone but both dogs had collars and tags on them. I had the Husky cornered in the barn with the second chicken carcass when she growled and lunged at me. I assume to keep her food. BY the time I went and armed myself both dogs were running across my East Pasture as fast as they could.
Once we had the sheep back under control and penned up inside the barn I began looking for other casualties. After about two hours they began showing back up and the goats appear to be fine as well. One small cat was the only missing member of the place but we finally found him asleep so we only have the two chicken as casualties. There is a picture below but I would warn you I took it from as far away as I could so if you are squeamish do not click on the pic.
I really was happy at how well these two had adjusted to life out here. One of them was a classic porch chicken too and came running whenever one of us went outside.
the dogs came through the gates between the bars.
30 years and now thanks to all these new immigrants I have to deal with neighbor dogs running loose. I guess free range days are over for our chickens if I ever decide to get more now. Nothing is happier than a free range chicken, except chicken killing dogs I guess and new a$$-holes moving into the country where they don't belong.
Like I said if I was 10 years younger I would already be gone but I guess I am stuck now.
Kee4p Prepping Everyone!!
The 3 "S"'s come to mind.
ReplyDeleteMore than a few neighbor dogs have been "Eaten" by Bears around here.
Michael - Too many witnesses close and far too many other targets all around for me to feel it was safe. I am afraid though I may need to start going that direction more in the future if it keeps up.
DeleteCCI makes a nice 22Long Rifle Quiet round. You'll need to re-zero your scope, but it throws a nice 40 gram peace pellet quiet enough that my air rifle sounds loud.
DeleteI used to use 22 shorts but their velocity varies too much for accurate pest kills. But I can hear the firing pin hit the rim :-)
Quite True I imagine!!
DeleteBelieve it or not, here in Kommiecticut dispensing lead pills to pests and predators of livestock is perfectly legal. In the case of roaming dogs, it is the dog owner's responsibility to keep them secured. Dumping the bullet riddled carcass on the front lawn gets the message across.
ReplyDeleteGD - Oh the PTB claim it's legal here too, but I do not really want to test that right now under the circumstances but had I not been so pressed for time and already in the middle of a beginning a shearing day with no witnesses around I would have chanced as lead deterrent possibly.
DeleteThe sponge at the bottom of a meat tray soaked with fat? Don't leave them out dogs choke on them.
ReplyDeleteAnon - This is not something I have had to deal with but once in the last 30 years so I wasn't even prepared or have thought about any reason to need to until today really. Not a bad plan though actually.
Delete@anon; some people will tolerate their dog getting shot for chasing/killing livestock. They won't like it but they'll understand the necessity of it. Poison a dog and all kinds of people will turn out to watch your hanging... People are funny about that. A necessary killing needs to be quick and efficient. Anything else (poison, trapping etc) is a really quick way to be completely and thoroughly ostracized by most of your neighbors.
DeleteA less lethal way to turn your problem back into his problem is to build a compost pile of road-kill downwind or crosswind of your house.
ReplyDeleteRaccoons are good. Woodchucks, possum, cats, skunks.
Bless the pile with about a gallon of vegetable oil. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is good but the best stuff is from a restaurant fryer.
Did I mention that dogs love to roll in carrion? And then they like to roll on carpet and rub against furniture?
THey also like go gorge on it. Of course, if they are not used to it they will vomit and dogs like to vomit on carpet because they can dig in their claws and really put their backs into ejecting the vomit.
Anon - Not sure there are even enough small varmints left around my farm now for that. They seem to be smart enough to move.
DeleteHow utterly frustrating PP - and how utterly irresponsible of the owners. In lieu of more lethal methods, the suggestion above seems to have merit.
ReplyDeleteTB - Ya the wife is really pissed but it has really bothered me cause it is not an issue I needed to deal with in years and only one time before this did I lose a chicken or any pet to a loose dog like this. I am sure it isnt gonna go away now either so a new constant threat to my radar I guess.
DeleteI lost a sheep to dogs a couple of months ago. I now carry a pistol at all times. Pain in the rear, but I am fed up with dogs escaping while I go for a gun.
ReplyDeleteTickmeister - What really bothers me is I thought my sheep and goat pastures were secure against runaway/loose dogs. I now know I was wrong but it has never been tested until now I guess. That I know of so it always worked before.
DeleteNo one will argue with you that two full-size dogs loose on your property and attacking your livestock are a "threat to your life..." if you know what I mean... Personally, I would think twice about offfing those dogs... As for "too many witnesses," if your neighbors are worth half a damn, they'll THANK you for neutralizing the threat! We had a neighbor down the road a piece who occasionally had to defend his hens against coyotes with lead injections. Far be it from me to object...
ReplyDeleteAnd that would actually be I WOULDN'T think twice!!!
DeletePete - I am sure no one around LEO-wise would give me issue about it. But some new transplant from another state with no brains? I would not out a law suit out of the realm of possibility. Especially some one with so little sense or caring that they let dogs of that size run free. Even if kicked out of court that still takes money.
Deletesimple--get the thing that rangers use to put bears to sleep
ReplyDeletewhen dogs go to sleep have cage ready and deputy take them to pound
owners will be fined
i love dogs but those are dangerous and also danger to humans
Suppressors are not that expensive…nor are “big caliber” air rifles .35 up to .50.. and a shovel
ReplyDelete