distraught

[Asparagus and Lemons]

I'm am writing this while in tears, so sad.

About 2 weeks ago, dh came home and build a beautiful chicken coop, beautiful to him becasue he had made it in one night and it had everything he wanted. The only problem is that we have a dog, so I said "we're not getting chooks till you make a run for them!"
So he made a small one for the time being as we were only getting a few small chicks.
Dh was desperate to get chickens, so one night we went to bulleen (an hours drive) and bought 3 chicks, 2 laying hens and a silky bantem. The bantem was only a week old, so that has been living inside and I've been treating it like royalty.
Every day, dh would tie up the dog and let the chickens wonder around the yard, and he would just watch them for hours on end because he loved them so much.
The dog would every now and then go out the back and just look at the chooks and have a sook because she couldnt have them.

So today I wake up, and I hear the dog howling.. Im thinking she must be looking at the chooks again.. but I went to check and I heard this banging noise before I even got there. I yelled "NO!!" to the dog coz I thought she was trying to get into the cage. I finally got there, and there she is - Inside the cage!!!!!!!!!! I growled at her, but I dont think she got the point, she just kept crying because she couldnt get out. I let her out but kept growling at her, I could see inside the coop and all I saw were feet everywhere.. not attached to the chickens. I threw up. I've tied up the dog so she wouldn't destroy them anymore. and I'm still crying. I've left the mess for dh to clean up, I'm just too freaked out. Thank goodness the bantem wasnt in there. But now she is alone. I get attached to animals too quick, I treat them like people. I rang dh and told him what happened and he said.. just go inside, dont think about it and dont do too much today.
I feel so bad for those poor chickens

[diannescruffy]

Babe big to you. That is so sad.

Regards,
Dianne

[boomba]

Aww hun thats so awful So sorry you ahd to see that x

[AliBaby]

I am so sorry. Poor little chooks.

to you as that would have been horrible to see.

Try not to be too angry with your dog. It is instinct for them.

[Astrid]

It is hard to lose chickens. We have lost a couple, but thankfully not to our own dog. A fox got in one night (DH swore it was fox proof, but I had my doubts), thankfully only took one and left the rest. We have lost another to drowning.

Huge Just look after yourself today and let your DH deal with it all.

[Asparagus and Lemons]

Thanks ladies,
I know it's instinct for my dog, I'd never hurt her for anything. But it's a horible thing she has done.
Dh now wants to die a chook to her until it rots, he says this is the way you turn a dog away from chickens. Goodness! Those poor chickens deserve a proper burial! I think it's bad enough Im leaving them in their cage dead all day.

[Ryatha]

oh hun how awful. I am the same with my pets, and it is terrible when something happens to them. go give the little bantam lots and lots of attention today.

[Astrid]

Thanks ladies,
I know it's instinct for my dog, I'd never hurt her for anything. But it's a horible thing she has done.
Dh now wants to die a chook to her until it rots, he says this is the way you turn a dog away from chickens. Goodness! Those poor chickens deserve a proper burial! I think it's bad enough Im leaving them in their cage dead all day.

Someone mentioned to me once about the dead chook on the neck. I was not sure whether to believe it. Not sure if it something we would do. I do know that my DH has said that if our dog takes one of chickens, then the dog goes

[Rivlas]

Sorry to hear what happened. Your DH sounds like my brother, he loves his chooks and gets upset when a fox gets in. They have an open pen, fence well over head high so a fox cannot jump in. Learnt that you cannot have trees to close as foxes will climb in that way.
When you DH buries them, make sure he puts a large heavy rock on top.
Go and rest today then enjoy watching him rebuild the pen.
What sort of latch did he have on the pen? Mum & Dad put a heavy bolt on ours which made it harder to open.

[Cassius2]

I am sorry babe. that must have been devastating to come across...

[Asparagus and Lemons]

The coop had a heavy wooden lid on it and the run was nailed to it.. the dog managed to rip through the nails.
Im just hoping dh changes his mind about tying a dead chook to her. Not fair. Good Idea with the rock on top of them rivlas.
Dh wont be going anywhere tonight.. I think I'll be forcing him to build a strong cage!

[BloominRoses]

That's seriously so sad. My heart goes out to you sweetpea.

I would never be able to tie a dead chicken to my dog's head but she also won't be near any chickens to be able to kill them so I guess it's easy for me to say. Maybe it really works as a way of keeping them safe?

Or maybe a call a vet, Google, etc... to see if there are other methods to use to deter your dog instead.

Just focus on your Bantem today and get DH onto that new pen when he gets home.

S xo

[Queen]

Aww hun How sad

[MistyFying]

Oh that's awful

[Ninah]

Oh honey, I'm so sorry you had to see that.

It's not the pups fault though, as she is just doing what comes natural....Tying anything to her to leave to rot is not the answer, and its punishing her for something she was born to do....

*hugs*

[ladybird11]

Aww, i get too attached to animals to - I know you're pain..

hugs hun! xx

[Jakabella]

My Mum and Dads dog got to their chickens to and killed a few and Dad tried the tying a chicken to the dog - it does not work - the dog will just find a way to eat it, and will try for hrs and hrs but will get it in the end, really does not work.

Unfortunatly some dogs like to chase and eat chooks - but my dads dog got used to the chooks and we could let them all out together and there were all fine - its just takes a bit of time, the worst my mum and dads dog will do now is steal the eggs!

hugs babe - I know whats its like to loose animals.

Kate