Chicken killer - what do I do?

[FishPish]

OK Fisher is wonderful but lately he has taken to killing the neighbors baby chicks. They come in our yard and poof they get squashed. I know he is playing - he never eats them. It is a game to him but is there anyway to teach him the chickies are off limits? If my neighbor has his way Fish will have to go away - I dont feel this is an option since the chickies are invading my property. What should I do? I think the neighbor is hypersensitive since his neighbor on the other side has a dog who ate most of the big chickens. That man just laughed at him even though his dog went in the coop and attacked them. I am torn as to what to do. I have shown him the dead chick and told him no several times. I have caught him chasing and redirected but to him it is just too much fun and too much temptation.

[The Chipmunk's Mom]

I would simply tell her that she needs to pen up her baby chicks to keep them out of harm's way. Your dog is on your property and the chicks should not be. She is placing her chick's in harm's way by letting them roam free. Now it would be a different story if he went in her chicken coop.

[bunnybutts]

I agree with Bonnie - the neighbor should pen up their chicks. Am surprised they have them running loose with the other neighbors dog going into the coop to kill the big hens?

I take it you have a lot of property and wouldn't be feasible to put up a fence between you and your neighbor... I remember as a child how serious farmers take having their chickens killed but I also remember most of them had fenced in areas for their hens and chicks.

[Jespah]

I don't think you can stop Fisher from killing the chicks - it is really the responsibility of the owner - I'm surprised they aren't more concerned about it. If they are on your property, it's not up to you to keep your dogs tied up so they won't kill them.

[mtoy]

Wow, the chicks just run all over? They would never survive in my neighborhood even if there were no dogs - racoons, foxes, hawks, cats <shudder>. And this is only the suburbs. I agree, the neighbor needs to pen them.

[FishPish]

We have a farm that butts up against theirs and they have free roam chickens. Stuff kills them al the time but they can stand nondomesticated stuff killing them just not folks dogs.

[MrsGrace]

Personally, I'd get this on record.

I'd call animal control or whomever is in charge of your regions animal issues and get it on record that your neighbors are letting their chickens/chicks on to your property. Get a case number and the name of the control officer handling your case. Get pictures, document as best you can each incident.

I would be concerned about the chicks potentially getting your dog sick or tracking something around your yard that could sicken your dog.

And I only say this because you don't want the neighbor calling first and telling animal control that your dog is getting on to THEIR property and killing their chickens.

Just my 2c. Be proactive, not reactive. Sure, your dog is on your property, but people are funny when it comes to "their" babies... and a few carefully worded calls by your neighbors and you could have some major headaches on your hands.

As for the chicks.... just do your best. Once our rescue Husky had a "taste" for chickens, none of ours were safe. It was instinctual and he always "gunned" for them even through fences. It didn't help that he hadn't been spayed, socialized or trained at all before we got him. Keep your dog from eating them if you can...

[FishPish]

I appreciate it. I will talk to the animal control. Poor things I think we have the most pitiful animal control in the nation. 1 guy in a cinder block room with 2 dog runs. No computer 1 rotary phone. He keeps everything on postit notes stuck to the walls. I talked to my neighbors last night and they are thinking of getting out of chickens cause of all the problems.

[The Chipmunk's Mom]

That would be a real good idea because they don't sound very concerned about their chickens getting killed, maybe they just want to complain.

[MVons]

Poor Fischer, he might even be trying to play with the chicks. He can't help it that they are so fragile. SO glad to hear he isn't eating them because I understand that is very hard to try to change. But you don't want the risk.

Suggestion: I've wanted to do this but living on a slope it is impossible, but maybe your neighbors will consider - have a movable chicken pen. The chicken scratch and fertilize the area, then you move the pen to another section. Gone are the weeds, fertilized soil is great. Mother Earth News has info as well as other websites. There are some incredible designs for the pens now where you can collect the eggs without the chicken getting you. The neighbors will still have the benefit of chicken's on the land, and the better benefit of the chickens protected. A true free range chicken is just feeding the wildlife. Raccoons here are the worst, killing and not eating the chickens. Also sounds like your neighbor has too active a rooster and is not collecting the eggs each day. My opinion. Maybe they aren't responsible enough to be having chickens.

Didn't know a chick and a dog doesn't mix. I always wanted to see how my dog would have reacted to a chicken. Just have never convinced hubby to build a little pen that we could move around.

As far as teaching Fischer a chick is off limit, well that is like teaching a dog not to chase a squirrel. A tough lesson when their instinct says chase that little thing that sounds like a toy.

Merrie

[FishPish]

I have given up on making fisher not play. He is definitely not eating them and when I catch him I am scolding him but as far as getting really tore up about it I am not. I talked to them last night and told them what he was doing was on our property and they agreed it was not our fault. They said they would try to catch them and lock them up.