4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Ms Marple]

I feel totally inept. We have only been chicken keepers for 4 days and already we have managed to lose one. Please hear me out as it gets worse. We have two 8 month old lab cross pups - lovely boys but a bit boisterous. They have been very fascinated by the chickens and we have been watching them non-stop as on the first day they tried to 'ramraid' the Eglu.

Today whilst I was out, my younger son went to fix his bike in the shed and took the dogs with him. The next thing he knew, there was some commotion and he went to look. One dog was actually in the run, the girls were penned into the Eglu. He got the dogs out and put them inside the house. Then he realised that Bonnie was missing. The others appear to be ok. There are some feathers in the garden and a small bit of chipped bone, but nothing else. Have they eaten her? We have now hunted high and low through all the garden but there is no sign whatsoever, no feet, no blood. I am sure some of you will think badly of us,but I need to get it off my chest as we are both feeling devastated and very cruel. Can he have eaten her completely? There do not seem to be enough feathers.

 

[Jules.]

Oh how awful for you.

Could she have flown over a fence in her fright?

I have no idea if a dog would eat a chicken without lots of feathers being everywhere, so maybe all is not lost.

[Egluntyne]

A hard lesson learned.

 

Ordinarily one is advised to keep the hens confined to the run for at least 5 days to accustom them to the Eglu and reinforce the idea of where home is.

 

Are you certain that she has not been taken by a fox?

[Ms Marple]

Sure of anything -NO. It happened very quickly. The hens were in the run. The dog must have run at the door so hard that it got through. I do not think a fox would come into the garden with the dogs there. I have read my Omlet info, which suggest that dogs are ok. My two clearly have taken too much interest and we will have to have a rethink. I am not going to give up. It will work,but it is a horrible lesson. The most significant lessons in life usually are. I am embarrased too for our lack of competence. I have been very positive with my son but he is very down and thinks it's his fault. OH is now home and having surveyed what is left he thinks definitely eaten by dog(s). Bonnie was the most forward of the four - the one that would come over to the side of the pen to you and would 'rob' things off the others. That's why we called her Bonnie after Bonnie and Clyde.

Edited July 17, 2008 by Guest

[chelsea]

sorry for your loss.

 

I can imagine a lab eating a chicken though, they are lovely dogs but will eat anything (usually without chewing).

[lisa33]

Sorry to hear about Bonnie.

[Helen&Lee]

So sorry to hear about Bonnie

 

I also wonder if you've had a visit from Mr. Fox, if it happened fast and all in the garden I would expect more debris - for want of a better word.

 

I don't think they could kill and eat a chicken that quickly - there would surely be not only feathers but blood too - and blood around the dogs mouth

 

Please do not despair, I have two boisterous Spaniels and that first week wondered what an earth we had done having chickens, we had great success about a week in using a Supersoaker water gun.

 

We let the dogs out, they raced over to the run, we blasted them with the water gun - shouting the command 'water' at the same time, it totally shocked them and they came away from the run. Every time they went near the run they got another blast.

 

Tonight, eleven months on, the chickens were free ranging and the dogs were wandering in and out of the garden - well, I say dogs, Barney will but Dylan is actually terrified of them and won't walk past them

 

Really, as you say, take it as part of a learning curve, it sounds like it would have been quick and painless however it happened.

[whittlewitch]

Sorry to here about your disaster. I also think there would be more evidence if they had eaten her, without prying too deeply, was the bone definately fresh?

[Chicken Nurse]

You poor thing!

Pam

[Janey4]

O my gosh Im so sorry!

How awful.

 

My hens come at the end of Aug and my dog is very giddy and into everything.............will really have to keep an eye on him.

 

Sorry again. x

[Seagazer]

Sorry to hear about Bonnie.

 

We too had a problem with our dog through someone opening the kitchen door whilst the girls had their first free range.

 

I know it may be a silly question but have you looked properly under any shrubs and bushes? We couldn't find one of our girls, our Pepperpot, I thought I had looked properly and was really upset. I had another really good look and found her squashed up against a fence panel under a really thick bush. I would never have seen her as it was so dark under there but it was only through feeling around.

 

I hope you find her and that nothing has happened to her.

[chucknette]

Hi Ms Marple

 

Sorry to hear of your loss

 

It could be that a fox had already got your girl out of the run somehow and alerted your dog who then rushed into the run.

 

A fox is extremely quick at grabbing the chooks and would have disappeared quite fast.

 

Your dog would have ran around with his 'prize' at first as if it were a toy, so maybe he is innocent of the crime.

 

I hope everything gets better for you soon.

 

Best wishes

[Ms Marple]

Thanks you to all of you who replied to me , I really appreciate your comments/advice. Unfortunately, we have inspected the dog poo this morning(gross but ...) and found bits of feather in that of both dogs. So we are now pretty sure it has been an awful accident. Thanks for the water idea Helen and Lee (we were using the hose pipe but are going to try a supersoaker for a better jet). I have decided to see if I can get a replacement for Bonnie and to be extremely vigilent. I am on school holiday, which is why I thought now was a good time to learn how to 'get it right'.

My boys are 20 and 16. My 16 year old is the one it happened to and really was very upset. However we have put it to rest as a learning experience. I have been quite surprised at how keen he is on the chickens, lets them out before he goes on his paper round and telling his friends about them. He always has loved animals so it is good to see him taking an interest - and I thought it would only be me.

This is a very good forum - the first I have ever belonged to. I am going to have to make sure I stay in touch once I am back at work in September.

Chicken Nurse aka Pam - let's try to meet up next week towards the end perhaps Thursday or Friday.

[Seagazer]

I'm so sorry to hear about the end result to this - it must be horrible for you .

[whittlewitch]

Really sorry, to here the bad news, I was convinced the worst wouldn't have happened. I don't have a dog, but its now making me think about the alsatian next door have just got, might just block the gap in the hedge up, we all learn by each others experiences, so she hasn't been lost in vain, your posting might just prevent the same happening else where.

[Chicken Nurse]

hi Ms Marple

 

I'd love to meet up next week, will pm you my phone number

 

Pam

[Stevie]

I know it sounds a bit grim,but have a look at your dogs poo today and check for feathers/bone.Unless your chook was quite small or your dogs have exceptionally large mouths i'd be suprised they could swallow one whole.Its entirely possible she was spooked that much she managed to clear the fence and could be in a neighbouring garden.

[alih]

How awful for you, but please don't blame yourself - things have happened to a lots of us on the forum that with hindsight we think we could have avoided, but some things just happen. And please don't deapair about the dog situation either. When we got the chickens in November our terrier was desperate to get at them and I thought I had made a big mistake as I would never be able to let them outside together. But he has got used to them and now they all pootle about together quite happily. I just let him wander about near the run (although didn't have such a strong dog) until he ignored the chickens...then when they were out adn if he got too near, they would go for him, so he is now very wary of them!

[Jillus]

I know just what you are going through and I do feel for you. My neighbours dog attacked my first two hens and although they survived it was touch and go for a while. Later on the same dog got into the homing net I had draped over my new dove cote and did manage this time to kill all four 6 week old doves. He was a young labrador too. He is now being trained using a shock collar as aversion therapy.

 

 

My Blog; www.moonziedoos.blogspot.com

[mrs chook]

What a dreadful experience for you!

 

I had a similar thing with a pet rabbit and a dog, bunny survived but then had to be put down - it's a terrible thing to go through! I hope your son won't feel too bad for too long. Maybe you could construct a 'dog proof' run?

 

Our terrier x is generally good with the 's but looks keener at the newies I have. So OH and I have constructed a "Longleat"/Fort Knox style enclosure, 5' high fencing etc. Will be safer for girls as they can range while I'm around and stay in runs whilst I'm out.

 

 

I have been quite surprised at how keen he is on the chickens, lets them out before he goes on his paper round and telling his friends about them. He always has loved animals so it is good to see him taking an interest - and I thought it would only be me.

 

My eldest son (as per my signature ) is equally enthusiastic.

 

Good luck, and try to put this experience behind you. xx

[hilda-and-evadne]

We have two 8 month old lab cross pups ... Can he have eaten her completely? There do not seem to be enough feathers.

 

Lab crossed with which other breed? If Staffordshire bull terrier, then yes, the dogs could have eaten her completely.

[MedusA]

So sorry to hear about Bonnie.

 

As you say, chicken-keeping is a steep learning curve, and often we have to learn it the hard way.

 

I hope your other chooks are OK and that you can get the dogs to accept them without attacking.

[NClaire]

So sorry to read this - what a nightmare. Am I right in reading that the dogs actually forced the end of the run open? Or was it open to start with? If they managed to get in when it was shut, is there a solution to that? Or will they just try it again?

 

Really really sorry though.

[StephanieSB]

I am embarrased too for our lack of competence.

 

Oh, please don't beat yourself up! No one is judging you. This must be distressing for you. Good luck as you figure out all the details of moving forward.

[SAB]

Your poor son.