Mystery predator

skent · Jul 25, 2002

I've lost 4 hens and a laying turkey to the neighbors dog. Saw her taking the third hen off in her mouth. Couldn't get the .222 out of the safe fast enough. She got away. Spoke to the neighbor (who finally offered to pay) and dog still got one more later on.

beenthere · Jul 25, 2002

Wouldn't surprise me that the sheep were killed by a pack of dogs. When I was younger (50's) we had city dogs that would form a pack and go on a killing spree. They would kill or mame and just leave the animals lay. If we could shoot just one of the pack of dogs, that would break up the pack at least for awhile. Sometimes sheep, sometimes pigs in a pen, and sometimes chickens were their target. Often worried that a child or children would be their victims. One neighboring farmer loaded two truckloads of injured sheep for the packing plant and two rendering truckloads of dead ones after one night of dog attacks.

Sounds like the chickens were eaten, so expect the coyote or fox.

Boondox · Jul 25, 2002

We thought of that, but in our experience dogs usually maul the chickens and leave bloody bodies behind. Another thing that puzzles us is our dogs -- two of which are scent dogs -- sniff the feathers then lose interest. In the past when they came across the scent of an intruder they tended to follow it to the edge of the forest. This time, nothing.

Pete

RichZ · Jul 26, 2002

Pete, in my case, the dog ate some of the chicken and carried off the rest, and left only feathers.

It's odd that your dog looses interest in the scent, so I'm gonna suggest something, and don't get mad at this suggestion. Could one (or several) of your own dogs have killed and eaten the chicken? That would account for your scent dog losing interest in the scent. I only thought of this because it happened to me once. I have a chain link pen about 20 feet by 20 feet that is my dogs play area. I only leave them in it when my wife and I are nearby, and never when no one is home. A while ago, one of my chickens flew into the pen, and to our surprise and horror, my extremely gentle St. Bernard pounced on the chicken and killed her immediately. We ran in to try to save the chicken, and it was too late. I think Patti (the St. Bernard) thought she was playing, and didn't realize what would happen. But if we didn't remove the chicken, I wonder if the dogs might not have eaten her. Could something like this have happened at your place? I'm not suggesting that your dogs are chicken killers, but Goldens are so playful, could it have been an accident, and then they ate the carcass?

Boondox · Jul 26, 2002

We have a lot of pressure from tourists this time of year, so the dogs are never allowed outside without my wife or myself going with them. The image of that obese British woman a couple of years ago stuck up a tree with my dogs wagging beneath her still gives me litigation nightmares! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Pete

RichZ · Jul 26, 2002

/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

But, I'll bet it was pretty funny!!!!

Kodiak · Jul 27, 2002

<font color=red>****BREAKING NEWS / DATELINE VERMONT / DOG MAULING****</font color=red>

Approximitely one hour a rather large British women was knocked down and trampled by an unruly mob, at the home of Peter Burke. The mob consisting of a pack of Golden Retreivers, proceeded to hold the women down for approximitely five minutes, While applying numerous facial and arm hickies. After being rescued the women was promptly rushed off for high tea and Big Macs. And is now refusing comment. When interviewed Mr. Burke replied, it was the durndest sight you ever saw. Just two feet protruding from a pile of golden fur topped by numerous wagging tails.

<font color=red>If only this was the type of breaking news that we would encounter every day.</font color=red>