Dogs Killing Chickens

[persephone]

A friend who lives in a fruit growing area kept losing chooks ... his immediate neighbours (on 'blocks') had no dogs One day, after several incidents, he took action.. and the owners received the empty dog collars ..just so they wouldn't spend time searching for their missing dogs.

My Dad once shot a lab.. killing sheep We always call and spend time with food etc to try & catch a dog we see roaming ..(.being miles from anywhere- they are usually dumped/lost) if we can't, then it's a bullet. Hungry dogs will chase/kill things, unfortunately.

[dianed]

As mentioned in my earlier post being able to shoot a dog which has attacked another animal will depend on the area in which you live and the size of the block. We are NOT allowed to shoot on land under 41 acres, we have 40.

Have you seen what a wild dog does to sheep? Much worse than what you have described, siks3, and although I have photos I won't post them as are too graphic.

You can imagine our distress when we were advised we were not allowed to shoot.

Our neighbor came home after a few days away over Christmas to find 5 of her sheep dead and 5 wounded. She was very upset. No idea as yet as to what killed them but we suspect dogs. whether domestic or wild remains to be seen, although no wild dogs have been sighted or heard since a culling program 3 y ago. We are surrounded by State Forest on 3 sides, the plans is to set traps when the ALPHA (old Rural Land Board) people return to work next week!

What Q body governs what size acreage is permitted to use a weapon to protect livestock?

[Shazzapug]

The gate open has nothing to do with anything...the only way people as in council/shire will listen to you is if you have proof that they were the dogs that killed your chickens. Recently we had 4 sheep mauled by stray dogs but I couldnt prove it was them as didnt catch them in the act...but if you are home and catch them on your property eyeing off your chickens as a property owner you are entitled to shoot the dogs.

shoot the dogs! :D

Maybe you should check the gun barrel with your eye to see if there are any bullets left.

Pulling the trigger, is usually a good indicator.

I've been on property for three years and the puppies have absconded at times.

Any neighbour who shoots another persons dog, particularly if they are known to be another neighbours pet, might as well move interstate.

We don't want them here.

Capital punishment for dogs. What about all the cats????

I am just telling you what the "go" is....if I had caught the dogs mauling one of my sheep I could not shoot it as I dont havea licence, but lots of farmers do and they do shoot dogs chasing/mauling their sheep.

I know of a Pug breeder in Lal Lal and their 2 or 3 pups got shot by their neighbor...common sense isnt very common...Pug puppies arent about to maul anyones sheep or chooks.

Why should my sheeps life be of less value to a dog? Or the OPs chooks?

[Tralee]

The gate open has nothing to do with anything...the only way people as in council/shire will listen to you is if you have proof that they were the dogs that killed your chickens. Recently we had 4 sheep mauled by stray dogs but I couldnt prove it was them as didnt catch them in the act...but if you are home and catch them on your property eyeing off your chickens as a property owner you are entitled to shoot the dogs.

shoot the dogs!

Maybe you should check the gun barrel with your eye to see if there are any bullets left.

Pulling the trigger, is usually a good indicator.

I've been on property for three years and the puppies have absconded at times.

Any neighbour who shoots another persons dog, particularly if they are known to be another neighbours pet, might as well move interstate.

We don't want them here.

Capital punishment for dogs. What about all the cats????

I am just telling you what the "go" is....if I had caught the dogs mauling one of my sheep I could not shoot it as I dont havea licence, but lots of farmers do and they do shoot dogs chasing/mauling their sheep.

I know of a Pug breeder in Lal Lal and their 2 or 3 pups got shot by their neighbor...common sense isnt very common...Pug puppies arent about to maul anyones sheep or chooks.

Why should my sheeps life be of less value to a dog? Or the OPs chooks?

Exactly my point Shazzapug

Guns will never solve anything

There are other solutions

[OSoSwift]

If my dogs were to roam and get shot by a livestock owner/landowner I would only have myself to blame for allowing it to happen.

Dogs do not have to be physically able to kill livestock to do damage, chasing it's self can bring about death, stress mismothering etc.

If we found dogs and no stock issues they got one warning from dad if they came back they were shot. If -as we came across one day- killed, mauled and very distressed sheep, the neighbour also had many killed and injured sheep and lambs then they were shot asap, no warnings.

Our own dogs was chasing somelses agisted sheep on our property, which it took a little while to figure out, that dog was dispatched by my dad when it was caught in the act after months of us knowing a dog was worrying stock but had no idea it was our own.

Imagine as a teenager going out and finding 53 sheep that either had lambs at foot or were ready to drop, torn apart scattered across the paddock not all of them dead at that point. These were the boarding school sheep, very friendly and much loved. Someone's Lab X and shepherd X decided to go and have a play one day, they of course had never done it before. Too late for us and our sheep.

A farmer has every right to shot a dog that is worrying stock regardless of breed that is worrying stock or it on his/her property. If a dog is roaming and gets shot it is the owners responsibility.

Pewithers I have seen what two Anatolians can do to someone pigs in a short period of time, I am sure maremma's are capable of similar if they decided to. If your dogs roam and they get shot YOU are responsible for that.

[Crisovar]

as above

I have seen some sickening sights, one that devastated me was the mare and her foal that were put through the fences by the neighbours "just out for a run" dogs.

[Staranais]

Yes. If your dog roams, especially in a rural area, you can expect it to get shot. Farmers can't be expected to put up with stock losses and injuries due to people letting their pets roam and chase stock. Even little dogs can cause huge damage on farms, by causing mismothering (= lamb deaths), stress (= production losses) or chasing animals into fences or over cliffs (= stock losses).

Most farmers I know would have at go at catching a strange dog that looked friendly, that was on the property for the first time & was not actively worrying the sheep. But repeat offenders or dogs that couldn't be caught would get a bullet. It's the farmer's job to look after the stock, not to spend their time trying to catch and babysit roaming pet dogs.

These dogs are very lucky they live in suburbia, where that is unlikely to happen! It's still the fault of the owner for letting his dog roam onto other people's property, though, not the fault of your friend for leaving the gate open.

I'm not sure if the council will do anything just because your friend thinks these dogs killed his chickens, though, not if he didn't actually see them killing the chooks or have some other evidence that it was these particular dogs that killed them. They can't (or at least they shouldn't) convict dogs just on a suspicion.

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

dianed, I believe it is the individual Councils in QLD who decide on what size acerage one can use a firearm.

Although we are not permitted to use a firearm to shoot dogs who may be attacking stock we are permitted to use one to PTS an animal that has been savaged.

[Gayle.]

I would be devestated if dogs killed my chooks. One of them was attacked by a neighbors cat and that made me absolutely furious although the chook recovered and I haven't seen the cat since.

My own dogs are not allowed anywhere near the chooks and we've got secure fencing in place to prevent them.

[Tralee]

Pewithers I have seen what two Anatolians can do to someone pigs in a short period of time, I am sure maremma's are capable of similar if they decided to. If your dogs roam and they get shot YOU are responsible for that.

Unlike other dogs, the Maremma is a guardian breed. Unlike other guardian breeds, the Maremma "tasks" as a last resort. Unlike a Maremma that is not raised properly, they are simply not interested in chasing down other animals.

I am excusing here the puppies that were overly playful with the penguins they were ignorantly placed to guard in Victoria.

The best, and classically accepted, description of the "the Maremma is 'aloof' -- disinterested but not inattentive.

To witness a Maremma's responses, on property in comparison to off property, is truly something to behold.

In three years, with adult and puppy dogs, they have had the run of five acres and the adjacent surrounds without incident.

However, I digress.

Purely, by chance, while out riding my bike, I found a fence that was an absolute masterpiece.

There were two paddocks for goats, one 150 x 25 metres and the other much larger.

The tension posts and stays were without exaggeration, Beautiful.

The square fence wire, parallel and perpendicular at all points.

A single strand of barbed wire ran 1200mm above the ground all the way around both paddocks.

I was shocked and stunned at the work that had gone into such a magnificent fence.

This is a dog fence.

My point is: if you are serious about protecting your livestock, then a half hearted, I'll just shoot the dog if it gets into my yard, is contemptuous of both the livestock and the dog or any other animal. I am not sure, that in the current environmental climate, we can afford that luxury any more.

So what about the 'chooks'?

The idiot should have shut the gate.

Lesson: don't let this person look after your chooks.

ETA I will get some pictures of the goat fence. It is something which should be shared.

[Crisovar]

Pewithers I have seen what two Anatolians can do to someone pigs in a short period of time, I am sure maremma's are capable of similar if they decided to. If your dogs roam and they get shot YOU are responsible for that.

Unlike other dogs, the Maremma is a guardian breed. Unlike other guardian breeds, the Maremma "tasks" as a last resort. Unlike a Maremma that is not raised properly, they are simply not interested in chasing down other animals.

I am excusing here the puppies that were overly playful with the penguins they were ignorantly placed to guard in Victoria.

The best, and classically accepted, description of the "the Maremma is 'aloof' -- disinterested but not inattentive.

To witness a Maremma's responses, on property in comparison to off property, is truly something to behold.

In three years, with adult and puppy dogs, they have had the run of five acres and the adjacent surrounds without incident.

However, I digress.

Purely, by chance, while out riding my bike, I found a fence that was an absolute masterpiece.

There were two paddocks for goats, one 150 x 25 metres and the other much larger.

The tension posts and stays were without exaggeration, Beautiful.

The square fence wire, parallel and perpendicular at all points.

A single strand of barbed wire ran 1200mm above the ground all the way around both paddocks.

I was shocked and stunned at the work that had gone into such a magnificent fence.

This is a dog fence.

My point is: if you are serious about protecting your livestock, then a half hearted, I'll just shoot the dog if it gets into my yard, is contemptuous of both the livestock and the dog or any other animal. I am not sure, that in the current environmental climate, we can afford that luxury any more.

So what about the 'chooks'?

The idiot should have shut the gate.

Lesson: don't let this person look after your chooks.

ETA I will get some pictures of the goat fence. It is something which should be shared.

So you still maintain that is ok for your dogs and anyone elses to roam in an area where others keep livestock??

Unbelievable arrogance, ignorance and stupidity.

Keep your dogs on your own land, that is your responsibility as a dog owner.

[Tsisquaya]

Big Hi to Tara and Sam.Tully.Outlaw and our new rescue Nugget,take care of my 9 chickens.IF other dogs try to get under the back fence then the chook protection squad go into action.Not 5 minutes ago I had 2 HUGE dogs try to get into the chook yard from the alley way.My squad did thier job and chased them off,But we don't have a ranger service here.will try and find out what other people in this town do about dog's bothering/killing chickens

[Staranais]

So you still maintain that is ok for your dogs and anyone elses to roam in an area where others keep livestock??

Unbelievable arrogance, ignorance and stupidity.

Keep your dogs on your own land, that is your responsibility as a dog owner.

Yes.

It's not anyone else's job to fence their property to keep your dogs out. It's your job to fence your property to keep your dogs in. Full stop.

It would be prohibitively expensive to fence most farms to keep dogs out, plus it's simply not the farmer's responsibility to do so. It's your responsibility to stop your dog roaming. No matter how nice or "aloof" you think your dog is, it is your responsibility.

Edited January 7, 2011 by Staranais

[Tralee]

So you still maintain that is ok for your dogs and anyone elses to roam in an area where others keep livestock??

Unbelievable arrogance, ignorance and stupidity.

Keep your dogs on your own land, that is your responsibility as a dog owner.

Maybe if you read the post I was responding to, and understood the context of "breed edification" in which it was made, then you wouldn't respond with such political foot in the mouth, don't vote for me, absurdity.

My neighbours were happy to let the dogs run through the creeks and gullies. In fact, they kept other dogs out of their paddocks.

How stupid, ignorant and arrogant is the attitude of asking other people to take on your own responsibilities.

Dogs wander, as this thread attests.

Clearly, more needed to be done to protect the chooks.

You cannot legislate against the nature of an animal any more than you can legislate for saintliness.

ETA A fellow walked up to a farm house one day and told the land owners that he had seen a dog in with their sheep and promptly dispatched of it for them.

The dog was a Maremma.

[persephone]

How stupid, ignorant and arrogant is the attitude of asking other people to take on your own responsibilities.

Which is why dog owners should ensure their dogs are safely behind fences and at home!

[Tralee]

How stupid, ignorant and arrogant is the attitude of asking other people to take on your own responsibilities.

Which is why dog owners should ensure their dogs are safely behind fences and at home!

Absolutely.

But its not a perfect world.

Animals wander! And it would be wise to consider all possible contingencies when taking on the responsibility of an animal.

The day I saw my neighbours cattle out in front of the house, might have got them shot, (have you any idea what cattle can do to a house?), but didn't.

My point, in response to the 'accusation' that any dog on property is harassing livestock, was not heard.

And is a gross generalisation.

More discernment is needed.

[Crisovar]

Dogs wander, as this thread attests.

Mine don't, and nor do the dogs that belong to responsible, intelligent owners, unless by some freak accident.

Keep your dogs on your own property. They are not the responsibilty of the community they are yours alone.

[persephone]

Animals only wander if they are improperly contained. You cannot, AFAIK legally shoot cattle found trespassing. You can get them impounded ,though- and yes, having had cattle , I know the damage they cause .Neighbours cattle here don't get shot- but they do get a shotgun blast over their heads , as well as a dog nipping their heels!

[Ravyk]

I would doubt very much that anyone is entitled to shoot a dog. It would depend on the area in which you live and the size of your land. e.g. we had a wild dog attack on our sheep in Dec 2009. We have 40 acres (16ha) and we are NOT permitted to shoot. In addition there are quite strict rules as to who is entitled to own a firearm.

If you have had issues with wild dogs mauling your livestock, have you tried putting a special application into your council? Some councils, when presented with the issues and the fact you are only 1 acre short of the regulations may reconsider and issue a special permit.

The chickens turned out to be according to the owner very special chickens and it cost my friend $500 to replace the trio.

That doesn't surprise me. If they are of a rare breed, and a breeding trio, $500 is a pretty decent price for them. Chickens are similar to dogs in a way...you can pick up crossbred ones for a small price and you can pick up pure rare breeds for a small fortune!

I have no issues with people shooting dogs chasing and mauling stock on their property. If I was faced with a dog chasing my stock, I'd shoot the dog. Its not my problem that the dog's owner is irresponsible enough to not contain their dog.

[sausy.dog]

Pewithers I have seen what two Anatolians can do to someone pigs in a short period of time, I am sure maremma's are capable of similar if they decided to. If your dogs roam and they get shot YOU are responsible for that.

Unlike other dogs, the Maremma is a guardian breed. Unlike other guardian breeds, the Maremma "tasks" as a last resort. Unlike a Maremma that is not raised properly, they are simply not interested in chasing down other animals.

I am excusing here the puppies that were overly playful with the penguins they were ignorantly placed to guard in Victoria.

The best, and classically accepted, description of the "the Maremma is 'aloof' -- disinterested but not inattentive.

To witness a Maremma's responses, on property in comparison to off property, is truly something to behold.

In three years, with adult and puppy dogs, they have had the run of five acres and the adjacent surrounds without incident.

However, I digress.

Purely, by chance, while out riding my bike, I found a fence that was an absolute masterpiece.

There were two paddocks for goats, one 150 x 25 metres and the other much larger.

The tension posts and stays were without exaggeration, Beautiful.

The square fence wire, parallel and perpendicular at all points.

A single strand of barbed wire ran 1200mm above the ground all the way around both paddocks.

I was shocked and stunned at the work that had gone into such a magnificent fence.

This is a dog fence.

My point is: if you are serious about protecting your livestock, then a half hearted, I'll just shoot the dog if it gets into my yard, is contemptuous of both the livestock and the dog or any other animal. I am not sure, that in the current environmental climate, we can afford that luxury any more.

So what about the 'chooks'?

The idiot should have shut the gate.

Lesson: don't let this person look after your chooks.

ETA I will get some pictures of the goat fence. It is something which should be shared.

Errrm, no, that is a goat/sheep fence. Farmers do not spend money and time making fences to keep dogs out because that simply isn't feasible. If it has the added bonus of keeping dogs out then thats great but the main aim is to keep the livestock in. We have just gone to considerable expense to make a similar fence but on a stock fence there are always going to be places where a dog can squeeze through, or if they are big enough jump over. And if one is unlucky enough to get caught in there harassing our sheep it most probably won't get home again. Thats the risk people take if they let their dogs wander.