Thursday, December 13, 2012

A Sad Day in the Hen House

     Today I came home and found a grizzly scene.  My Turken rooster and two hens were dead, two were injured, and two were missing.  The neighbor dog had decided they would be fun to maul.

It must have been quite a fight, because feathers were everywhere.  Driveway, front yard, back yard, even in the woods.  I put my two injured girls in a box with a blanket under a heat lamp.  One was violently shaking and I didn't know if it was from shock or laying on the cold ground for who knows how long.

I figured that neither would survive the night and sadly I was right.  Less than an hour later they were dead.  Nathan and I looked everywhere for the other two.  When we couldn't find them, I figured that the dog had drug them off somewhere.  When my kids got home from school, Jackie found one in the shop.  She was alive and seemed unhurt.

Later that night, I went out to check to make sure she was still doing OK.  As I was shutting the door I heard the other missing hen under the chicken house.  With Nathan's help, I drug her out.  She too was unhurt, but scared.

I can't decide if I'm more mad or sad.  That dog is over here all the time and has never done anything like this before.  Why now?  I know it was her because I caught her when I came up the drive.  While I can't bring myself to shoot her if she comes back, I will be investing in a BB gun.

For the next several days, I am going to save any eggs that my remaining two lay and try and hatch them.  I know it futile because I don't have an incubator, but I do have time, determination and a heat lamp.  Plus I'm kinda crazy.  Never underestimate a determined, mad, crazy woman.


  1. That is sooo sad....i hope those eggs hatch for you!

  2. That's horrible! You do have a right to shoot that dog. The cost of raising organic hens is high - you just lost a lot. I wouldn't hesitate to do it - even if it was my dog. I am sorry. I do wish you luck with incubating.

  3. That is horrible! I'm sorry for your loss. Maybe you mentioned it before, but what does your neighbor say about the dog. He/she should be responsible for you financial losses. Do people file police reports for these kind of things?

  4. Our dog annihilated all but 1 of small flock of Leghorns a week ago. I know your pain! I didn't shoot the dog but boy were we tempted! I did post several ads on FB, craigslist and no luck. May take her to the pound. I didn't have luck thus far incubating. But did have 2 hatch over this past. So sorry! Good luck!

  5. I'm sorry. How terrible. :( Do you know anyone with a paintball gun that you could borrow? Shoot with that first. It will sting enough to deter the dog plus it will provide proof to the dog's owner that it was, indeed, on your property. You can also get a photograph of the colored dog and notify the sheriff, if you want to do so.


    I hope you can make it!


    Kathy Shea Mormino

    The Chicken Chick




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