Beaux. He killed 2 more chickens day before yesterday, another one this morning and even dug under a portable coop, snagged a laying hen and I found her under the portable building. I can't get to her, she is probably injured. Trip told on Beaux day before yesterday, he was laying in a "sploot" position between Dottie, a 5 year old Silver Laced Wyandotte and a black hen. Trip was showing them to me. Beaux got in trouble.
We let Beaux out last night, we think that he nabbed Roo-Roo then,a crippled rooster that was free in the yard. This morning, DH let Beaux out when he got up. Later, Beaux came up on the porch, ready to come in. I let him in, he came to me, cowered down and peed on my foot, then ran to his kennel. DH said, he's done something bad, better go look. I did and found Roo-Roo, the crippled rooster that I just couldn't bring myself to kill. I went back to the house, clipped a leash on Beaux and we went to go visit Roo-Roo. DH was mad, blamed himself for letting Beaux out, but Roo-Roo was already stiff.
Trip had his priorities straight, he was in the sheep lot. While his buddy Beaux was on a play-with-chickens spree, he was guarding the sheep. I saw the hole under the coop and a hen was missing. Trip jumped out of the sheep lot, I was looking for the hen and asked Trip where she was. DH was walking around looking for her, Trip laid down by the portable building, telling me where she was. DH went for a flashlight and sure enough, I caught the glisten of her eye. I just can't reach her. I hope she comes out this evening.
So the upshot is, Beaux goes on a tie out cable from now on. We took him to Tractor Supply, fitted him with a harness collar so he doesn't choke himself, got a cable and a rod that pushes in the ground with a swivel on top. We have a shady spot where he won't twist around a tree.
In TSC, a couple admired Beaux and said they had a Louisiana Catahoula and Texas Blue Lacy cross that was worse than Beaux. Their dog went after the poultry, goats, tried to kill everything on the place. They showed us a picture of a gorgeous dog, blue merle with blue eyes. They said she was finally settling down, but that it had been a wild one for 2 1/2 years. What a mix of two breeds! Two cattle/hog dog breeds, both developed out of a need for a tough dog that could take what was thrown at it and still round up the cattle and hogs. Texas and Louisiana were pretty darn wild 100 years ago and so were the livestock. Only a bad a$$ dog could do what they had to do.
We have been down this road before. I am encouraged that Beaux came to me, knowing that he did wrong. That at least is a step in the right direction. It is my fault for having retired yard chickens in the first place, but digging under the coop I place as Beaux's fault. He will have to go on the cable when we can't be outside with him. There were times when Trip and Paris were on a cable, they didn't like it, but it was necessary at the time. I thought that Beaux got the message, but it is going to take more than that. It is going to take a lot of time, positive reinforcement and training.
I have 6 guinea chicks on the porch that I am planning on being loose in the yard. That might not happen.
And Trip......after Beaux was shown the bodies of Dottie and the black hen, read the riot act and scolded...….I guess Trip figured that all that good meat shouldn't go to waste, because he picked up Dottie. He was walking around with her. He had done his part, showed them to me, kept a respectful distance while Beaux got in trouble, why shouldn't he have a chicken dinner? LOL LOL I took Dottie from him, picked up the other hen and took them to the back.
This morning, I was going to get Roo-Roo, when I saw a contractor crew on the pipeline, mowing. Since we have a gate across the pipeline, they won't come in. I ran to let them in before they left and they mowed our part of the pipeline, which saved us having to do it. I went back to get Roo-Roo and he was gone. I looked under the porch at Trip, but he wasn't telling me where he put the chicken. I hope it is not under the porch. That's all I need, a rooster decomposing to a sufficient point of rottenness for a dog to consume. Blech.