Missing Chicken

[Smart Red]

Let us know if your girl made it home this morning.

I had an instance when the coop door swung shut and the chickens were still out at late dusk when I went to shut the coop. All were wandering around the coop except one, Tres Olivia. Search as I might, I couldn't find her in the dwindling light. I wasn't afraid she was harmed, but feared she might come to harm over night.

Nope, come morning when I went out to open the coop, there was Tres Olivia strutting toward me - the bringer of all things tasty - hale, hearty and hungry.

 

[so lucky]

Well, I was sure Scarlet had gone to chicken heaven, but she showed up at the coop around noon today, seeming to be fit and calm. I let her in the run and she went straight to the nest box. No egg resulted, however. So I will probably have one on the floor under their roost in the morning. Anyway, all the girls seemed pretty subdued today, and stuck close to the coop when they were free ranging.
I called the neighbor who I suspected owned the dog, and she said she does have a dog that meets that description. (She has about 8 or 9 white dogs) I let her know what happened, and she was surprised, said she didn't know they went beyond the creek. I told her if he comes back we might sting his butt with a barely pumped pellet gun. She said to do what we gotta do, and let her know if he is seen around our house again.
Thanks for your concern and empathy, everyone. It's surprising how the loss of one chicken can affect a person. She's not my favorite, but I am responsible for her well being.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Glad to hear you had a positive outcome!

 

[897tgigvib]

Whew***

 

[bj taylor]

so glad she made it home

 

[thistlebloom]

Glad she came back home!

 

[canesisters]

Love happy endings!

 

[catjac1975]

You have to call her to tell her of her problem dog. It would be a shame to kill her dog if she doesn't even have the opportunity to control it.

I wouldn't want to have to shoot the dog, but there may come a time when it has to be done. The owner has sheep, and keeps a bunch of white dogs that reproduce and just hang around. I think they are supposed to be LGDs but they don't seem to be trained to do anything but feint an attack when anybody walks by the house. I used to love to take my walks up that way, but the pack of dogs are kind of intimidating, whether they would actually attack or just run at me.
I wish I had a paint gun. A big splash of paint on that dog might give the lady pause for thought. Or maybe not......I'm pretty sure she doesn't know her dog is a quarter of a mile away from home, chasing my chickens.

 

[so lucky]

Catjac, I talked to her about it. See post #12. Things would have to be pretty darn bad before I would resort to killing the dog. (I can't even kill my own chickens!)

 

[897tgigvib]

Yea... I am almost in tears when one of my mousetraps kills a vole. Can't even kill a fish anymore.