Little Joe (young rooster)
Mr. Gibson (hen and Little Joe's mama)
Chicklet (rooster-in-charge)
I took a nap. Slim was in the house napping also. Suddenly she awakened me and as much as I tried to shoo her away, she was persistent. I let her out and she made a ferocious dash for two dogs tearing one of my chickens apart. It was amazing to see the dogs back off with their mouths full of feathers, yet the large hen was able to hop up and rush into the hen house to safety.
Ron was getting the gun but the dogs were escaping with Slim hot on their heels, so I followed them. They ended up at a friendly neighbor's house at the lake's edge.
I went home and called the neighbors and said, "I'm sure these aren't your dogs but thought you might know where they live."
"They are our dogs" the neighbor replied. "Our daughter moved and could not take her dogs with her so we took them. Can I pay you for your chicken?"
"Yes. You can pay me by keeping your dogs at home."
That night when I locked up the chickens, my count was short by one. Little Joe was missing. I searched and searched the next day thinking he might have be injured and was hiding. Later in the day Ron found Little Joe's body by our old truck. I should have known to look there because Mr. Gibson had been in that area all day, watching over her son's body.
We have gone almost two years without losing any of our chickens, goats or guinea fowl (knock on wood) except for those who have gone to new homes like Jack Bauer, the rooster and TK the goat. It is one thing to lose them to their natural predators like hawks, owls, coyotes, etc. But to lose them to domestic neighborhood dogs is so very traumatic.
And the woman wanted to know if she could pay me money for the chickens. How do you explain that they are family?
It's difficult to explain. My boss was always inconsiderate to my secretary & me when we would have to take time of work for our pets if they were sick or had a vet visit. His attitude changed when he got a puppy this year. Not long ago he accidentally ran it over with his ATV. He's took long lunch hours to go visit the dog while it was at the vet's on the mend.
ReplyDeleteSorry for you loss.
I would feel so hurt and angry. It's not the dogs' fault - they don't know better, but that neighbor. I would have another word with her. She most definitively knows better and it is her responsibility to see that it never happens again. Poor Little Joe - so sad. I am sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteBonnie (BIZ) -- There was a time I was intolerant of people who were so attached to their animals and now I am one...like your boss. There was also a time I was intolerant of other people's children until I had kids. We've got to first walk the walk before we can understand the talk.
ReplyDeleteRae -- The sad thing is those dogs will be shot if the owner doesn't' keep them home. The dogs were not hungry, they killed our rooster for fun. Our neighbor cannot afford to let dogs run his cattle and does not hesitate to shoot them. It's the same for others in the area. You are right about it being the dog owners who are irresponsible and are to blame and not the dogs.
This is so sad for you. I do not know your nieghbors or how well you know these neighbors or how well they know their daughter's dogs. I'm sure they did not have a clue that the dogs would attack anything and the dogs had probably never seen so many "playthings". I do agree it is the fault of the dog owners to keep a watch out for their dogs. And even though the money would not bring back your chicken, I feel that the neighbor was trying to do what she thought was right. But like I said before I do not know your neighbors.
ReplyDeleteBonnie -- You are so sensitive. Please be assured that I was not hateful to the woman. I have been a lot worse to some in the area who have let their dogs run wild and kill our birds. We hung one of our dead guinea fowl on the neighbor's close line among their clean clothes, when we followed their dog home with the bird in its mouth. They still denied the dog had killed the bird. One neighbor shot their own dogs when they learned they were killing local livestock.
ReplyDeleteSorry for this to have happened and sure wish the lady would have been more apoligetic. Sure hope they fence those dogs in or tie them up.
ReplyDeleteChanges in the wind -- If only we could encase our ten acres in a big chicken wire bubble we wouldn't have to worry about other people's animals!
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was a very, very young we lived in the deep countryside of Hawaii. My parents raised their own chickens. However, my mother said after a while they couldn't bear to eat the birds because they came to know them.
ReplyDeleteOh that sucks, I can totally understand you are upset. I had no idea that dogs would kill a chicken!
ReplyDeletePeople who never truly work with or have critters just don't get it and feel it's a monetary issue and not a 'family' issue.
ReplyDeleteIt's even worse when you cannot get a neighbor to take care of their animals bad habits.
My heart goes out to you sweetie.
God bless an have a peaceful day 'round the coop!
Kay -- We eat chicken but NEVER our own chickens. They have names and faces. We eat their eggs and share those eggs with our neighbors.
ReplyDeleteLL Cool Joe -- You said it. It sucks big time!
Nezzy -- Yep, nothing monetary to be done. Lots of people laugh at that.
Most people don't consider chickens as pets or part of the family, so it would be hard to make them understand. I'm sorry you lost him.
ReplyDeleteOh! I am so sorry. You're right - people who aren't animal people just don't understand. I like my cats more than most people...probably time to do a blog about that.
ReplyDeleteAwww, Annie, that's so sad. Even sadder when people don't keep a careful eye on their dogs. I guess their offer was in good faith, but obviously they truly don't understand. I'm sorry.
ReplyDeleteI'm Sorry you had to endure such unnessisary trauma again- Poor Little Joe n Mr. Gibson! I know you were so proud to have raised such a pretty n large Rooster-
ReplyDeleteThe inconsiderate neighbors shouldn't have animals they don't properly contain. I'd call the cops if those dogs are out again!
Judy (kenju) -- It is easy to realize why people don't understand because there was definitely a time I would not have dreamed of having an attachment to fowl.
ReplyDeleteRiot Kitty -- You are correct. Let's hear a bit about your cats.
Talon -- Living in the country there are certain laws of the land and one of the biggest is if your dogs trespass and become predators they have to be removed. It was pretty obvious to me that these people had no care or concern for their dogs.
Snaggle Tooth -- The police do not come out here. I'm not sure if country dwellers have any laws regarding animals other than keeping then on your own property and when they wander I doubt the county sheriff would care. As you know we have people dumping their unwanted pet out here all the time and if they aren't adopted they form packs or they die of starvation. You are right about how proud I was of Little Joe. His size meant he was an offspring of Jack Bauer plus he had a perfect crown for his comb. He probably would have tried to overthrow Chicklet in a short while.
Oh!!!! I'm so sad to read this - that is traumatic. I feel as if I knew Little Joe. I'd have a real problem with those neighbors and their dogs.
ReplyDeleteSorr I just saw this - I've been mostly away since Friday.
Sounds like a pretty devastating loss for everyone, but at least the woman offered to pay you for your loss.
ReplyDeleteSad to say that the woman who offered to pay you for your loss is probably a rarity in this day and age. Most people would've completely denied that their animal were responsible for the death of another.
G -- She could hardly deny my story since I followed her dogs home with our chicken's feathers still in their mouths. I think an apology might have been in order but I did not hear one. I did hear that she would keep the dogs home and that is all I'm wishing for. I know she never intended for her dogs to kill my rooster and it sounded like she wished she had never agreed to take in her daughter's dogs. I kind of felt sorry for her.
ReplyDeleteIf I had let her pay for the chicken what amount should I have requested? Rooster's don't lay eggs but they do consume some amount of chicken feed. Of course my chickens are free range and so they scour the property for most of their food, so a rooster is basically a free loader. No one ever wants to buy a rooster because chicken farmers usually have more roosters than they need. Maybe I should have paid her for cutting my losses on Little Joe. Now putting a price on a hen is much easier because they produce and the hen that was attacked was a young hen and has lots of egg producing years left in her. I could have calculated future loss by estimating how many eggs she lays per day and what her estimated lifetime might be. If my hen had died I guess I could have asked for $20 which is about what it would cost to buy another hen of similar age and remaining life span. Well this was a good mental exercise for me and next time I will be ready if I lose June or Chicken Little or Blackie or Chicken Annie or Mr. Gibson or.....
Lynn -- Oops, I almost missed your comment. Yes Little Joe was taking on a nice place in my barnyard stories. He will be missed. If you remember I have five new chicks and named them Bonnie, Clyde, Huey, Huey, and Huey. Well now it is pretty obvious that Bonnie and Clyde are BOTH roosters and all three Huey's are hens. LOL I've got to stop naming my birds until I know their gender.
ReplyDeleteAs though they could pay you for the loss of a family pet. I know they meant well, but they just don't understand the loss.
ReplyDeleteRest in peace Little Joe.
ReplyDelete