On Christmas Day I lost two chickens to a German Shepherd dog. I just happened to be outside when he was terrorizing my small free-range flock.
I keep a shotgun near the basement door, and shells in a hidden place in my basement office. As I got near the chicken coop, the dog saw me and just laid down in the snow. With it's front paws extended, he seemed to be saying "hey, come be my friend."
Normally, I would have shot such a dog, especially after what he did to my chickens. I wasn't very happy.
Yet, it was Christmas day. He had a nice collar. He looked well taken care of. He looked very friendly. I figured he might have gotten loose from somebody visiting our rural area. I let off a warning shot into the air, and he took off.
I saw him again several more times over the next week or so. I kept the chickens locked up. Then, we never saw him again.
Today, over three months later, some neighbors came over to cut firewood from the many piles of big oaks and hickories we removed last year while building the new pond.
Since I saw the German Shepherd hanging around their property after the incident, I asked them if they knew anything about it.
Geeze, I'm glad I didn't shoot that dog.
It turns out that we have a paraplegic wheelchair-bound neighbor who lives/lived by himself, except for this dog. These neighbors told me that on Christmas Day the neighbor developed some medical issues and was taken from his home by ambulance. The dog apparently got out, and there isn't other family to look after the dog or property.
These neighbors kept the dog fed and watered for several days until other neighbors adopted the dog. The gentleman who owns/owned the dog is still not back home, but the adoptee family takes the dog to see him regularly.
A couple of weeks ago I lost another chicken to a red fox. I saw the fox, and he was a very pretty little fellow with long legs and a beautiful tail. I know where their den is, and where momma and the kits are.
The chickens are back in lockdown until probably June.
