In which the Old Year ends with blood and the New Year has Resolutions

 I got a ping from Jim while I was at work on Tuesday:  "call me."

Messages like that are dire.  He doesn't ping that to me if we are out of milk.  

When I called, my good man was fighting tears.  Two dogs had bashed through our fences and gates, broken into the chicken coop and killed every one of the chickens.  

Final photo of some of our hens, taken about a week before they were all killed.
The blue egg was laid by one of our oldest ladies, nearly 7 years.

Jim only knew what happened because he chanced to look out the window and saw the dogs smashing out of the fence again, bird in mouth. They were quick and quiet--and they killed absolutely everything they could reach.  Blood and feathers everywhere.  One hen survived the day but then died.

We have had a few chickens killed before, from hawks, weasels, coyotes, and even rats. Wild animals are going to try to take food if it's easy to take, which is why we have a perimeter fence, a chicken fence with a "ceiling", and a metal-sided coop with a small opening. A wild animal doesn't choose to burn calories if there are easier options, so we intentionally make things difficult.

The problem with chicken-killing dogs is that they aren't killing for calories.  These dogs killed our entire flock, and ran off with one bird.  .

We were alarmed.  We didn't know where the dogs had come from, if they had gotten out accidentally and we would never see them again or if this was going to be a regular occurrence--because the other problem with chicken-killing dogs is that they will return, and they may escalate to attacking other animals, including cats, dogs, goats and even horses*.

*My previous Standardbred mare (Story) was once attacked by pitbulls while a friend
was riding her near the house where we lived then.  They grabbed and tore that good mare's vulva. 
She stomped them and ran home.  One of the dogs died of the injuries.
I never heard a single word from the dog owners.

We posted the details we had on social media, and got a couple of leads--a neighbor had seen a black dog just a few driveways down from us.  

Social media photo of a loose dog on our road.
Same dog?  Jim couldn't say for sure.

One dog came back again Saturday.  Jim couldn't catch it, but he was able to follow it--to the same driveway in the social media photo.  The person there denied that the dog had been out until Jim describe her in detail.  Then, they admitted that it was their dog, and said they would keep it contained.

Do you believe that?  

Me neither.

(These neighbors have a long history of neglected animals, and I don't trust their words.)

I went to the feed store and bought a Honda full of fencing materials to mend the bashed-through places and reinforce everything else.  

"Honda-full" is a LOT.

In almost 15 years at Haiku Farm, we've always had chickens.  I didn't want to live without them!  I love the eggs, but I also like just hanging out and watching chickens.    

Mending the bashed-in fence damaged by intruder dogs

I dislike raising baby chicks in winter, because they are a TON of work, so I asked around to see if anybody had a hen or two.

The upgraded fence looks much nicer!

Most people don't give away their young laying hens because they can $ell them, but you never know.

To my amazement, I got a note from Mel that the Farmer's Co-op that she manages in Everett had a bunch of young hens that needed a new home.  

"Smells like...chicken?"

BUT we weren't going to bring hens home just so marauding dogs could kill them.  

The first days in a new place we always lock hens indoors anyhow.  This door
was damaged by the marauders, but Jim fixed and reinforced it.

Yesterday we were gearing up to go work on the perimeter fence and I chanced to look outdoors.  And I saw the same damn dog in our yard.

We caught her INSIDE THE CHICKEN PEN.
Fortunately, she was in the wrong pen.

We grabbed her, leashed her, and secured her.  Then we called Animal Control.  Nobody was working (!!!!) at all on January 1st  (BECAUSE WHO WOULD NEED ANIMAL CONTROL STAFF ON A FIREWORKS HOLIDAY, RIGHT?!?!?!) 

911 connected us with a deputy, but he can't transport animals in a patrol car.  Okay, valid.  He suggested that we give the dog back.

Yeah no.

Jim was able to make a report with animal control over the phone, we will take the dog to the shelter.  Bail for her is (I am not kidding) $150, unless maybe somebody at AC will authorize euthanasia.

Shaking my damn head.

But why does the title of this post mention New Year's Resolutions?  

Because that's what we named the new hens!

"Sing More."

"Dance More."

"Read More."

"Write More."

"Eat More Veggies"

"Drink More Water."

So, for 2024 thus far, we are planning for the worst and hoping for the best.  

Not a terrible strategy, I think.

Please notice that I am taking the resolution seriously:  

Look!  First week of January and I wrote a blog post!  

Happy New Year, y'all.