Saturday, February 4, 2012

I Don't Know What to Do

To understand this post you will first need to read Buttercup Our Pyrenees.  I just simply don't have the heart to go all into it myself as this has been a very long story and I am really starting to greatly dislike my neighbors across the street.  I will take it from where it stops.


Continuation of the Story


Buttercup as well as her sister Opal have been contained to the backyard for a week today.  Since this time our neighbor has put up a game camera which came up missing although it was later found in their backyard.  They have put out traps with dog food without any success.  They are down to 4 geese.  Also let me note that during the time of all the killings Buttercup was sick and contained in the backyard until she felt better.

Their dogs still run free while mine are kept up.  I called down the day after he came up to apologize for "over reacting" to insure that they would not shoot my dog if I let her out to protect my goats, chickens, ducks, and guineas while they free ranged.  I let them know that we had full intentions of putting the dog up at night as that was when the fowl were being killed.  The wife stated that I could do what ever I needed so long as I kept my dog from coming down to their place.  I told her that I could not keep my dog from coming down and visiting her dog no more than she could keep her dog from coming up here.  (That was my way of hinting that if you shoot my dog then I can shoot yours too.)  She said they were doing everything they could to keep their dog at home and would continue.  Of course they are. [apply sarcasm]  That is why they asked me months ago to chase her back home if I saw her up here since they did not want her crossing the road.  I do chase her off when she comes up here because we have caught her chasing our fowl and I don't trust her around them.  Yes, I have told them about that since this incident.  They stated that their dog also chases their fowl into the water.  Hum, and you don't think there could be a problem there?


Harriet got a good look at the the fowl that the neighbor found Buttercup with.  He never saw her chewing on the carcass.  He simply saw her picking it up and putting it down.  By the time I went to see the carcass it was missing.  I believe the neighbor's dog came and picked it up because that is her spot on our property where she knows I won't chase her off because it is far enough and almost off the property.  Anyway what Harriet noticed regarding the carcass was the head, neck and crop were missing.  After much research we know this to be signs of racoons.  It is also common for racoons to kill multiple birds in one night as they sometimes hunt in family groups.  

We have given this information to the neighbors and they feel it just can't be racoons.  "We have always had racoons."  "Racoons can't take down more than one bird."  They simply will not listen.  I feel like beating my head against a wall when it comes to this issue.


Another neighbor (neighbor B) had a great suggestion.  To call them and nicely let them know whenever their dog is on the property.  Well this morning we went to town and noticed their dog down at that neighbor's house chasing her goats.  When we returned from town about a hour later she was still down at the neighbor B's with their GP.  We saw the neighbor A and let them know where their dog was.  The wife stated she was just in the back yard.  When was the last time she looked?!  I say this because we saw her when we left and when we returned and she wasn't in their yard at all.  The husband did go to retrieve their dog.


Here is my problem.  They once blamed my dog so we feel she is still an escape goat in the back of their minds.  If we let her out she can always be blamed again.  In the meantime our animals are not being protected as we would like for them to be.  Also their dog is still able to run about as she please without any problem.


Does anyone have any suggestions?  Our homestead was working well until this happened and now it seems kinked up.

9 comments:

  1. I bought 65 cattle panels and 100 t posts to keep my animals close and on my property. The dog stays with them and no other dog gets in. Nobody else out here will do that but at least I can say all mine is on mine.

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    1. I wish I could do that. Most of the time she is right here around the house with her charges. There are those times though that she will visit but generally not for long.

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  2. You have got to fence your property in, there is no way around it.
    Electric fencing is the most economical. We bought a 10 mile fence for 100 bucks I don't remember how much the wire cost and then there is the fence post we got for about $3 apiece. This electric fence is what keeps the neighbor dogs out and our dogs in. We also put up a seven foot high plastic mesh netting against the electric fence to help keep birds in. The flocks respect the fence especially if they get tangled in the mesh that is against the electric fence and they get a major shock treatment.
    You have to fence, or else your problem will continue. A good fence makes good neighbors.

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    1. Unfortunately that is not an option for us. We have not been employed outside the home since 2008.

      I guess it is just down to the age old. You shoot my dog for being on your land, then I can shoot yours when she is on mine. It looks like the only way at this point. We have had problems with their dog chasing our fowl and they have never seen our dog on their property doing anything with their fowl. I guess I should have raised a stink when we first caught her chasing ours.

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  3. Hey I just nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award so run over to MDR and check it out.
    I have been thinking on your situation, a bacon grease soaked sponge over the fence will rid you of those other dogs.

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    1. Thank you MDR for the nomination.

      I would like to know a bit more about this bacon grease soaked sponge thing.

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  4. It is not humane but I will send you the info by way of Facebook anyway.

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  5. Raccoon killing multiple chickens in one night, oh ya they so can! Even if those chickens are penned in what we thought was a raccoon proof pen! I cannot tell you the trouble we have had here with the little devils getting into our pen and killing 3-4 chickens in the time it took for honeyman to grab the gun and get out the door to the pen! They kept killing our ducks till we finally gave up having ducks.

    The giant owls also will take chickens and baby kids or anything they can pick up and that is a lot more than I ever realized they could carry... they just pick it up carry it off poof no trace.

    Then of course the coyotes will take the kids as will the giant owls. Surely your neighbors realize when you live in the country there are so many predators its not even funny besides a dog.

    I do agree start saving for fencing, its a life saver in many ways. See if anyone whose property adjoins yours is willing to half the price with you, after all it gives them a fence as well!

    Our neighbor at the end of the road lost so many goats full size and kids they gave up raising goats! They were just disappearing with no trace, they couldn't figure out for sure what was taking them and leaving no evidence. Knock on wood we have not lost a goat to predators. But we are fenced high and have barb wire on top of that. However we have lost ducks and chickens galore to raccoon and owls!

    Your neighbor need to chill out a bit. Some people there is just no dealing with them.

    Myself I would not harm their dogs nor would I want them to harm my dogs. I think that would be throwing fuel on a already lit fire. Just my two cents worth.

    The guy has a game camera, he should be able to see exactly what is taking his animals with a little time using that. Honeyman has one and so do our neighbors, everyone uses them here to keep a eye out. Its amazing the pictures we have all got on them. They are usually set off my motion and it would only be a matter of time till he catches the real culprit(s). Maybe suggest to him that he again put his camera up, that everyone is loosing animals there and it would be good to know why, that he could help you all out by putting that camera back up!

    I sure send you good thoughts on all this and hope it can be worked out. I would keep my dog up for her own safety till this is resolved. This guy sounds like a bit of a loose cannon.

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    1. I couldn't hurt his dog to be truthful. She is too pretty and to be honest, I like her when she is not chasing my fowl.

      The issue is mostly with the husband and wife and not their dog. They just don't seem to want to invest the time and effort to find the real culprit which is the most frustrating for me. Until he does my dog will always be a suspect no matter what.

      Yes, I am always saving up and looking for extra fencing material. Not to long ago I got some 2' high mesh given to me however it will only go so far. Like everything around here we do things as we can when the means and material is provided. I have faith in the long run it will work out. There is a power higher than all this stuff.

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