Post by Lannie on Aug 17, 2011 12:36:35 GMT -5
The liver trick worked about as well as I expected it to. He got his one "bait" piece and that was that. Kiara got the rest. But he WANTED it, so I'll just keep on and eventually he'll take one from my hand or just go without.
This morning went very well when I let the chickens out. Kiara and Jasper were in the corral, lying down, and they both stayed right where they were as all the chickens came out and did their thing. I thought maybe I was getting somewhere with him, but just as we were walking out the door to feed them a few minutes ago, I saw Jasper had another chicken down, a rooster this time (no big loss, it was one of the Buffs), right up against the garden fence. Instinctively, I yelled his name (bad me!), and he looked up and started to leave, then Rich came out right behind me and I told him not to say anything, then I went in the shop to get the pellet gun. Naturally, I couldn't FIND the thing, but finally I did and when I went back out Jasper was disappearing around the far end of the garden.
Rich had come in the shop right behind me, so neither one of us saw what happened to the rooster, but he was gone when we got out there. Just some feathers... I kept walking down the garden fence and when I got to the corner and looked around, I saw Jasper holding down a chicken and he had one wing in his mouth. He was standing still and hadn't seen me yet, so I had time to aim, but he was out of range. I basically lobbed a pellet at him, and I don't think it hit him, but the PFFFITT! sound startled him and he looked up and saw me and took off away from me. Then the chicken, which turned out to be a Buff hen, got up and ran toward me, past me, and under the lilac hedge. She looked OK, though, and when I got to the spot where he had her down, there weren't even any feathers.
But where was the rooster? Rich and I split up and went all around the garden looking for him, but couldn't find him. We met up back in the corral and Rich said to check in the coop, so we went in there, and sure enough, there was Fred, missing a few feathers off his belly and most of his dignity, but otherwise unharmed.
So now I know at least he's not TRYING to kill them outright, he's just playing with them, but that's still unacceptable. Bridget was an unfortunate casualty, but because she had no marks on her, she might have died of fright or shock. She wasn't the least bit afraid of the dogs, so I can see where she probably wouldn't have run if Jasper approached. The other chickens are pretty much spooked about everything.
We had to take their food back inside because I obviously couldn't feed them and reward Jasper for roughing the chickens up. I'll go out in an hour or so and see if he's brave enough to come in and eat then. Last I saw, both of them were hunkering down in the far tree rows on the east fenceline (seems to be their favorite spot now). And then I suppose I'll spend most of the rest of the day out there keeping watch.
~Lannie
This morning went very well when I let the chickens out. Kiara and Jasper were in the corral, lying down, and they both stayed right where they were as all the chickens came out and did their thing. I thought maybe I was getting somewhere with him, but just as we were walking out the door to feed them a few minutes ago, I saw Jasper had another chicken down, a rooster this time (no big loss, it was one of the Buffs), right up against the garden fence. Instinctively, I yelled his name (bad me!), and he looked up and started to leave, then Rich came out right behind me and I told him not to say anything, then I went in the shop to get the pellet gun. Naturally, I couldn't FIND the thing, but finally I did and when I went back out Jasper was disappearing around the far end of the garden.
Rich had come in the shop right behind me, so neither one of us saw what happened to the rooster, but he was gone when we got out there. Just some feathers... I kept walking down the garden fence and when I got to the corner and looked around, I saw Jasper holding down a chicken and he had one wing in his mouth. He was standing still and hadn't seen me yet, so I had time to aim, but he was out of range. I basically lobbed a pellet at him, and I don't think it hit him, but the PFFFITT! sound startled him and he looked up and saw me and took off away from me. Then the chicken, which turned out to be a Buff hen, got up and ran toward me, past me, and under the lilac hedge. She looked OK, though, and when I got to the spot where he had her down, there weren't even any feathers.
But where was the rooster? Rich and I split up and went all around the garden looking for him, but couldn't find him. We met up back in the corral and Rich said to check in the coop, so we went in there, and sure enough, there was Fred, missing a few feathers off his belly and most of his dignity, but otherwise unharmed.
So now I know at least he's not TRYING to kill them outright, he's just playing with them, but that's still unacceptable. Bridget was an unfortunate casualty, but because she had no marks on her, she might have died of fright or shock. She wasn't the least bit afraid of the dogs, so I can see where she probably wouldn't have run if Jasper approached. The other chickens are pretty much spooked about everything.
We had to take their food back inside because I obviously couldn't feed them and reward Jasper for roughing the chickens up. I'll go out in an hour or so and see if he's brave enough to come in and eat then. Last I saw, both of them were hunkering down in the far tree rows on the east fenceline (seems to be their favorite spot now). And then I suppose I'll spend most of the rest of the day out there keeping watch.
~Lannie