# maybe the end



## bluemini (Dec 8, 2011)

So you may know about my loss of rabbits last year,over 12 purebred(most with pedigrees)rabbits which were lops and mini rex's ,and one had won 4 legs in show ..GC!.  Well the same dogs that killed them still run loose and animal control wont do anything really here  , so I will just hvae to dog proof !


 I have 5 huge outdoor pens that the neigbor gave me ,he used for chickens . Well the dogs grabbed the last chicken I had through the wires this past summer !  So how can I fix the pens,I was thinking add some more wire on the sides and bottoms ? They are well constructed pens but dont have flooring(so they can eat grass etc.) .   


 Before my huge loss I had cages outside,and will NOT be doing that again !  They will be in the building this time,but last time it was being used for storage so couldnt at the time .


  And anyone have any cage plans that are mainly wood ?


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## goodhors (Dec 8, 2011)

How about a perimeter fence (chain link or small sqares), with dog proof gates, around your yard?  
Probably want at least 5ft tall, 6ft would be better.  Then set up the pens inside that fencing to 
contain the animals and birds.  Sometimes that is all that will work.  Craigslist might find some used
fence at a cheaper price.

Kind of a layering effect of protection.

If located in the country, you ARE allowed to shoot marauding dogs that chase or kill livestock.  I would keep that
removal part to myself, just make them disappear.  Locally called the Three S program.  Sorry about your 
local politics and no response.  Our local AC is quite responsive to calls.

..


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## flemish lops (Dec 8, 2011)

Sorry for your loss 

This may sound silly but you could try throwing a few chocolate bars out in the yard. Chocolate, I heard,  is toxic to dogs and might get rid of them.


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## bluemini (Dec 8, 2011)

flemish lops said:
			
		

> Sorry for your loss
> 
> This may sound silly but you could try throwing a few chocolate bars out in the yard. Chocolate, I heard,  is toxic to dogs and might get rid of them.


Well my pitbull ate a hershey bar when she was a pup and lived lol and thank you  .


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## bluemini (Dec 8, 2011)

goodhors said:
			
		

> How about a perimeter fence (chain link or small sqares), with dog proof gates, around your yard?
> Probably want at least 5ft tall, 6ft would be better.  Then set up the pens inside that fencing to
> contain the animals and birds.  Sometimes that is all that will work.  Craigslist might find some used
> fence at a cheaper price.
> ...


Well I have a fence but they jump it and find ways ,plus the back hillside/mountain isnt all the way fenced because it would take too much to fence it all  .  They are supposed to have the dogs on chains but they are still out runing around ,one dog almost bit me in the snow and theya re always attacking my outside dog  .

 Well the one who gave me the pens shot some dogs because of the same problem  .     But when something happens around here ,word spreads and owners get mad .    Our AC is over an hour away and wont make the trip just to pick up a dog or leave a trap .

one person left a dog here to have 4 litters of pups,took a year for them to come get her,the pups and some male dogs with her !


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## bluemini (Dec 8, 2011)

I found a role of chicken wire the other day for $8 at the local store,would that work ? The pens  are made of wire that looks like rectangles,i dont know the name but I can take pics tomarrow and post .


   I hate to keep them in the building at all times but looks like I may have too  .  If so I will need new hutches   i miss the lops so much ,and all that money wasted .


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## DianeS (Dec 9, 2011)

bluemini said:
			
		

> I found a role of chicken wire the other day for $8 at the local store,would that work ? The pens  are made of wire that looks like rectangles,i dont know the name but I can take pics tomarrow and post .


No, chicken wire does not work for anything other than containing chickens. It won't contain a rabbit, and certainly won't keep dogs out. 

You're probably talking about chain link fence. It works well for keeping dogs' BODIES out, but it is possible for a dog to reach it's paw through and potentially reach a rabbit that way. And chain link fencing holes are too big to keep a rabbit in. You do have to be careful that almost every place the chain link touches the top and bottom rails, it is tied to those rails. It only takes about 4 in a row that aren't tied to the rail for a strong or smart dog to untwist the chain link and get through it.

When I lived in an area with loose dogs, I set up a chain link dog kennel, and put hardware cloth hutches inside it. The chain link kept dogs out of the area, the hardware cloth hutches kept the rabbits in. The dogs in my area weren't good jumpers, but if your area has jumpers, you can get some extra chain link (or anything solid like corrugated tin) to create a roof.


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## 20kidsonhill (Dec 9, 2011)

what about building a fenced in area around your cages  and running hot wire low to the ground and at the top, on the outside of it.  In our area, inorder to garden you pretty much have to do this to keep raccoons and deer out, or you would never have a garden.


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## secuono (Dec 9, 2011)

Just shoot the dogs! Catch them and take them far away and dump them at another county's pound.

You need to make a chain link yard and put the cages in that. CL has all sorts of stuff for cheap.


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## fortheloveofgoats (Dec 9, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> what about building a fenced in area around your cages  and running hot wire low to the ground and at the top, on the outside of it.  In our area, inorder to garden you pretty much have to do this to keep raccoons and deer out, or you would never have a garden.


I have to agree with 20kidsonhill. I think that a hot wire would be best. Then that way, they are protected from any other predators as well. Also, the dogs will get a nice surprise the next time they try to get one of your bunnies. I am sorry for your loss, it's a hard thing to deal with. We lost all our chickens to a neighbors dog, and they said it wasn't their dog that did it. Nothing could be done.  Hope you get it worked out.


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## oneacrefarm (Dec 9, 2011)

They have already demonstrated that they can and will kill YOUR animals on YOUR property... next time you see them, shoot them. Then dispose of them quietly ie. "shoot, shovel, shut up" You have the right to protect your animals and your property.


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## DKRabbitry (Dec 9, 2011)

Sad as it is, I would MUCH rather have a neighbor mad at me than have some dogs terrorizing me, my pets and my livestock.  Three S Program... I like that.

Chicken wire is BLA!  LOL We made some hutches with it once... HAHAHA THAT was a joke.  The rabbits litterally chewed through it!  I much prefer good, heavy duty hardware cloth.  And hotwire is wonderful.  I have one of those dogs that will kill my livestock if I am not watching her like a hawk.  So our dog yard is 6' high chainlink with a low wire to prevent digging, another wire about a foot up from that to prevent her pulling apart the chainling (oh yes, she has done that many times) and a top wire to keep her from climbing.  Add a 2 Joule, 50-mile fencer to that and the dogs don't go near the fence


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## bluemini (Dec 9, 2011)

DKRabbitry said:
			
		

> Sad as it is, I would MUCH rather have a neighbor mad at me than have some dogs terrorizing me, my pets and my livestock.  Three S Program... I like that.
> 
> Chicken wire is BLA!  LOL We made some hutches with it once... HAHAHA THAT was a joke.  The rabbits litterally chewed through it!  I much prefer good, heavy duty hardware cloth.  And hotwire is wonderful.  I have one of those dogs that will kill my livestock if I am not watching her like a hawk.  So our dog yard is 6' high chainlink with a low wire to prevent digging, another wire about a foot up from that to prevent her pulling apart the chainling (oh yes, she has done that many times) and a top wire to keep her from climbing.  Add a 2 Joule, 50-mile fencer to that and the dogs don't go near the fence


Oh okay thanks !


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## Citylife (Dec 9, 2011)

An electric poultry fence might be worth the money.  I know that is what I would use if I was you.  I do not have your problem and glad I dont.  But, I also have 4 dogs who have no sense of humor about anyone or anything messin with their buddies...........    I would think in the long run they would be worth the money and the piece of mind we all go through.


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## bluemini (Dec 9, 2011)

Citylife said:
			
		

> An electric poultry fence might be worth the money.  I know that is what I would use if I was you.  I do not have your problem and glad I dont.  But, I also have 4 dogs who have no sense of humor about anyone or anything messin with their buddies...........    I would think in the long run they would be worth the money and the piece of mind we all go through.


Well I have a pitbull who runs them off when shes outside but she is inside at night,when im gone and off and on through out the day  . And the only outside dog will bark at them but thats about it .      .   Anyways,  I will keep looking around at prices and stuff and see what I can do , I def. am not starting back til the problem is fixed


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## Citylife (Dec 9, 2011)

bluemini said:
			
		

> Citylife said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think I would definately look into electric poultry fencing.  It very well may worth the money.


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## bluemini (Dec 9, 2011)

I will , just have to find some around here . And if I cant then may have to order it,shew I hate shipping costs though :/


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## terri9630 (Dec 9, 2011)

The dogs killed your livestock and came after YOU. The county won't do nyhing. The owner won't do anything. My suggestion would be to call the sheriff and ask what your legal recourse is.  Personally I would have shot the dogs by now and the neighbour would just have to deal with it. Especially after they came after me. If they will go after an adult they will certainly go after a child.


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## bluemini (Dec 9, 2011)

terri9630 said:
			
		

> The dogs killed your livestock and came after YOU. The county won't do nyhing. The owner won't do anything. My suggestion would be to call the sheriff and ask what your legal recourse is.  Personally I would have shot the dogs by now and the neighbour would just have to deal with it. Especially after they came after me. If they will go after an adult they will certainly go after a child.


Yes but it has been a while back and theres nothing they can due about it now . AC ordered the 2 crazy ones to be put down because the owner wont contain them . One is gone,i dont know where it went im just glad its gone . The  other one is still there but in a kennel  .  


   The other neighbor(theres only 2 neighbors with loose dogs) has 2 but she promised an old man she would keep them if something happened to him,he passed away last summer and she told me the other day she didnt know what to do but they had to leave because they was too much for her .  One is on a chain cause he bites  .

  IF they attack my dog again I will go get traps from the shelter and set them,  and you might have by now yes but I couldnt do that  to an animal even if it is causing me problems someone else around here would have to .


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## bluemini (Dec 9, 2011)

Im going to fix up the building,cover the windows with wire and get a new lock for the door so that the dogs for sure wont get in   .   Then  they can stay in there until I fix the pens/yard  .


But I have til spring to get it fixed so I mean im not in no hurry to do it,just trying to get advise on how to dog proof  ,and chicken hawks are really bad here but I think they would be fine cause they would be in a cage ? :/


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## DKRabbitry (Dec 10, 2011)

> and chicken hawks are really bad here but I think they would be fine cause they would be in a cage ?


We have what I would consider to be a high number of barn owls in the area (I saw 5 hunting over our field one night) and they have never messed with the rabbits.  We also had a small hawk try and get a chicken before, and again, never messed with the rabbits.  We use raised hutches, and even with bad raccoon and opposum problems, nothing has messed with the rabbits.  They always go after the poultry :/ 

HA!  Maybe that is why I have chickens!!! To lure the predators away from the rabbits LOL


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