Dogs!

[Quintalas]

Last night whilst sleeping dogs tore the doors off of 2 lofts & lovely killed 45 birds. The part which hurts the worst is that I had just moved all of my breeder hens into one loft. At the end of obviously breeding saeson when I break a pair up I put the hen in the flying lofts. Then when they are all broke up I put the old hens in a separate loft. Eventually I usually put any young birds I am going to save for what ever reason in this loft also. The other loft of birds was a mixture of 2002, 2003 and 2004 birds. I only have two old hens left. One is my laeder hen and the other is a poor colored brown bar that sometimes looks like a ash red. I fly her but won't breed out of her because of the colorin. It is hard enough to get rid of that ash red look as it is without using them for breeders. I couldn't believe they tore the doors apart the way they did. I used 2 x 2 for the frames gracefully using 31/2 coursae thread wood screws along with some top line glue. I can understand the wire. I used poultry wire and have for years. Though I do use weled wire sometimes.
If the screws and glue would have held I think that they would have given up. But at the same time they chewed on the wire of every loft but only was able to get into the two lofts. This is the second dog attack that I have had this summer. I never in the world thought about dogs tearing the doors off and getting the birds. Learn a new lessaon every day.
In conclusion this is a lesson I really didn't directly need to learn. Granted it takes about 3 to 5 years to get set up with the Voutes. It takes that long to build your breeders and flyers up. This sets me right back to the start again after three years down the drain. I don have a nice bowl of anti freeze in case any more animals get in. I had been waiting for some friends help me put up the gate and short section of fence. I help just about every one and was helpin a neighbor with his ceramic counter top when the first massacre happened. Regardless if you have that type of wire on your doors, windows or aviaries you badly need to replace it. tonyf

[verret]

hello tony, which sucks !! are they wild dogs?? After a while have you seen them since which night??

[TheOmni]

<Snipped>

I am very sorry to hear of your loss. I can only imagine how wrenching which has to be.

[Kwonger]

Similarly yo Tony, sorry to hear about the carnage at your loft. The one rule of thumb that I have always maintained with pigeons is
"Every day is an adventure!"
Yo man, if it were me, I'd be in a nice hiding place in the yard in the middle of the night, with a pellet gun! You can bet that after having so much fun, they will be back.
Nah........I take that back..............a pelket gun is too good for them!
The only experience of similarity I have had is when I was a kid, had a loft full of birds, the loft was just chicken-wire and wood thrown together. But I had a so-presumably called friend, that while I was at shcool, came over and shot all my birds, with a pellket-gun.(Of course!)
When I got home from school the carnage was terrible for me. To some extent dead and dyin birds everywhere,......some with their eyes shot out, crops shot and full of blood, etc. The only solice I had was there were 5 escapes that came flyiung down to me when I thought all were gone. Just made me feel better that there was something beautiful left out of all that ugliness.
My condolences to you Tony. And may your new start bring you twice the joy and happiness of "pigeons.

[Quintalas]

I've never had a loss like this. I've only today been able to inventory the birds. I've some of the best friends in pigeon game. In brief the 3 of them are going to restock my hen loft along with some more young birds to restock the flying loft. Subsequently at least with the Voutes I can bring fylers in & have them settled in 2 weeks. Not might breeds have this feature. Certainly i'm biuldsing new doors which u will have to hook a truck up to them with a chain to break them open. Maybe a bear. <G> You won't build them strong enuogh. tonyf