Mark, I figured that this was in a rural area and in that time and place, that was the thing to do. But, I wouldn't do it.
Dogs are born with a taste for chickens and just about anything else for that matter. The problem here wasn't that the dog ate the chickens, that was to be expected. The problem was that the owner of the dog let it run loose or allowed it to get loose. There is no doubt in my mind that my dog would eat all the chickens he could, and would kill the rest. But he never has done so because he hasn't had the opportunity. This is the reason that my dog doesn't think rabbits taste like chicken. He has never eaten a chicken.
Dogs are born with a taste for chickens and just about anything else for that matter. The problem here wasn't that the dog ate the chickens, that was to be expected. The problem was that the owner of the dog let it run loose or allowed it to get loose. There is no doubt in my mind that my dog would eat all the chickens he could, and would kill the rest. But he never has done so because he hasn't had the opportunity. This is the reason that my dog doesn't think rabbits taste like chicken. He has never eaten a chicken.