COIMBATORE: A pack of stray dogs killed 30 native chickens reared by a small farmer in a village in Annur Taluk. All the chickens were provided to the farmer by the Tamil Nadu government under a subsidy-based scheme.
The aggrieved farmer, EM Thangamuthu, of Kallan Chetti Thottam at Ellapalayam village, demanded the authorities to prevent dumping of chicken waste on roadsides in the area to curb the threat posed by dogs. Thangamuthu is so upset that he said he will not seek any compensation for the lost chickens.
Ellapalayam village comes under the Kattampatti Pachayat.
"Around 40 chicken stalls are functioning in Ganesapuram in Kariampalayam area. Every day, the shops dump the waste on the roadside. After eating the meat waste, stray dogs turn violent," he said.
Thangamuthu was provided 40 chicks in May by the Tamil Nadu Animal Husbandry department.
Six stray dogs entered his farmland in the wee hours of Saturday and killed 30 out of 40 chickens on the spot in a span of 10 minute. "I was not in the house around 3 am. When my wife came out, she found the stray dogs were mauling the chicken. I had reared them for the last three months. I had planned to develop poultry farming. Now, the plan has been dashed. I have lost chickens worth over Rs 20,000," said Thangamuthu.
Stray dog bites had killed four goats of another person, Thangavel of Chinnaputhur near Kariampalayam, two weeks ago. Villagers have appealed to the district administration to hold a consultation meeting with the owners of the chicken stalls and advise them proper disposal of meat waste.