Poultry farmer blames council officers for chicken deaths Allan "Swampy" Marsh with two chickens that survived. A COCK fight has broken out between a poultry farmer and his local council after dogs fatally savaged 950 chickens. Allan "Swampy" Marsh has accused Moyne Shire local laws officers of foul play over the death of his seven-week-old chickens. He claims they inspected chooks at his property at Mortlake, in the states's southwest, without his knowledge last week, and left the property fence open. Mr Marsh said two Alaskan malamutes got into the Townsend St property on Saturday and killed about 950 chickens that were in an industrial shed. But council spokesman Timothy Marshall said officers, who went to property last Monday to investigate an animal cruelty complaint, found a number of holes in the boundary and entered through one such gap. He said Mr Marsh arrived while they were conducting the inspection, and they showed the farmer where they had entered. Mr Marshall said Mr Marsh declined the officers' offer to fix the gap in the fence. The officers found "numerous dead chickens" and chickens without access to food, and referred the case to the Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Mr Marshall said. DEPI spokesman Melanie Curtis confirmed the notification but was satisfied there was "no ongoing concern" and would not continue to investigate. Mr Marsh denied allegations of animal cruelty, saying the chickens were his livelihood, their eggs fetching up to $12 a dozen in Melbourne. The deaths would cost him about $10,000 for the chickens and a $30,000 loss of profits, he said. The long-time farmer said about three four-week old chickens had died before the dog attack. He believed they had fallen into the feed tray and been trampled. Each of these chickens makes me a profit. Why would I mistreat them? Mr Marsh said. He said the by-laws officers didn't have the power to "break in" without a formal written complaint, and accused them of unpicking the wire mesh fence and failing to tell him. "I didn't see it until after the dogs had been through a week later," he said. I was so upset I was shaking. It all fell into place when I saw that the fence had been pulled apart. He said he had told council officers he was preparing to move the chickens from the sheds to his Purnim farm in a few weeks. About 50 chickens survived the attack.