Consolidated Kansas

[JiltdRoyalty]

Question, my girlfriend makes me scrambled eggs with cheese most mornings. Can I give the leftovers to my chickens? Just wondering about the cheese.
Thanks, Chad

 

[JiltdRoyalty]

Never mind, found the chicken treat chart.

 

[lizzyGSR]

I have to brag on my little cairn terrier, Dizzy, for a moment. When I went looking for a small companion dog a couple of years ago, I was drawn to terriers but everyone warned me off them, saying they will never be good with poultry - including people on a forum dedicated to cairn terriers! However I decided to take the risk anyway and from the day he arrived here, he has accompanied me to do chicken chores and never once given me a reason to be concerned. He runs among the birds and totally ignores them - and they are not concerned about this presence either. Right now I have a mama turkey in the hoop coop with her poults and from day day one, Dizzy has been absolutely fascinated by them. He will sit outside the hoop coop for hours watching those babies. I started to have concern that his interest was something less than altruistic because I've never seen him this focused on birds before. Last night I was doing chores, came around the corner and saw that Dizzy was standing outside the hoop coop staring at something on the ground. It was one of the poults that had somehow escaped the hoop coop. Dizzy was not only NOT trying to grab it, he seemed to be standing guard over it until I could rescue it. I put down what I was carrying and bent to pick it up but being a mama-raised bird, it of course ran screaming from me - the big, bad predator - and its run took it directly towards Dizzy who pounced and grabbed. I screamed "no" but I should have known to trust him. He wasn't grabbing it to hurt it - he was trying to help me out. He had it very gently pinned and as soon as I reached to take it, he released his hold on it. It was completely unharmed - not even wet. I told Dizzy what a good job he did and he was so pleased to have been of help. I feel like I can relax about his interest in them now. If his goal had been to eat them, that poult would have been dead before I even knew it had escaped the hoop coop.

That's awesome, HeChicken! It's so good to have a dog you can trust! My husband has an old lab (7 or 8 years old - he has hip dysplacia so he acts old). That lab is 125 pounds, and is a dog my husband uses to hunt pheasants, but he knows EXACTLY which birds belong on my property, and he allows them to stay. He and the ducks have a sort of game they play - they each try to take the other's food.

The ducks/geese will try to steal the dog's food from under his nose, while the dog will try to sneak into their pen and steal their food - container and all!

I started having to disallow him from entering the duck pen because I got tired of playing hide-and-seek with the ducks food bowl, especially when it would decide to snow! The ducks/geese, however, haven't given up on their end of the deal. The big lab will run after them, growling and everything, when they go for his food. Despite his big show, he won't hurt them. The first time he did that, it about gave me a heart attack, though.. He could've killed my gander that first time, but instead only scared me and pretty much tackled the bird. this year is my first year with chickens, and I've been a little more hesitant around him with the chickens because they do look a lot like a pheasant. He's never gone after any of the chickens, though. He's such a smart dog! Even with 25+ new chickens this year, he still knows EXACTLY which birds belong.

My hubby just got a puppy this year (border collie/lab cross), and the puppy is a different story. I recently lost one of my special birds (a speckled sussex I got from danz - and of course the only pullet I had left from her). I am now blaming the puppy. A few days after losing the sussex pullet, I was watching the birds carefully and saw the pup lay down near the birds. Ok, that in itself was no big deal. My appenzeller spitzhauben chicken was nearby and had decided to lay down and start preening. The dog then crouched (kinda reminded me of a lion stalking its prey). When the bird started preening, the pup took off running. The bird looked up and the dog froze. The bird went back to preening, and the dog continued on. That's when I hit the vibrate button on the pup's shock collar. She's a pretty sensitive dog, and the shock setting hasn't been necessary for her. I admit that I probably held onto the vibrate button a little longer than absolutely necessary, but I wanted to be sure the pup got the hint. She ran from the bird, tail tucked between her legs, and I haven't seen her make a move towards the birds since... That doesn't mean I trust her yet though either. She's still WAY too much of a pup (3 months old) to trust around the birds.

 

[HEChicken]

I went out to walk the pasture with the LGDs this morning and we came upon a pile of snakes. I looked at a snake identification table and believe they are Graham's Crayfish Snake. They are found in this part of the state, usually by ponds, streams and other bodies of water (these were right by the pond outlet), feed almost exclusively on crayfish and frogs, are non-venomous and won't bite if handled (whew because you can see how interested the dogs were). I counted 5 in the pile and a 6th just a short distance away. Two from the pile slithered off into the water because we had disturbed them. I've been seeing these snakes since we've been here and wasn't sure what they were so I'm glad to have finally identified them.











Lizzy, one of my farm dogs is also a lab/border collie cross. We adopted her at 8 months and have never had any issues with her and the birds. Because I was concerned about it, I had her foster parents bring her over to see how she would react. They brought her in the back yard and she started sniffing around. At that time there were no birds in sight. Then, as the dog poked around, a chicken wandered around the corner. Sammie froze, stared and "pointed" towards the chicken who froze, stared, then turned and ran, flapping and squawking. Sammie went right back to examining her new surroundings - the bird's antics of no interest to her whatsoever. We decided to proceed with a home trial and when, after 2-3 weeks, she had behaved impeccably, we proceeded with the adoption. We've had her 5 years now and she sleeps in the chicken yard at night, where she has been invaluable at detecting and keeping predators out. She will chase squirrels and rabbits and I've seen her zig-zagging through a flock of chickens in pursuit of a fleeing rabbit, her focus remaining 100% on the rabbit, even as chickens are squawking and running from the scene in every direction.

However on all the LGD sites, people say a lab or lab mix will "never" be good around poultry. I disagree and think it is all a matter of exposure and training as you are doing. My neighbor has a 2 ½-year-old lab/boxer mix. We introduced her to my poultry when she was a puppy because we visit often and didn't want to have to be concerned about her killing my birds. When she was a few months old, we had one incident where she started to chase. My neighbor ran over and scolded her and that was that. Two years later, the dog is around my birds all the time and never gives them a second glance.

 

[sharol]

My broody white English Orp hatched her eggs over the last couple of days. She was in a regular nest box in my year old coop. Of her 5 eggs, she hatched 4, one chick died overnight. Its somehow.vent looked wrong. In any case she hatched 3 JUBILEEs. Yeah!! she has moved them into a corner of the coop that is a bid secluded. The mottle should start hatching her eggs tomorrow or maybe overnight tonight. I didn't want to mess with them.

 

[Patriciaallison]

I am originally from TX born and raised my husband and I lived with our kids in Cali for a few years then moved to Kansas to raise our kids. We have 7 kids together and 11 total. I take car of 7 on a day to day basis. We moved to this huge farm with a small 2 bedroom farm house. We have converted the old dinning room into a room for the boys. This is totally not what I am use to. we have always lived in town close to everything. Now we have chickens ducks pigs and rabbits! We love it! Why we did not do this sooner I don't know. I also. Have 2 dogs and 3 cats I forgot about them. well that's us!
P

 

[lizzyGSR]

Lizzy, one of my farm dogs is also a lab/border collie cross. We adopted her at 8 months and have never had any issues with her and the birds. Because I was concerned about it, I had her foster parents bring her over to see how she would react. They brought her in the back yard and she started sniffing around. At that time there were no birds in sight. Then, as the dog poked around, a chicken wandered around the corner. Sammie froze, stared and "pointed" towards the chicken who froze, stared, then turned and ran, flapping and squawking. Sammie went right back to examining her new surroundings - the bird's antics of no interest to her whatsoever. We decided to proceed with a home trial and when, after 2-3 weeks, she had behaved impeccably, we proceeded with the adoption. We've had her 5 years now and she sleeps in the chicken yard at night, where she has been invaluable at detecting and keeping predators out. She will chase squirrels and rabbits and I've seen her zig-zagging through a flock of chickens in pursuit of a fleeing rabbit, her focus remaining 100% on the rabbit, even as chickens are squawking and running from the scene in every direction.

However on all the LGD sites, people say a lab or lab mix will "never" be good around poultry. I disagree and think it is all a matter of exposure and training as you are doing. My neighbor has a 2 ½-year-old lab/boxer mix. We introduced her to my poultry when she was a puppy because we visit often and didn't want to have to be concerned about her killing my birds. When she was a few months old, we had one incident where she started to chase. My neighbor ran over and scolded her and that was that. Two years later, the dog is around my birds all the time and never gives them a second glance.

Glad it was you and not me that found a pile of snakes! I get so jumpy this time of year when the snakes are out - or at least could be.

On the dog thing.... I trust our older lab with my birds. He goes after my ducks/geese and chases them away from his food, but never hurts them, even though he sounds REALLY mean when he's chasing them. He's 100% lab. I have no reason to believe that the pup won't be trustworthy around the birds eventually, but she really needs to get out of the pup phase before I'll trust her too much. She's a really smart dog. I think she'll figure it out... I just don't want to lose any more birds between now and then.

I am originally from TX born and raised my husband and I lived with our kids in Cali for a few years then moved to Kansas to raise our kids. We have 7 kids together and 11 total. I take car of 7 on a day to day basis. We moved to this huge farm with a small 2 bedroom farm house. We have converted the old dinning room into a room for the boys. This is totally not what I am use to. we have always lived in town close to everything. Now we have chickens ducks pigs and rabbits! We love it! Why we did not do this sooner I don't know. I also. Have 2 dogs and 3 cats I forgot about them. well that's us!
P

Welcome to KS and welcome to BYC!

 

[chicken danz]

originally Posted by chicken danz
Great Dog!!!

Never mind, found the chicken treat chart.

Don't know what's on the chart but cheese is a treat around here for sure.

My broody white English Orp hatched her eggs over the last couple of days. She was in a regular nest box in my year old coop. Of her 5 eggs, she hatched 4, one chick died overnight. Its somehow.vent looked wrong. In any case she hatched 3 JUBILEEs. Yeah!! she has moved them into a corner of the coop that is a bid secluded. The mottle should start hatching her eggs tomorrow or maybe overnight tonight. I didn't want to mess with them.

Yay! More chicks.
I ended up making a phone call and asked a friend to put her number on a pair of opal peafowl for me this morning. Then I headed down there. They were just yearlings but I was thrilled to get them. They were on my bucket list for colors. Not cheap but a good price for a pair. I drove down then and paid for them, and had several offers from people who had also come to the sale to purchase them. Thank heavens my friend went early. I stayed for about 3 hours of the auction after that trying to justify to myself buying a heifer and managed to talk myself out of it when the price got high. Another particular thing I had on my bucket list. I would have certainly paid that much for her if I had a pen and shelter ready for her. Maybe when I can get down in bird numbers I can do it.
I got the new peafowl home and had to move my four yearling boys I've got up for sale to a temporary pen. Then I wormed both of the new peafowl and got them in the little pen the others had been in. Hopefully by the end of summer I'll have more shelter and a couple more peafowl pens done. I am so excited I really have my whole wish list of colors other than a true java now. I guess I should sell some others but I really like all I have.
I got another temporary pen moved across the yard and set up near the hoop coops. I plan to move young cockerels out there for now until I can figure out what to do with them. I just can't see raising them. I have some older nice cockerels that I can keep a few of for potential sales for SQ breeders. The others will go for meat.

I am originally from TX born and raised my husband and I lived with our kids in Cali for a few years then moved to Kansas to raise our kids. We have 7 kids together and 11 total. I take car of 7 on a day to day basis. We moved to this huge farm with a small 2 bedroom farm house. We have converted the old dinning room into a room for the boys. This is totally not what I am use to. we have always lived in town close to everything. Now we have chickens ducks pigs and rabbits! We love it! Why we did not do this sooner I don't know. I also. Have 2 dogs and 3 cats I forgot about them. well that's us!
P

Welcome to the forum. I think you'll find a peaceful farm life such a fun way to live. Sometimes the work load is insane but it's all worth it and a wonderful way to raise your children. Those values living this way are wonderful for kids. I wish my grandchildren could spend more time here learning about animals and gardening. If your goal is to become more and more self sufficient that makes it even better. I love knowing what I eat came from my garden and my animals. Not everything of course, but each year it seems I am contributing more to our food supply. I would love to also provide most of my own power but that takes funds I don't have available to implement. Maybe someday.

 

[Patriciaallison]

I am trying to become more self reliant I want my kids to eat healthy home grown food as much as I can provide! Thanks for all the welcomes!
P

 

[sharol]

Quote:
I've come to believe it is dependent on the individual dog. We have 2 LH Dachshunds 16 and 13 lbs (they are tweeners) who have never shown the slightest interest in chasing the chickens. I know people say Doxies aren't to be trusted but they have been around the birds for 6 years and never caused a problem. I also have a big mixed breed (Australian cattle dog/pit bull/boxer) who is USUALLY perfectly reliable. He is now 3, but about a year ago he killed a chicken that had been left out of the run when I went to town. he didn't eat it, he just killed it, so we don't leave him loose in the yard when the birds are out. When I leave, the birds go into their runs and the dog is loose to protect them from the human lowlife around here who is stealing people's chickens. He is VERY protective of the yard, and VERY big and threatening. I wouldn't want to be the guy he catches coming through the gate. He will sleep on the patio with the chickens all around him and never make a move on them, but.... Our foster chi is afraid of our Araucana rooster. She is actually bigger than he is, but he did the rooster flap around her and so she goes to the other end of the yard when she it out. My Mottle Orp has decided to help the White raise the 3 chicks that hatched, so I put her eggs in the incubator (4 still viable out of the 5 she was setting on. if they hatch, I'll give them back to the moms after it gets dark or really early in the morning. Sigh. the best laid plans, right?