***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[CLSranch]

Sorry to hear about your birds, too bad you aren't closer.

I have my dogs mostly broke from killing birds, but that is part of having a couple of young prey driven dogs around.

Thanks all. The thing that makes me mad is he has been around the big hens since he was born and for the last 2 months takes naps with my bantams under the trailer. He wanted to play with them at first but we got through that. Thought he would be great for tying next to pen to deter predators but put his sister there instead. She was more likely to visit the neighbors.

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

Sorry to hear about your birds, too bad you aren't closer.

I have my dogs mostly broke from killing birds, but that is part of having a couple of young prey driven dogs around.

@CLSranch I'm so sorry about your dog and chickens. I've lost a few to a possum recently (recently deceased possum). I'm sure it is so much more frustrating when it is your own pet doing the damage.

For those like allenw, I can offer my personal experience in case it helps ward off future issues. I got my dog (a red heeler/border collie mix) at 4 years old from someone who said she had moved to town and missed country life. They said she had not been around chickens as far as they knew, but she had been a rescue before that. Anyway, she rushed the chickens in the coop to make them scatter and I worked with her on a leash to solve that. About 3 days after we got her, I took her outside off leash and she chased and caught a hen that had roosted in a tree the night before. The hen made it, but, I knew I would have to do something desperate or take her back.

I ordered a shock collar on Amazon. Pretty cheap. Gave her a zap if she rushed at chickens on leash or when her ears perked up and she got excited when they ran by etc. It probably took less than 8 shocks total and a couple of days and now she is the perfect dog. She even side steps them a little when I call her outside. On the down side, our lone turkey picks on her sometimes and she just runs away from him. He may be the focus of my next post. Or maybe he gets the collar put on.

 

[Tika75]

On the down side, our lone turkey picks on her sometimes and she just runs away from him. He may be the focus of my next post. Or maybe he gets the collar put on.

If you do that, get a video.

 

[CLSranch]

The female Rojo as a wee pup back in April.

My pups where 3/4 heeler 1/4 aussie. I used the collar on the other female, him I just scolded around the bantams. He just got around to investigating the big pen recently. The door is always open. He runs around the yard with me until I get to the pen. But the GF has noticed him going in there with her or already there when she goes out. Then she brought me a trash bag full of chickens after checking the eggs and told me he was heading back in there when she went out to check the eggs. Then I lost the female who has traveled from south Tx to various places in Ar with me on sun. Less than a week later.

 

[gziegler]

Hi! I live in the Tulsa area and have raised backyard chickens for over 4 years. My family loves our hens and treats them like pets. I currently have two beautiful Silver spangled hamburg roosters looking for a loving forever home.

-Purebred hatch-lings (eggs from The Gypsy Hen)
-Hatched on April 26, 2016

A little more about the Silver Spangled Hamburg breed
"The Silver Spangled Hamburg is actually an ancient breed possibly originating in the Mediterranean, but bred in the 16th-17th centuries in Holland. The hamburgs, although small, made a name for themselves, and I soon discovered why. In addition to being economical, efficient with feed, and hardy, they are, most notably, a prolific layer of white eggs and will continue laying very well even as they age.
The hamburgs are often described as flighty and birds which do not withstand confinement well, but I have found the breed to be very hardy despite whatever the conditions and to also fair well in a mixed flock despite their smaller size. They can also be scrappy birds which are efficient with feed and which will eat vegetable scraps and other garden cuttings that don't interest the rest of the flock. The Silver Spangled Hamburgs are a delightful addition to a flock." -The Gypsy Hen

Please private message me if you are interested!

 

[NanaKat]

@gziegler. Good to see you posting.

We received 2.8 inches of rain last night! Joyful e Joyful! We had driven around the farm yeasterday checking pond levels...all 10 ponds were between a foot to 18 inches down. Today all were within 6 inches of full.
Put up three quarts of blackberry juice and two quarts of elderberry juice. The rain should extend the blackberry harvest and insure the elderberry patch has a good harvest.

 

[allenw]

Thanks all. The thing that makes me mad is he has been around the big hens since he was born and for the last 2 months takes naps with my bantams under the trailer. He wanted to play with them at first but we got through that. Thought he would be great for tying next to pen to deter predators but put his sister there instead. She was more likely to visit the neighbors.

My English Shepard, correction the wife's English Shepard, was 2 years old the other day and I have a pretty good handle on her.The wife picked her out and she bonded with her but shock collars do wonders for showing who's the one to listen to. The year and a half old Airedale heeler cross still has his moments, he caught a couple ducklings the other day but has been leaving them alone after getting called down a couple times. He isn't afraid of any thing, needs some more opportunities with some appropriate sized target animals to hone his skills. He has caught one pig but hasn't figured out how to handle the coyotes yet, he can whip them but hasn't took any. The weenie dog has taught them all to hunt rats and mice so I end up with some big random holes scattered around.

 

[Ironsights]

Several ways to shorten those spurs!
1) use the band saw or dremel cutter about 3/4 of an inch from the leg.   Then file the cut edge to dull the cut.  This makes a nice rounded stump..
2) use wire cutters to crimp the spur about 3/4 inch out from the leg.  Then twist off the end of the spur with pliers. The spur should come off in one piece leaving the "nail" intact.  Trim the end with a pair of nippers and file  if necessary.  This can sometimes draw a little blood.  Stop bleed does a good job. or you can use talc or flour.
3) cut the tip off with your nipper then file..  This will leave a longer spur that will need attention more often.

Put an apron on your hen if you don't cut the spurs.


I need to research a technique for despurring roosters similar to debudding a goat's horns....that is done by burning off the horn bud.  I wonder if something like that would work on our roosters.   We used to dehorn our calves until we started using a polled bull.  Of course...that might be too stressful for those young cockerels.

I'm thinking that if I were a rooster I'd hide my spurs if I saw NanaKat with any of the aforementioned instruments in her hands. Spurs? What Spurs?

 

[NanaKat]

@Ironsights yep, those boys run for cover unless I have a scrap bucket. We sure hope you are feeling better after your mishap last Friday!

 

[CLSranch]

Great news about the rain NanaKat. We only got 1/4 yesterday. But we got some when you didn't and there is another chance this morning. I've been watering the garden even with the chances of rain. Still have some pretty big cracks in the ground.