Please recommend a pasture fence design

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chrism

chrism

Songster
11 Years
Jan 17, 2009
114
5
128
Zone 7A Central Va.
*EDIT*
I started this thread looking for LGD breed recommendations but after some valuable advice, realized that my planning needed to be focused on other aspects of my pasture design.
Even though the original topic has shifted, I'm leaving this thread up because there is some very good advice in it.

I’m researching my options for a guard dog for my flock of 50 hens.
A dog that will compliment the two barn cats that I'm about to employ.
The birds are kept within electrified chicken netting closing in almost an acre.
They roost in an open hoop house.
I live in zone 7A central Va. So something that is cold tolerant is needed.
The pests and small predators that I want to protect against is anything up to a typical hunting/wild dog.

Dogs
Skunks
Moles
Groundhogs
Fox
Gophers
Possums
Raccoons
Squirrels
Snakes
Rats
Mice
Owls
Bats
Hawks

A whole lot is said about Pyrenees and other large breed dogs but I’m thinking something more along the lines of some sort of fast and agile Terrier would be best for my all around situation.
 
Last edited:
123RedBeard said:
Don't overlook the Yellow Black Mouth Cur ... Some are smaller than others ...

Great story here - http://www.southernheritagekennel.com/Stories/

A Standard Schnauzer or even a German Pincher might work ...

Of course another option is the Old Tyme Scottish Collie ...
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for recommending this breed that I've never heard of before.
I was lucky enough to put an Original Ladner Cur under my Christmas tree for my family.
My oldest boy named him Musket and is looking forward to treeing some Squirrels.
 
I agree a Terrier sounds like an ideal breed for your situation. In your climate a Pyrenees or other traditional LGD would probably have heat stroke in the summer
hmm.png
. You may have your work cut out for your teaching the dog to discern prey from protectee, though.
 
Most terriers will fall in the range of 10-30 pounds ... Might want a few depending on how big of stray dogs you want to repel, strength in numbers, and force multipliers! Racoons can cause trouble for a single small to medium sized dog, especially if it is not experienced in fighting/killing, and the raccoon is! The rest of your list will be no problem for most terriers ...

I was "Escorted" off a property once by a pack of 7-8 Jack Russell's ... I was delivering a package, but they acted like I was bringing a bomb! ;)

I left ... The package on the ground!
 
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I had a pair of Feist dogs (a Terrier breed) once that I could not break them from killing chickens to save their lives.

Whipping them for it was useless, they thought that i was upset because they weren't killing my chickens as fast as i wanted them too.

A Jack Russel Terrier (but a coon may be a varmint too far for it to dispatch) will work if you can stop him from killing his charges. A Terrier will chase (as a general rule) anything from a field mouse to a grizzly bear it it runs from the dog. If or when a terrier catches a chicken the dogs' instinct takes over and the pooch will kill the chicken it has captured.
 
I think a herding breed or a sporting breed dog would be more trainable than a terrier (not killing the chickens!). If you like hair, an Aussie or English Shepard, or a GSD. Retrievers or GSHPs would work too. A lot of time, $$$, and effort will be needed to raise and train this dog, and good fencing to keep her at home. Mary
 

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