Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[ElleLovesDucks]

I do a lot of dog training. For a dog with a strong small-animal prey drive, I don't think you can ever really trust them. But you can have reasonable success with positive reinforcement. One of my pups is a terrier through and through, which means she wants to chase other small animals that scamper across her path (which is why my chickens will be fully fenced away from the dogs). It would be unreasonable for me to try to change her nature, but I have helped her impulse control. With her on leash we will approach an animal in the distance and when she sees it, I call her name, click the clicker (to mark her good behavior, which is looking at me and not the animal) and then I immediately reward with something tasty. Slowly work up to making the game harder, by getting closer to the animals, constantly building on success. 

If you keep them leashed on you and keep some cookies in your pocket whenever you deal with the chickens, you'll be ready to reward them when they make good choices. It is all about choices, after all. If they are so engrossed into the animal that they don't "hear" you, you are too close. Get some more distance and try again.

Hope that helps some.

It does help. I just wish that silly dog would mind her own business. She's very stubborn and difficult to train.

 

[niroha]

I hear ya, it is tough. And depending on how deep the prey drive runs you can be in it for the long haul. My little brat is nearly 4 now and we constantly work on it (kinda like math - if you don't use it, you lose it) but as good as she is I'd never trust her without a leash in a field full of furry or feathered critters

You gotta know their limits. And yours!

 

[Ogress]

I used to love coyotes, but then the ones in my neighborhood stopped eating rodents and bunnies and started concentrating on pets and petfood and garbage, and I became disenchanted.

They have a bad rap in our neck of the woods for luring pet dogs out of their yards, and then the entire pack goes in for the ki. It is horrible to hear. Thankfully this morning was just a lone coyote who did not have a successful hunting trip

 

[Ogress]

I am so happy to hear that!!!! We have actually looked at Northport too! We had told the realtor we wanted to see a few places that were "remote" not realizing that up there remote means you really CAN see the end of the earth! LOL It is absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to move, it will be a few years but we are planners and have been looking at real estate for over a year.

I have friends who moved up to Kettle Falls, and their only regret is that they did not do so 10 years earlier.

 

[Ogress]

Hi all!
I'm from Centerville, Washington if anyone knows where that is. I have 27 egg chickens and 23 broilers.

Welcome! That is quite the flock!

 

[tammyfarms]

I have friends who moved up to Kettle Falls, and their only regret is that they did not do so 10 years earlier.

This is such good news! We have been a little nervous, wondering if the decision is the right one. We have no family or friends there so we would really be on our own and trying to make friends. We know that can be tough, some small towns are welcoming and some are not. We to the impression we would be ok, it is nice to hear that others have moved up to that area and love it. Did your friends already have friends and/or family there? Did they make friends pretty easily or was that difficult?

 

[Boneheadeb]

My dog spends virtually all of her outside time hanging out with the chickens, occasionally lunging at them, but unable to get through the fence. She does not try to dig in, although she is a good hunter (regularly catches mice/moles). The chickens seem to gravitate to her when she sets up at the fence, eyeing her curiously. I have two chickens who regularly hop/fly out of their yard, and the dog follows them wherever they go, but has not harmed them. I'm rather hoping she will learn to help me herd them back into their yard. One chicken (bit fat Wyandotte) seems to prefer laying her eggs in my garden, the other is almost a game bird (Polish Crested) and is just squirrely. I keep clipping wings, but both seem intent to live-free-or-die. We also have a lab pup next door, and my dog (boxer mix) regularly chases the pup away from 'her' chickens. I'm home during the day and able to keep a close eye on the dog-chicken interactions.

I coexist peacefully with the coyotes. There is enough native habitat for them to not come up to the yard often and they serve a very useful purpose of keeping the wild bunnies in check. As far as I know, I haven't lost any animal to coyotes in the 34 years we've lived here. I rather like their howling.

 

[HereChikyChiky]

Originally Posted by HereChikyChiky

Living in the City of Tacoma...

I cannot decide if this RIR is a hen or a rooster. I got the 3 of them when they were 5 weeks old back in April. Opinions?



Good morning All,

For the last 2 days, my RIR Scarlett has been "crowing"...long and loud every morning and throughout the day. Pretty safe to say that Scarlett is actually Will Scarlett...lol... I live in Tacoma and the city ordinance won't allow me to keep him, plus there are rumblings from some neighbors :-( I don't want any money for him. I'd be happy with a little oyster shell and a good home. Any takers? I don't want to put him on Craig's List if I can avoid it. You can message me off list if you like.

Rena Bird

Update to this post 8/6/2013:

I posted on Craigslist this morning and I'm hoping for the best. I put my phone number in the ad so that I can talk to people who ask about Will Scarlett and my husband and I will insist on delivering so that we can see what we'll be sending him to. I just worry that in the mean time some mean-spirited person will try to hurt my chickens because they don't like the noise. There is an access alley that runs along behind our houses so it's open to anyone passing through. He's really a pretty nice little boy. There are over 9000 threads on rehoming roosters ...sigh...

 

[Ogress]

This is such good news! We have been a little nervous, wondering if the decision is the right one. We have no family or friends there so we would really be on our own and trying to make friends. We know that can be tough, some small towns are welcoming and some are not. We to the impression we would be ok, it is nice to hear that others have moved up to that area and love it. Did your friends already have friends and/or family there? Did they make friends pretty easily or was that difficult?

One owns a coffee rotisserie out there, but I am not sure if they had friends at the time. Another person I know, also originally from NorthBend (same with the coffee gal) knew no one but it was not long before other family follow them out there.

 

[Ogress]

I have 2 big dogs as well - a shepherd/poodle mix and a Rottweiler mix. I had to work with them because initially they would chase the chickens. After 2 years, I totally trust them and leave in the yard with the chickens. I am on 3+ acres almost bordering the Cedar River Watershed, lots of room for the coyotes, but they have discovered that domesticated animals are easy picking; just like the bears discovered a 6' fence means nothing if the plums or apples are ripe. Half my property is fenced, the other half is left natural.