Also meant to say that I do not support the neighbors allowing their dogs to run loose - it is totally irresponsible both for the sake of the neighbors and their livestock/property and for the sake of the dogs.
The difference here is MY dogs are not pets, they are working dogs doing a job they were bred for. Not some random lab, chow, what ever breed staying out barking all night.
This is usual and customary farm practices, and listed as such by the USDA. It is my right to protect my farm animals in...
I gave one of our Favorells a bath using Dawn dishwasing soap. It was really cold out, so I ended up blowdrying her I used the diffuser on the blowdryer and set it on low. It took a while (quite a while, actually), but it was so funny. She absolutely loved it! She just sat there the whole...
Okay, know I'm going to be the "bad guy" here, but I have to side with your neighbors. There are two separate issues here, which have nothing to do with each other - their dogs running loose and your dogs barking at night. I live on 40 acres with lots of smaller parcels surrounding us...
We have a resident bobcat who has taken a number of chickens over the past few years. I have chosen not to free range my chickens except when I'm out with them. Mine apparently isn't as brazen as yours. I choose not to try to dispatch of it simply because I believe it does little harm and...
Yes, definitely a wire-bottomed cage. Place it on a couple of 2x4s so it's raised a bit off the floor and no bedding! Food and water of course. It usually only takes 2-3 days for my broodys to get back to normal when I do this. I leave them in the coop, in the cage. They typically make a...
I have the same problem - if they're in the pen, they're fine; out of the pen, they're dinner for the local bobcat or coyote. For an easy-ish fix, you might try just putting fencing over the top of the run to keep the girls in. If you feel you need a different solution, go to your local...
Ack - I know what you mean about them driving you (and all the other hens) crazy. I have three hens that have gone broody twice on me this summer. What I've had luck with is placing them in a dog crate with no solid bottom on it (just the wire bottom). I raise it up on a couple of 2x4s so...
Neighbor issues are always so tricky, aren't they? How would you feel if your neighbors dog was barking at 4:30 in the morning? I would suggest making an effort to keep the roo quiet until 7:00, just to try to keep the peace. I would not, however, give up the roo unless you really want to...
Sending you good wishes for your beagles' safe return. I also have two beagles - if any opportunity presents itself, they're off after a scent. They return hours later, tongues lolling and totally exhausted. I hope this happens with your pups. Mine are kept in a large, very well fenced area...
So very sorry for your loss. He has offered to replace your pets, and it's true that no amount of money can cover that. What you can expect is what it would cost to replace those lost if you were to buy chickens/ducks of the same kind/age. Look in your paper or wherever you can to find out...
Heya, almost neighbor - I live in Grass Valley; my aunt, uncle, cousins live in Yuba City. We also have a Maine Coon - big ole lazy ball of fur that only runs when it's for kitty treats or away from the chicks or mice! We have another cat, shelter kitty, that would love nothing better than to...
This thread is too funny and soooo true. Have heard many of the same comments, but the funniest was from my husband (poor, city raised boy) when we were discussing getting some property (I had moved away to live in the city, but wanted to return to the land). We were discussing how much...
You might also want to consider the possiblity of a portal in your son's room. Now, this doesn't necessiarily mean a portal to h*!! or anything like that, just one in which spirits can enter or watch. This can happen in any place. We had our home built and moved in. After about a year, when...
Thank you for your post. It's encouraging to me, as I was beginning to think I was the only one who tried to find a solution rather than shooting everything that even looked at my chickens. I was wondering the same thing about the momma - where is she? The little ones look too young to just...
Very good questions you ask! I chose mine because I want eggs! and many colours of eggs! Although most of mine could be used for meat, I'm not planning on using them for that purpose. I have some of the standards - Buff orphs, Blue orphs, Barred Rocks, Marans, Ameracaunas, and one that we...
I have two beagles, too! You can't have just one! They are the same way, especially our girl beagle; she'll just sit and watch them in the brooder all the time. Any time one of the cats comes around, she chases them off. She's notorious for breaking into the pen with the older girls and...