Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Anniebee]

satay Yes Bear is cuddly and great with the grand kids bear even gets between my husband and the girls when he play fights. We had another shepherd who wasn't well and had to be put down. She killed 2 lots of chooks but we don't think bear even touched them. We had some babies pigeons in the mandarin tree and they fell out. Bear was barking so we investigated he brought a baby bird to us in his mouth untouched. Shadow ran and hid with another and ate it before I could stop her. Bear got his name because he was 55kg when we got him and he was only 9mths old, he was kept in a tiny backyard with food left out all the time. So he looked like a big cuddly bear, poor thing couldn't climb into the car. He is 55 kgs now but healthy and 8 years old. I think its safe to say he is a big softy with my chicks.

LuckysMum ....... While I don't think that Bear would ever hurt your chickens ( almost sure of it ) ..... he is still in fact, a dog. And they are ( apparently ) 95% wolf - even through all the breeding programs that produce such a variance of dog breeds. So - despite the fact that I love all dogs, I am aware of their natural nature, which can come to the fore at any time. Have owned several Golden Retrievers ( and Miss Ruby GR now ) all of whom I would trust with my life .... but I am mindful that they are still dogs - despite their beautiful natures. Always gotta be careful, mindful and dominant over the dog. ... It is after all, what they naturally understand - dominant top dog of the pack stuff.

I would trust your Bear. If he was going to do something nasty, he'd have done it by now. He is a beautiful protective cuddly teddy bear, and a joy to own. ... Still think it advisable to 'unteach' him his desire to let chooks out to roam. .... btw - how does he do that - does he lift a latch on a gate ? or something more complicated ? Would be interested to know if you wish to answer.

It is wonderful to own well trained ( by us, the owners ) dogs with good temperament, but dominance by the owner is paramount.. Saves a whole heap of problems in the long run.

Cheers ....... ( and a big kiss for Bear ).

 

[Anniebee]

I only clean out about the same frequency. I find leaving it that long means the compost underneath is aged and smells rich at the bottom. I clean it out when I need soil for a new garden. Dig to the bottom and take that then fill with the top not so aged stuff. Once it's working it breaks everything down pretty quickly. I actually don't find any hard build up like AnnieB finds. Mine's crumbly mostly. I also top mine up every month or so. No flies inside - if I could only get rid of the mozzies that way.

Gosh, I wish my chook woopsies on the cement bricks floor of the coop was crumbly.

..... It is fairly easily lifted in big clumps, if I use the right tool - small shovel, knife, hard spatula or whatever. But once I move one lot - the rest follows relatively easily. Still makes whopping great globs of manure goodies though.

Might be just because my chooks ......... are my chooks !!

.... or maybe the microbes are kinda lazy. ??

 

[User395221]

Might be just because my chooks ......... are my chooks !!

.

How many do you have, Anniebee?

 

[LuckysMum]

LuckysMum .......

I would trust your Bear. If he was going to do something nasty, he'd have done it by now. He is a beautiful protective cuddly teddy bear, and a joy to own. ... Still think it advisable to 'unteach' him his desire to let chooks out to roam. .... btw - how does he do that - does he lift a latch on a gate ? or something more complicated ? Would be interested to know if you wish to answer.

It is wonderful to own well trained ( by us, the owners ) dogs with good temperament, but dominance by the owner is paramount.. Saves a whole heap of problems in the long run.

Cheers ....... ( and a big kiss for Bear ).

I am ever mindful even with my grand daughters especially as he is so big he could accidently hurt chicks or kids. When the girls play ball with my 2 teens still at home I lock bear around the side of the house because he gets in with them and flies around. I seem to be the only one Bear will take seriously and do as he's told.

Bear pushes the bottom of the gate till he bends it and it opens it a little as the silkies are only 8 wks old they can fit through small gaps. On our patio door he worked out if he bumps the latch with his nose and pushes the door with his paw it will open. The side gate he actually pulled the post off the wall it was screwed into, he has pulled pickets off to get to the kids when they are playing. Now I sit with him and make him settle when they are playing its not worth the damage trying to keep him out. But he is very patient when they want cuddles he will sit for the girls and he is very careful. I think he just wants company especially since Shadow our other dog died. But we found our youngest son is allergic to animal hair so he can't come into the house.

satay your babies are beautiful. I want some more chicks but hubby says we have enough at the moment. Haha never enough.

I've been offer a D'uccle roo not sure if they make alot noise or not and then I will have to get females. Should I take him or not. Please help me.

 

[Anniebee]

Not really, Perth is a poster-child for urban sprawl. A lot of new suburbs used to be "country". When they develop them, they are stuck in the middle of "countryside". They get more country wildlife than you'd ever see in the concrete-y areas. Our bush pockets in town don't have roos or any "country" animals. You will have them in the outer suburbs, semi-rural or new suburbs. It's like the difference between, say, St Kilda and Box Hill (yeh, I don't know Melbourne very well and it's ages since I was there). You might get a fox running up Chapel Street, but not as likely to be there as to be somewhere with lots of bushland and gardens.

potato chip ....

Perth may well be a 'poster child' for urban sprawl, and I do understand your meaning, but ....

There are predators out there ready to pick up small animals, chickens medium and tiny, budgies ( from out through bars of cages btw ), small cats, guinea pics etc.

They are - magpies ( rarely ), owls, butcher birds, goshawks, hawks, eagles, foxes, feral cats and feral dogs, large rats, and the odd goanna here and there -

I believe the thinking has to be ' be more safe than sorry ' ...

As for Chapel Street ( Prahran) ... there would be more danger there from the human kind than any predatory animal.

St. Kilda and Box Hill would be less inclined to have nasties - mainly because they are so closely built up. BUT ... that doesn't mean it couldn't happen.

So Yes, there is more prevalance of predators in the bushland areas ( where we are ) than in the suburbs, but that doesn't mean they cannot attack in suburbs.
They can - and they do.

Perhaps you live in a pristine area away from all these nasties, .... but I doubt it.

On that note, I only wish to caution -- to be aware and careful of your beloved chickens, because predators DO abound all over this land of ours. It's part of being Australia.

Beyond this, I don't think there is anything further to say.

...........

 

[Anniebee]

How many do you have, Anniebee?

I am happy to say I have 3 chickens. That is enough for now, before reconstructing to house more.

Meanwhile, I tend to do the " I am sneakily out here looking to NOT buy anything" bit.

Can't do anything to add to my tiny flock - until we have a) got the house renovations finished, b) raised a Guide Dog Victoria puppy for 1 year from about April / May, and c ) got past some medical issues that currently are giving me the willies, plus rezoning everything for chooks.

Only THEN will I be able to say no D'Uccles, no Light Sussex, no Frizzles, no more RIR's. no silkies ( definitely not unless I keep them indoors ) no Sicilain Buttercups and no more Araucanas.. So ... it's no - until we get ourselves sorted. And by no - I do in fact mean NO.

I stay right away from breeders as I know I would weaken, buy and then tear my hair out as to who goes where with whom. hmmmm !!

LOL .....

 

[User395221]

Please help me.

Do you need a lift? I've got my cat carrier.....

 

[LuckysMum]

Do you need a lift? I've got my cat carrier.....

potato chip thanks for your support. I could always tell hubby it wondered in by itself and I have to look after it. They are quite good fliers aren't they.

 

[Anniebee]

I am ever mindful even with my grand daughters especially as he is so big he could accidently hurt chicks or kids. When the girls play ball with my 2 teens still at home I lock bear around the side of the house because he gets in with them and flies around. I seem to be the only one Bear will take seriously and do as he's told.

Bear pushes the bottom of the gate till he bends it and it opens it a little as the silkies are only 8 wks old they can fit through small gaps. On our patio door he worked out if he bumps the latch with his nose and pushes the door with his paw it will open. The side gate he actually pulled the post off the wall it was screwed into, he has pulled pickets off to get to the kids when they are playing. Now I sit with him and make him settle when they are playing its not worth the damage trying to keep him out. But he is very patient when they want cuddles he will sit for the girls and he is very careful. I think he just wants company especially since Shadow our other dog died. But we found our youngest son is allergic to animal hair so he can't come into the house.

satay your babies are beautiful. I want some more chicks but hubby says we have enough at the moment. Haha never enough.

I've been offer a D'uccle roo not sure if they make alot noise or not and then I will have to get females. Should I take him or not. Please help me.

Your Bear is priceless at teaching himself how to 'undo' things. Dogs can be so very clever - far more than we understand of them.

Am thinking his lack of company ( after the sad loss of your Shadow ) has a lot to do with it. ... Perhaps you could get yourself another dog - providing their introduction to one another goes well, and the new dog is safe with children - and with chickens.

He probably still needs to be taught ( with food rewards ) NOT to open gates or pull posts out of walls, anyway.

All of which will take a great deal of observation and patience on your part.

..........

Sorry - I can offer no advice about D'uccle roos .. and whether they are noisy or not. Personally, I would not take the risk, especially if you found you had to ultimately re-home him, for whatever purpose. Nope.

Cheers ........

 

[User395221]

They are quite good fliers aren't they.

Yes, that's right. "One flew into the chicken coop" "What cock-a-doodle-doo? I hear nothing, you must be imagining things"