BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[gjensen]

Our place is small enough that we have the whole perimeter fenced - house yard with wood and 2x4 wire, garden and livestock area with cattle panel and hot wire. There is some cross fencing with field fence, hotwire, or non-electric plastic mesh w/step-in posts.

We have 2 dogs right now, a huge shepherd/rottweiler cross and his corgi buddy. They aren't allowed loose where the chickens and sheep are, but when we let chickens in the houseyard, the dogs give way to them. We train them as puppies not to menace cats or chickens and will rehome any dog that does. The big dog was great at herding cattle when we had some, just seemed to do it instinctively. He seems to think sheep are more for biting though.

We're about to add a rottweiler puppy, since the big guy is getting older and tireder. We go more for protection breeds with some livestock background, since we need a guard dog for two-legged varmints as well as four-legged.

Just having the dogs around has worked to keep coyotes and raccoons out. We trained them to chase any possums (and squirrels) that come in the yard, and so far they haven't tangled with any skunks that hide out in the neighbors' woodlot.

I rotate my flocks through smaller grazing paddocks, and keep them narrow enough and with some cover that the eagles and hawks don't want to risk swooping down.

Good fencing with a good dog or two inside settles most concerns.

 

[tony4850]

I have 7 gaurd dogs running with sheep and goats at different locations. To be successful you must raise the pups with whatever species they are to protect., this is imprinting. Breeds such as Pyrenees , Marremas, etc. are easily imprinted, hence the reason they are guardian dogs. Just because a dog is running with sheep, don't expect it do the same job with poultry, quite the contrary . I don't have a single dog that won't kill poultry or anything else that comes in the field that's not a sheep or goat. My neighbor raised two Pyrenees pups WITH baby chicks and successfully imprinted them. My personal opinion is that Marremas are a bit better than Pyrenees certainly more aggressive. Pyrenees are difficult to keep in, that like to wander.

 

[southernmomma]

LGD's are really fascinating, aren't they?
I read that a "good" one would eat a dead lamb in the field to eliminate the scent that might attract predators. Fascinating.

M

 

[Turk Raphael]

LGD's are really fascinating, aren't they?
I read that a "good" one would eat a dead lamb in the field to eliminate the scent that might attract predators. Fascinating.

M

Not sure I want a dog that eats the evidence but rather one that prevents the inmates from turning up dead... just my take on it.

 

[southernmomma]

Quote: It was in reference to stillborn lambs. They eat the dead newborn to prevent attracting predators. I should have made that clear!

M

 

[Turk Raphael]

It was in reference to stillborn lambs. They eat the dead newborn to prevent attracting predators. I should have made that clear!

M

Exception noted. I wonder if they do it out of instinct or some innate power of reasoning? I also wonder if that would extend to lambs that die at a somewhat older age...2 days or even 2 weeks? That's knowledge would really fascinate me.
Thank you for the information...

Turk

ETA: I also am keen to know if what another poster stated is true; that the dog breeds which are usually considered "flock guardians" might not take up with chickens. We do intend to get dairy goats again but that won't be until well after we have the first batch of chickens...raised and in the freezer.

I noticed that the Thread Starter (Ron) uses blue heelers. This area is full of them and based on the experiences I've had with them, they would be apt to demolish a flock of chickens. They are very big dogs in small packages and most of the ones I've actually been around have seriously intimidated me. I guess whatever route we take with dogs, it will be a crap-shoot.

I do know that for us, only one dog will be on the place, based on our actual knowledge of what two pups are capable of, acting together. So far, the GSD has our attention.

Thanks to everyone who offered information.

 

[southernmomma]

Quote:
I have owned dogs my entire life but am by no means an expert. I have no desire to sway you in any direction but will make a comment based on years of experience with stubborn but intelligent dogs.

Be comfortable with the dog you choose.....with the specific dog AND the breed. Make an effort to know the breed history, where it excels and where it may fall short. If you have any hang-ups, hesitation or gaps in your own training as a dog owner, the relationship will fail and the dog will pay the price. Choose accordingly.

You have some exciting developments in your life....the DC is today?

M

 

[Turk Raphael]

I have owned dogs my entire life but am by no means an expert. I have no desire to sway you in any direction but will make a comment based on years of experience with stubborn but intelligent dogs.

Be comfortable with the dog you choose.....with the specific dog AND the breed. Make an effort to know the breed history, where it excels and where it may fall short. If you have any hang-ups, hesitation or gaps in your own training as a dog owner, the relationship will fail and the dog will pay the price. Choose accordingly.

You have some exciting developments in your life....the DC is today?

M

Thanks for the good advice. Someone is offering me an Akbash...I will be looking into them a bit closer. It's not free but more reasonable than I would have thought. Of all the classical Guardian types, I like the Akbash, if only because they seem to have shorter coats.

I did look at the 'black' GSDs in Okalona. They aren't even registered, which wouldn't bother me if they hadn't priced them at $600 each. I was not born yesterday!!!

I thought the Chicks would arrive today but I was mistaken. My first mistake was thinking they were shipped 5/27. I got email yesterday saying they had been shipped...yesterday. I checked the invoice and realized I had made the mistake so now, I guess/hope they will be here tomorrow.

It's not that far from Mo. to Frankfort and I'm still not going to be too complacent today but will keep my phone close in case they arrive in a late shipment.

Thanks again (pc is acting up...might have multiple posts)

Turk

 

[southernmomma]

@Turk Raphael
Are you stuck on a purebred? Are you stuck on a "new" dog? I am/have been heavily involved in rescue so I hate to let an opportunity pass...........consider a breed rescue or shelter. More often than not you will find what will suit your purpose with the added bonus of saving a life. You will find purebred and mixes at a shelter but a breed rescue will have dogs that are well vetted for temperament and in good health. Take a chicken with you in a cat carrier and challenge the dog with it to test for prey drive (the chicken in the carrier obvs).

We currently have 2 rescues. One I chose and the other we "found". My chosen dog is a mix of breeds that are historically family dogs but have recently been misused....and she bares the marks of a sad history but I will say this~ although she has a very high prey drive and will dispatch any small animal that wanders on to the land, she's so incredibly devoted to us she would defend us and anything else that I might "give" to her. There will be a perimeter fence for good reason but I plan to "give" her everything inside of that fence. And she will defend it. I couldn't ask for a better soldier.

Food for thought I hope~ the right dog for the job is what you're comfortable with but might be found at the pound for $50.
I wish you luck....and I will step down from my soapbox

M

 

[seventreesfarm]

So...a breeding question....I'm new to this thread & haven't had time to read through that back posts, so maybe this has been covered...

I'm breeding olive-eggers, using Marans and Ameraucanas. I also have a few brown-egg crosses and some Leghorns to keep production going for my egg customers.

There is a certain conformation I'm starting to cull for, after breeding a few years of crosses with a few different roos. I'm getting ready to set up for trap nesting, hopefully with a batch of pullets almost ready to lay. The problem is that I work full time, so being able to trap nest for production of an individual hen will be hard. So far I've only done so to see which hen is laying which egg.

It's way easier for me to evaluate conformation, and get rid of the 'ugly' birds, but that means I might end up with pretty birds that lay like crap. Should I hold off on culling until I can do more trap nesting for production? Or cull away, and work on egg production next?

How hard is it to bring laying up to speed from a general barnyard flock?