California - Northern

[BCollie]

Herding looks a lot like stalking. Ha!

Pretty much. Herding is just modified prey drive. That's why, in instinct tests on livestock, dogs are started on a long line. Just because it's a herding dog doesn't mean the herding drive will be there. In some dogs, usually badly bred ones, the herding drive is more prey drive. The long line ensures you can quickly pull the dog off the livestock if it tries to kill them.

I used to take Nelly to the dog park and everyone there called her "the stalker dog" because she was always "stalking"(herding) the other dogs. We don't go to dog parks any more, though, because I got tired of idiot dog owners. A dog was being EXTREMELY rude to my Nelly, barking at her, jumping on her, getting in her face, and completely ignoring the warning signals she was giving it. So when she finally got fed up & nipped the other dog it freaked out, and the owners said they were going to call the cops on me if I didn't pay for their dog to go to the vet, because my dog "attacked theirs for no reason". Their dog wasn't even hurt - not a single scratch! I told them to go ahead and call the cops...they just got up and left. Unfortunately, dog parks seem to be filled with idiots.

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She is certainly trying very hard! Although I'm not so sure what she's trying to accomplish. A BC's herding instincts tell it to keep the sheep with the handler...here she's putting pressure on the "sheep" in the wrong direction!

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I trust Nelly with my chickens, but only because she has proved herself to be a great working dog. There has only been one time she's gripped a sheep, and that was when she was a green dog and I was a green handler working her for the very first time. She was frustrated that I wasn't giving clear instructions on what I wanted her to do, so she took it out on a sheep!
And, when the chickens were only a few days old, one of them jumped off of the platform I was photographing it on...and landed right in Nelly's mouth!(her mouth was open because she was panting from "working" the chicks. You know, making sure they stayed on that platform!) All she did was spit it out, back up, and look at it like "What the heck?"

 

[BCollie]

Quote:
Yep. My poor Silver Laced Polish's back was pecked completely bare by the other chicks, so I started spraying Blue Kote on him every single day.His feathers had been growing back, but unfortunately I missed a day, and they picked his back bare again
Which reminds me. Would getting a Bantam-sized saddle for his back be a good alternative to having to spray Blue Kote every day?

 

[debs_flock]

Quote:
Yep. My poor Silver Laced Polish's back was pecked completely bare by the other chicks, so I started spraying Blue Kote on him every single day.His feathers had been growing back, but unfortunately I missed a day, and they picked his back bare again
Which reminds me. Would getting a Bantam-sized saddle for his back be a good alternative to having to spray Blue Kote every day?
A saddle would probably work.

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: You're right, very nice people. They have come and gone with a golden campine, a WCB polish and a white legbar in tow. I believe only the legbar isn't yet laying. They also have two extra campine eggs to go under their broody. I didn't think to tell them any eggs the campine or the polish lay over the next two weeks would be hatchable as well. The GC would be pure, the polish has probably been bred by a lakenvelder. You might want to let them know.

And they are seriously thinking of coturnix quail. We discussed your bobwhites, LOL

 

[jeremy]

I've decided to sell my incubators, anyone interested? http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/grd/3924779321.html

 

[PetRock]

You're right, very nice people. They have come and gone with a golden campine, a WCB polish and a white legbar in tow. I believe only the legbar isn't yet laying. They also have two extra campine eggs to go under their broody. I didn't think to tell them any eggs the campine or the polish lay over the next two weeks would be hatchable as well. The GC would be pure, the polish has probably been bred by a lakenvelder. You might want to let them know.

And they are seriously thinking of coturnix quail. We discussed your bobwhites, LOL

LOL!!! I'll let them know about the eggs! I sure wish that they wanted my bobwhites!

 

[lawatt]

hmm, any ideas what might be bothering a year-old SPPR hen who's acting very subdued? she does eat and drink, although perhaps a bit less than usual, and her face/comb is still nice and bright, as are her eyes when they're open -- but she's doing a LOT of standing around with her eyes closed. i've had the flock on corid for three days now, and she DID lay an egg this afternoon, so she's not egg-bound... no other symptoms that i can see, other than disinterest in the world.

any ideas?

 

[ronott1]

hmm, any ideas what might be bothering a year-old SPPR hen who's acting very subdued? she does eat and drink, although perhaps a bit less than usual, and her face/comb is still nice and bright, as are her eyes when they're open -- but she's doing a LOT of standing around with her eyes closed. i've had the flock on corid for three days now, and she DID lay an egg this afternoon, so she's not egg-bound... no other symptoms that i can see, other than disinterest in the world.

any ideas?

Mites do that along with round worms.

Did you give them electrolytes?

Mites are hard to see and if you do it is a big problem. If she starts ripping feathers out then treat the chickens and the coops.

I was sent an email warning about this being mite time.

Bye,

Ron

 

[Ali707]

The small animal exchange usually held in Orangevale on the second Saturday of each month will instead be held at Douglas Feed and Pet on July 20th...this is a one-time only thing; here's the details:

Small Animal Exchange @Douglas Feed and Pet Supply
Buy, Sell, Trade or Re-home healthy backyard pets in clean, safe cages. Everyone is welcome. FREE!

When: Saturday July 20th 2013
Where: 5460 Douglas Blvd, Granite Bay 95746
Time: 10:00am to 1:00pm

Info: call Sharon Taylor at (916) 563-4449
Info: call Douglas Feed & Pet at (916)791-3202
*Owners must remain with their animals at all times.*

That is almost around the corner from me. I may have to go down there and take a gander..... or a look I should say, I am not looking for a goose.

My friend who has a 10 acre farm in Brentwood processes chickens at least twice a year. We participated last fall and helped process 42 chickens and a turkey. She has scheduled a processing day at the end of August and another one at the end of September. Is anyone interested in participating in a workshop and learning how to process chickens? She talked to me about charging $25 and you would go home with one cleaned & freezer bagged chicken. We also talked about letting the participants bring up to 2 of their own chickens to process. The workshop fee would then be less. )I'm guessing around $15) You would go home with your own bagged chickens and not one of the farm raised ones. This is a hands on workshop where you would learn every step of the process. (But if you don't want to do the killing, Jenny's husband will do it.) They do have a plucker machine which is so nice! Space will be limited so send me a PM if you want to be on the list.

Hmmm I will PM you. I don't wanna do it. I would like to go and see if I can even watch..... Such a wimp I am .

Texas a and m are very hard to sex. Pharoah are the easiest and can be reliably sexed at 5 or so weeks. Before that mario says boys slip through ( interesting fact per dh non dominant boys get boy coloring very very late)
T a m 's can only be sexed once they start to foam or when they get " fat bellies" but it takes at least 6 months of squeezing quail to tell that.

So if you shake them up do they foam faster?

Mario just told me buffy passed last night. I guess I'll know more when I get the necro. I'm sad I was not there when she passed.

Rip sweet girl.

Yep. My poor Silver Laced Polish's back was pecked completely bare by the other chicks, so I started spraying Blue Kote on him every single day.His feathers had been growing back, but unfortunately I missed a day, and they picked his back bare again
Which reminds me. Would getting a Bantam-sized saddle for his back be a good alternative to having to spray Blue Kote every day?

Your chickens are almost the exact same age as mine. 10 weeks last weekend. I need a bonnet for my Polish They are pecking out her crest feathers........A polish with a bald patch isn't very pretty.

 

[lawatt]

Mites do that along with round worms.

Did you give them electrolytes?

Mites are hard to see and if you do it is a big problem. If she starts ripping feathers out the treat the chickens and the coops.

I was sent an email warning about this being mite time.

Bye,

Ron

thanks -- she's the only one behaving this way, out of 12 birds in that pen -- i guess i would think mites would affect everyone? they had a dust bath of wood ashes all winter/spring from my stove, but it's been so hot, it hasn't been replenished lately... maybe i'll clean the stove out & give them the ashes.

and i'm never sure what i can put in their water along with the corid -- usually they get ACV, but i left it out while the meds are in there. haven't been giving electrolytes.