Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[71stbrew]

Look at garage sales and junk stores for an old pressure canner. I would never water bath meat, I have been canning for over 20 years And have always used old or hand me down canners without trouble.

 

[Pozees]

I have a problem. And I can't believe this but it's with my own son and daughter-in-law. Regarding dogs. They are both convinced that their boxer puppy will do no harm. That it's funny and cute for it to chase chickens. Though they know darn well not to EVER bring a dog over and let it loose here. They did bring the newest pup over though, which didn't make me any too happy. But it never left the leash.
My correcting said puppy for fixating on the chickens made them a bit upset. Not enough that they'd say anything, but you could see it. I've told them time and time again that a dog, any dog, that chases chickens is wanting to kill those birds and that it's not cute or funny. But in spite of whatever I say, since I am not a dog owner and don't really want to have a "baby doggie" they will not listen.
They just think I don't like them and won't entertain the possibility that baby doggie "just being a dog" and "having fun" is anything but harmless. What on earth can I tell them that will get through? Anything? Or do I just have to wait until they get their own and come home to a yard full of dead chickens when they finally do get them?

Feel free to share with them what happened to me the first time I had chickens, more than a decade ago. I had 25 white leghorn pullets at POL in their closed pen killed by a neighbor's dog who never touched one of them but scared them all to death racing around the pen and barking at them. I was only gone a couple of hours to get groceries, and came home to a sea of white death. Paw prints and signs of digging, no breach, all the girls were dead. Broke my heart.

 

[galanie]

I like having dogs, have had them all my life. BUT - they are dogs. Not my babies. DIL calls her dog and cats her babies. That's fine. But I refuse to have a "grand-dog"! My issue with this dog isn't the chickens. It's that she actually calls him up onto my couch to cuddle with her, when my own dog isn't even allowed on the couch. But, I'm trying very hard not to be "that" mother-in-law, so I have allowed it. My problem, I know. Just haven't figured out how to deal with it without offending. (Don't want to do that because I would like to be able to still see my son on occasion) OK, my rant is over, too. 

I don't want to be "that" MIL either but if they did that, they would have to be told the dog is no longer welcome to my house. I'm sorry, but I have limits. Just having them bring the thing was bad enough. Then the "Oh that's ok some day we'll have some and you can chase them" by my SON nearly sent me off the edge. But never in the house like that. And remember, we're talking full sized Boxer here. Not an itty bitty barker.

I think this goes to show what a few pointed out before: The issue isn't the dogs, it's the owners. Something I realized 30 years ago when delivering mail. The owners of bad dogs are worse than their dogs are.

 

[Pozees]

I like having dogs, have had them all my life. BUT - they are dogs. Not my babies. DIL calls her dog and cats her babies. That's fine. But I refuse to have a "grand-dog"! My issue with this dog isn't the chickens. It's that she actually calls him up onto my couch to cuddle with her, when my own dog isn't even allowed on the couch. But, I'm trying very hard not to be "that" mother-in-law, so I have allowed it. My problem, I know. Just haven't figured out how to deal with it without offending. (Don't want to do that because I would like to be able to still see my son on occasion) OK, my rant is over, too.

You might be able to make your point by covering the couch with something slippery (plastic) when they arrive ... whether they ask why or not, it will protect your couch, and it might drive home the fact that they are in YOUR house, where they should abide by YOUR house rules. Would you bring a chicken into their home and allow it to scratch and defecate indoors? Of course not. Regardless of family position, there are basic rules of courtesy.

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

So I'm at my mom's for the week with my dogs and tonight the female starts having little accidents. She lived here for a portion of her life, so it's not a new environment thing. Urine is very strong smelling, no blood noticeable, and she doesn't seem very happy with her potty trained self when she leaks on the floor. I haven't scolded her, as she's had UTIs before and I suspect that is what this is. A vet would test her urine and if that's what it is, prescribe a round of antibiotics. My mom happens to have a bottle of cephalexin 500mg here from her boxer just before she had him put down due to his illness. So I can give her that? Or, take her to a strange vet 3-1/2 hours away from home? Or, what I'm hoping for, is a natural remedy? Anything tried & true? Acv work for this one? My mom has some but not with the mother:/
Thanks!!!!

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

And since the thread is discussing dog etiquette when traveling, you should know that my dogs are expected to be on their utmost best behavior. NEVER on the furniture. NEVER to jump on someone. And they shouldn't be peeing on my moms carpet:/ luckily, she knows my girl well and was the first to suggest uti after I thought her first accident was nerves. Help!

 

[galanie]

And since the thread is discussing dog etiquette when traveling, you should know that my dogs are expected to be on their utmost best behavior. NEVER on the furniture. NEVER to jump on someone. And they shouldn't be peeing on my moms carpet:/ luckily, she knows my girl well and was the first to suggest uti after I thought her first accident was nerves. Help!

Your dog pisses in my house and my first suggestion is to put her butt outside. Guess I'm no help. lol.

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

Lol galanie! If we were home, that's where she would be. My mom says to crate her, and for the peace of mind of my moms very close neighbors who may have to listen to her bark at every strange noise she hears all night, I'm going to follow her suggestion.
Come on Bee, you've gotta have some human treatment we can try here? I just mixed up some Greek yogurt w Cranberry extract pills, acv and cinnamon. Smelled gross. She ate it without hesitation. Oh, and some brewers yeast w garlic... Found it in my moms dog cabinet.

 

[delisha]

Only thing i know about uti's in dogs is taking them out frequently, make sure they drink tons of water, bath them frequently (the vulva area after urination), keep stress down, Cranberry and Cantharis. Keeping her in a crate will make everyone feel better. Seems you have done all you can do.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Canning: I mentioned at work this summer that I was interested in learning to can my excess tomatoes and within a week had TWO free pressure cookers, a hot water bath, and boxes of jars delivered from 3 different people. I didn't need to buy a thing. They even have me their canning books. Ask around! You may be able to find one cheap or even free. I agree x10 about the risk of botulism being increased by the hot water bath. Yes, pressure canners can produce botulism too especially if jars are not properly sanitized to begin with or not properly sealed. Read up on it

Y'all might read up on dehydrating the meat too. Anaerobic organisms not an issue there.