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

[DBrewer]

I am jumping in to this thread way down the road. But I am making a point of reading every post.

I am a relocated city boy, living on the outskirts of town. I bought a couple acres and a house...and then I watched the world start falling apart. Greece, Spain, Portugal...maybe the U.S. one day. So, I decided to learn to provide for my family. I began gardening a couple years ago...and i have a lifetime worth of things to learn. And a few weeks ago I bought three chicks to begin learning about raising poultry.

I have to admit, I am somewhere in the middle right now between the pet owner and the utilitarian. I see the chickens as a means of providing eggs for my family and fertilizer for my garden, but I do not think I am at the place yet (mentally) where I could kill and eat them. I imagine I will get there some day. Especially since my wife hails from West Virginia, and cuttin' up animals and throwing them in a pot or on a grill comes pretty naturally to her.

I do want to thank those who are taking the time to post here, and who are willing to say it plainly. Reading about how to do things correctly, and in plain language, is very helpful. Hopefully 20 some odd years from now I'll be posting sage advice here to some newbie looking for answers.

I posted this because I went to TSC and got my chicks. But I waited 2 weeks for them to be there, and went there specifically for chickens, knowing I wanted layers and not show birds. And...I built my coop before I bought the birds. Though I did follow a plan off the internet, which is entirely enclosed one piece coop and run. So I can't walk in it, but I can open doors to access the coop part. And if need be I can move the whole thing.

 

[furbabymum]

Why do you say that? Curious because I don't have dogs but someday I would like a guard dog. Total dog newb.


Question: How often do your birds have poop stuck to their fluffy butts? I have had a couple with literal clumps and some with just some on feathers. A couple of mine do have really fluffy butts, but it seems weird. They can still poop but I figure the nice thing to do is to help them. I have just clipped off the clumps but I was doing that to one and noticed she also had some JUST under her vent very close to the skin as well (looks like I will have to get a warm washcloth). It's not visible when she is just standing there, but when I was clipping off the clump I noticed. Anyway, what's up with this, is it normal, should I intervene when they get poop on feathers, etc.?

I wouldn't suggest the breed for uneducated dog owners because they are bred to make decisions and keep things safe. Our pyr is basically treated like all of our other dogs. He serves his function within the family and is treated like a house pet. A very domineering house pet. They want to gaurd, it's what they are bred for. I was stumbling over the pyr in the middle of the night on my way to my sons room when I realized that he was laying in the direct center of the house. From his vantage point he can see all entrances to the house and all the bedroom doors. So effective is he at his job I didn't even realize he was doing it. Anyway, really great calm dogs who obviously are good with kids and animals.

The only downside is the "aggression" if you will. He is in charge of the other dogs and he tries to be in charge of the house. That is where we butt heads as I'M in charge of the house. So he needs a leader who is strong enough to keep him in his place. If you are ok being subservient to a dog then he'll certainly take good care of you but that's just not me. He doesn't get to decide who eats what and when. I decide that. I am bothered by his obvious attempts to gaurd my son from the other dogs as well. My son is above him in the pack and not below him. So that's it. The part of them that makes them wonderful at their jobs makes them a struggle in the house.

 

[furbabymum]

LOVE the Picture. I have posted Sam in other posts but here is my guardian.






- Any feelings on the girls eating dog food (dry kibble) I have changed Sams food times to night after the girls are
in bed. I figure the protein content would be too high for them ?

SamSam

Your dog is adorable!!
As for the kibble I'd say it really depends on what type you're feeding. Some dog foods out there are nothing more than corn. lol

 

[Ivywoods]

I wouldn't suggest the breed for uneducated dog owners because they are bred to make decisions and keep things safe. Our pyr is basically treated like all of our other dogs. He serves his function within the family and is treated like a house pet. A very domineering house pet. They want to gaurd, it's what they are bred for. I was stumbling over the pyr in the middle of the night on my way to my sons room when I realized that he was laying in the direct center of the house. From his vantage point he can see all entrances to the house and all the bedroom doors. So effective is he at his job I didn't even realize he was doing it. Anyway, really great calm dogs who obviously are good with kids and animals.

The only downside is the "aggression" if you will. He is in charge of the other dogs and he tries to be in charge of the house. That is where we butt heads as I'M in charge of the house. So he needs a leader who is strong enough to keep him in his place. If you are ok being subservient to a dog then he'll certainly take good care of you but that's just not me. He doesn't get to decide who eats what and when. I decide that. I am bothered by his obvious attempts to gaurd my son from the other dogs as well. My son is above him in the pack and not below him. So that's it. The part of them that makes them wonderful at their jobs makes them a struggle in the house.

In a totally different scenario, we have 3 great pyreneees. They are not house dogs. They guard our livestock and my poultry. They do what they do naturally, but they are not at all dominant over us or in the house. They are very submissive to us. They are, however, very strong willed. If they smell a coyote, you better not get in their way. Nothing will stop them from going after a predator.

If you want them for guarding chickens and livestock, they are the best, but it does take the right circumstances. They cover a lot of ground and one of their means of protecting the area is by barking to deter predators. If you have neighbors closeby, it's probably not a good choice for you.

 

[plantcityhomestead]

In a totally different scenario, we have 3 great pyreneees. They are not house dogs. They guard our livestock and my poultry. They do what they do naturally, but they are not at all dominant over us or in the house. They are very submissive to us. They are, however, very strong willed. If they smell a coyote, you better not get in their way. Nothing will stop them from going after a predator.

If you want them for guarding chickens and livestock, they are the best, but it does take the right circumstances. They cover a lot of ground and one of their means of protecting the area is by barking to deter predators. If you have neighbors closeby, it's probably not a good choice for you.

It depends on the neighbors. My neighbors have 3 GP's. They guard my livestock, as well as their own. I love having them checking the entire neighborhood for predators at night, as my own dogs sleep inside at night.

 

[furbabymum]

In a totally different scenario, we have 3 great pyreneees. They are not house dogs. They guard our livestock and my poultry. They do what they do naturally, but they are not at all dominant over us or in the house. They are very submissive to us. They are, however, very strong willed. If they smell a coyote, you better not get in their way. Nothing will stop them from going after a predator.

If you want them for guarding chickens and livestock, they are the best, but it does take the right circumstances. They cover a lot of ground and one of their means of protecting the area is by barking to deter predators. If you have neighbors closeby, it's probably not a good choice for you.

They are strong willed and stubborn. My St Bernard you can tell to sit in the corner for 3 hours and he'll be like, Whatever you want I love you SOOOOOOOOO much. The pyr is like....what is the reason you want me sitting over here where I cannot see the doors. I think you are stupid human. lol

 

[IamSamSam]

I would recommend any dog 'newbie' taking the new puppy to puppy school followed by obedience training. OR do a lot of reading on training dogs and their general nature.

I have raised German Sheppard's, Australian Cattle Dogs, German Rottweilers, and Alaskan Malamutes. Treating your pup right from the beginning is essential to it knowing its

place in the pack you, your family and flock/livestock have provided.

Take my Sam, He wont eat (not due to training) untill I walk away from his food, Because I am Alpha (Dominante) pack leader.

If you want you can pm me, and I'd be happy to answer questions for you directly.

Samsam

 

[IamSamSam]

Your dog is adorable!!
As for the kibble I'd say it really depends on what type you're feeding. Some dog foods out there are nothing more than corn. lol

Thanks ! Its Pedigree beef n veggies (do you have that over in the States?)

 

[Oregon Blues]

Pedigree in the States is really cheap dog food and poor quality. Pedigree canned in Great Britain is good quality food. I don't know what pedigree in Australia would be.

 

[mommissan]

I would recommend any dog 'newbie' taking the new puppy to puppy school followed by obedience training. OR do a lot of reading on training dogs and their general nature.

I have raised German Sheppard's, Australian Cattle Dogs, German Rottweilers, and Alaskan Malamutes. Treating your pup right from the beginning is essential to it knowing its

place in the pack you, your family and flock/livestock have provided.

Take my Sam, He wont eat (not due to training) untill I walk away from his food, Because I am Alpha (Dominante) pack leader.

If you want you can pm me, and I'd be happy to answer questions for you directly.

Samsam

I can't agree more!

Obedience training is not for the dog, but for the owner. A good owner will lead, and a dog will follow. I can't get over how people blame the dog trainers for poor training when the owners don't follow through with the lessons at home. I have a German Shorthaired Pointer. That's a bird hunting dog. Most people told me I couldn't have both, but I couldn't imagine them without each other.

During the day, she lays in the middle of the yard and keeps her eye the sky and the ground for any predators. It wasn't an easy. It's been two years of diligent training and discipline, but it's possible.