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

[Beekissed]

She's a golden comet, so def. a high production breed. But this girl's been laying less than 6 weeks. Wonder if she will balance out or if she'll always lay all wonky? No plans to breed her though.

That remains to be seen. Those production reds don't have longevity of lay, though they sure do lay well for awhile. Could be she will even out and you'll get a couple of years of good laying from her, could be she will always misfire on ovulation and will continue to have uneven results.

 

[Back2MyRoots]

That remains to be seen. Those production reds don't have longevity of lay, though they sure do lay well for awhile. Could be she will even out and you'll get a couple of years of good laying from her, could be she will always misfire on ovulation and will continue to have uneven results.

I've blown the giant egg she laid. It's gonna make one heck of a Christmas oranament! I suppose if it's not going to hurt her, I won't mind a few giant eggs for crafts.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

"If you are acquiring an Anatolian Shepherd for the purpose of flock guarding, the dog should not be treated as a family pet and should live its entire life outdoors with its flock." How true is that statement?

I'd have to agree, though I have no experience with Anatolians, when next I get a LGD, it will be one.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

"If you are acquiring an Anatolian Shepherd for the purpose of flock guarding, the dog should not be treated as a family pet and should live its entire life outdoors with its flock." How true is that statement?

Quote:
You want a LGD that is gentle to its owner. These are not pets. They are livestock guardian dogs. They also need lots of room. Some can be happy with an acre or 2. Others are not happy with 10 acres.

Before buying an LGD, do a lot of research.

You can start your research at http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=71

 

[9gerianMile]

"If you are acquiring an Anatolian Shepherd for the purpose of flock guarding, the dog should not be treated as a family pet and should live its entire life outdoors with its flock." How true is that statement?

VERY true. As with any guardian dog, if you want them to do their job. They need to bond with their wards and not with you or your family. Obviously you still need to provide shelter, food, water, vetting, etc. to the guardian dog, but that dog is not a pet and shouldn't be treated as such. Anatolians are incredible dogs, and I love mine, but he was treated like a pet by other people as a young puppy while I was at work, and we're still working on those issues that resulted from that.

 

[therapydoglady]

That is exactly what the breeder told us. He has Boer goats on vast pastures. He said they come running when he pulls up every evening to check the herd, but only because he has their evening rations. He can handle them, but they prefer not to be touched. They are outdoors in all weathers, taking shelter only when the goats do. There are several loafing sheds around for shade and shelter for the herd, and dogs. What I have read about them only reinforced my leanings toward them, and not the Great Pyrenees. My mother in law's G.P. was pretty much the same way with everyone except her. She always gave visitors a wide berth, keeping a wary eye on them. Even my kids never could touch her. But, she was the only one of all the neighbors that did not lose goats. When the children's chickens were killed, the dog could not get to the area where the attack occurred. By the time she dug under the gate and assaulted the culprits, it was too late for the chickens, and she was cut up pretty badly, requiring vet care. she was an outstanding dog that went with the goat herd when they were sold. My mother in law put her with baby goats when she was about 12 weeks old, and she never left them. I am hoping when we get our Anatolian in 3 weeks that she will imprint on the poultry, because I feel they are more vulnerable than the goats. I could be wrong. But the man said, that she would probably imprint on one or the other, and if we wanted a guard dog for the goats, we should get 2 puppies, and keep them separated. Can't make up my mind, though, whether this is a fact, or whether he he just wanted to sell us another pup! Ha!

 

[armorfirelady]

Not chicken related but I thought Bee would be interested in this:

My dog Bear had large hot spots over the weekend & when I went online for natural remedies I saw acv/water mix you spray on the spots several times a day. As it was a holiday weekend I got a few treatments in before the vet today. I also aave him benadryl for itching and 4 hours later after the first treatment the redness had gone down a lot.

When I took Bear to the vet today & mentioned it to her I thought she would think I was nuts but she wholeheartedly agreed with me that its good for hot spots. It dries them up & soothes them & if they lick the spot it wont hurt them. When I asked about putting it in the water for the dogs & cats she again agreed saying the benefits of ACV are great for animals. And people to but I cant see me doing a shot of it lol

I told her I use it in my chickens water to for the same reason. And then she started asking me about chickens........I mentioned this forum. Even though we are "town-slickers" I still like it when more & more people tell me they are interested in getting chickens. As long as they treat them as chickens lol

Now if the rain would stop I could get back to enclosing the coop...........

 

[neopolitancrazy]

You want a LGD that is gentle to its owner. These are not pets. They are livestock guardian dogs. They also need lots of room. Some can be happy with an acre or 2. Others are not happy with 10 acres.

Before buying an LGD, do a lot of research.

You can start your research at http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=71

Another good site is http://www.lgd.org/ . If you are seriously considering training 2 puppies simultaneously, please read the stories of the Daemon sisters first. You may be able to find an LGD who needs a new home from a rescue operation, including petfinder.com.

 

[Beekissed]

Not chicken related but I thought Bee would be interested in this:

My dog Bear had large hot spots over the weekend & when I went online for natural remedies I saw acv/water mix you spray on the spots several times a day. As it was a holiday weekend I got a few treatments in before the vet today. I also aave him benadryl for itching and 4 hours later after the first treatment the redness had gone down a lot.

When I took Bear to the vet today & mentioned it to her I thought she would think I was nuts but she wholeheartedly agreed with me that its good for hot spots. It dries them up & soothes them & if they lick the spot it wont hurt them. When I asked about putting it in the water for the dogs & cats she again agreed saying the benefits of ACV are great for animals. And people to but I cant see me doing a shot of it lol

I told her I use it in my chickens water to for the same reason. And then she started asking me about chickens........I mentioned this forum. Even though we are "town-slickers" I still like it when more & more people tell me they are interested in getting chickens. As long as they treat them as chickens lol

Now if the rain would stop I could get back to enclosing the coop...........

That's interesting. Most vets probably wouldn't advocate for a homeopathic solution, would they? I've never had a dog of mine with hot spots but they say that NuStock is exceptionally good for that...now I have another trick in the pocket with the ACV spritz. I'll have to keep that in mind!

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
With all due respect, a novice should NEVER acquire a rescue dog for a livestock guardian dog. Rescue dogs have issues. We know, I have retrained several. It is better to acquire a trained poultry livestock guardian than a pup or rescue. A rescue dog may have been abused or neglected. Plus the rescue organization will want to inspect your property. There are contracts to sign etc. You will be happier to acquire a trained LGD from a working farm. Just buying a LGD from a breeder is not enough. Make certain the dog has been a livestock guardian. We acquired a registered spayed Great Pyrenees from a local home. Took us a year to retrain her. She had been on a cable for most of her 3 year life. She did not even know what a goat or chicken was. She is now on a working farm in Oklahoma enjoying her new farm life.