Consolidated Kansas

[ChickiKat]

Popo is our second Crested Polish. Our experience has been that they are a very spastic breed. It is blamed on their inability to see very well due to the crest. When DH was building the new coop, every time he would hammer a nail, Popo would run in circles. Hammering stopped, running stopped.... It was really funny.......

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
are they laying eggs yet? Would you say they are Medium or small? Sounds really cute! Ours were a bit quirky at times, but overall, super gentle and sweet.

 

[Ivywoods]

I had some golden laced polish when I was growing up. Mine were pretty sweet. I haven't had any since then, but my daughter had houdans. They were very docile and sweet. They were easy for her to catch (probably because they couldn't see her most of the time.)

I guess you can tell from my avatar that I love our great pyrenees. They do a wonderful job of protecting the livestock and the place. A word of caution, however, for anyone not familiar with the breed. The do bark at night. It is part of their protective routine. If that bothers you, or if it bothers a neighbor, it might not be the breed for you.

Also, they roam a long ways. They will chase a predator a long ways, and they patrol a very large area. If you only have a small acreage with a lot of neighbors closeby, they may not be appreciated by the neighbors.

Personally, I love ours. I've seen ours go after 5 coyotes. My sister has two and her GP's killed TWO ROTWEILLERS that had jumped her fence and were going after her boer goats. They are pretty awesome dogs. Very friendly and love attention, but very wary of strangers. One of our males is getting pretty old. He lays around, and gets up and moves like he has so much arthritis it's a chore just to get up.... until he smells a predator, then he is off like a rocket!

We had one litter, too, then we neutered our male and female. We kept one pup out of the litter. Runt. He was tiny compared to the rest. He is now the same size as the others, and does his job just like his Mama and Papa.

I sure wouldn't hesitate to get that little female pup of chicken danz if I was wanting one. Just because she is smaller doesn't mean she can't be every bit as good of a guard dog as the others.

 

[ChickiKat]

Quote:
are they laying eggs yet? Would you say they are Medium or small? Sounds really cute! Ours were a bit quirky at times, but overall, super gentle and sweet.

Not laying yet, part age and part heat.... my sons dog is a pyrenese mix, such a big sweety.

 

[ChickiKat]

Oh, our polish crested are tall thin ladies with really long necks...

 

[chicken danz]

My dogs love people. Especially my male. My female isn't quite as trusting. They come running and bark at people when they drive in. A lot of people won't get out of the car until I tell them they won't bite. They are pretty intimidating but love love love attention. They always check out bigger vehicles especially, because all the delivery people give them dog biscuits. They think people come to give them treats.
My male gets bored and roams some, but my female stays here. But my male is still immature. They don't reach full maturity before they are about 2.5 years old. Right now it's too hot and he doesn't go anywhere.
She particularly will take after a pack of coyotes on her own and chase them out of site. There isn't a raccoon,coyote, or possum that can get in here. Had a skunk come in close a couple nights ago and she got sprayed. She knows better, but this one got up by the brooder and she was taking her job serious. She normally can just intimidate them to stay away.
What amazes me is they know the difference between domestic animals and wild ones. I let my ducks free range, but when geese moved into the field to eat a while back, they were right on it. But, when I do take a wild type bird in and pen it she accepts it as part of the group. She acts like cattle, horses, and goats are there to protect but let a deer get near and she is hot footing them out.
I can have a chicken start squawking loudly, like when it is time to go get butchered, and she will come running ready to take out whatever is making her birds upset.
I've raised many breeds of dogs in the past but never been impressed more by any. These aren't city dogs (although I do know a couple people that have them and keep them inside.) They prefer to be outside and prefer to be working.

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
I'm torn. Out at the farm (N of Lawrence on a family's heritage farm where I've moved my facility) they've just lost their cattle dog, and now there's just a Border Terrier who isn't all that interested or capable in preventing predation. I could put a gp out there, but it would be an outside dog and not a big family dog...and I know many do have outside dogs, but mine have never been that way. I know any dog I get would instantly be adopted by the family (and their 2 daughters would insist on it!) but then it wouldn't be of benefit at night for predation.

I certainly want one for a pet, but I live in town on a 1/3 acre fenced lot...so a gp wouldn't appreciate that. *sigh*

Need my own farm, dangit!! Sooooo tired of not having a smallholding of my own.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
WOW! That is really impressive! Makes me think twice... almost.

I had coyotes attack my mare a while back and I'm sure we'll have many animals snooping around here once the chickens come. I also wouldn't mind my neighbors dog being eliminated either when he comes over here... (evil giggle) Those dogs sound pretty darned awesome. They have to be really very smart to be so discriminating!

 

[Katy]

It is too stinkin hot to be laying irrigation pipe!!! We did most of it last night but had trouble so we didn't quite get done before it got too dark. Should have done it first thing this morning, but he had a conflict.....he had baling to do before it got too hot and dry.

 

[Hawkeye95]

oh no, Katy! Stay hydrated! I'm not sure if it's the greatest idea to be out in the direct sun/heat in midday right now. I've been seeing on the news all the people dropping dead on the ball fields from practicing when it's too hot.