Consolidated Kansas

[Ivywoods]

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Our german wirehaired dachshund is a tracking machine. He can follow any trail and is very aggressive about it. He is also just as aggressive about getting the chickens. I think some of this is just bred into them. We tried using a shock collar on him to keep him from going after the chickens. As long as we were watching and he had that shock collar on he would watch those birds and just tremble because he wanted to go after them so bad. One time my hubby actually ran over him with the skidsteer. Luckily it just caught part of his foot on soft ground so he was not hurt bad, but the reason he got run over was because he was so focused on those chickens he didn't even notice the skidstter backing up towards him! You are right. Their brains just shut down and they have tunnel vision. I've heard of so many dogs getting hit because they are focused on chasing something and just run right out in front of a vehicle.

 

[chicken danz]

My dogs love chasing things but not the chickens or other poultry. The dogs and chickens take naps together. The puppies liked to chase the chickens a little but I think it was experimentation. I've heard from several of the new owners who said they are glad they were raised with chickens because they are already taking their chicken protecting job serious at just 4 months old.
I do worry about my dumb dogs getting hit by someone driving down our road sometime. If they see a deer or a coyote or something, they are hell bent on getting it and don't watch for traffic. We have some young guys living out in our area that drive like maniacs even on these gravel roads. I don't know how they keep from flipping their vehicles. I'm not saying I wish it on them but maybe my mind wanders that way once in a while when they barrel past here at 80mph.
Hawkeye, about the tractor incident. I never could figure out why the heck they put those tiny little front tires up front on tractors and so close together. Just common sense would tell you it makes a vehicle less stable!
So do any of you long term farmers know why they do that? I can run a Bobcat or a forklift all day long and never worry, but give me a tractor and it now scares the poo out of me. No wonder so many farmers get killed in roll over accidents! I have ROPs but don't have a cab on my tractor. I can't see how it could keep from crushing me any way.

 

[Ivywoods]

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I'm not absolutely positive, but I think they made the narrow front tractors so you could steer it between the rows of corn. Go ahead. Throw rocks at me if I'm wrong.

That is what I have been told. Anyway, my hubby and I refuse to own a narrow front tractor. Our ground is hilly enough we need all the stability we can get.

The GP that is playing to rough with the chickens has been around chickens pretty much all of her life. I don't know why she has started this "playing" with them. Then she guards the carcass! How much sense does that make? It's a shame because she is a really good livestock guardian, other than this.

 

[Katy]

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I'm not absolutely positive, but I think they made the narrow front tractors so you could steer it between the rows of corn. Go ahead. Throw rocks at me if I'm wrong.

That is what I have been told. Anyway, my hubby and I refuse to own a narrow front tractor. Our ground is hilly enough we need all the stability we can get.

The GP that is playing to rough with the chickens has been around chickens pretty much all of her life. I don't know why she has started this "playing" with them. Then she guards the carcass! How much sense does that make? It's a shame because she is a really good livestock guardian, other than this.

Yes, that's why some tractors had/have narrow front ends. The wheels were all spaced so you could cultivate without running down any corn or milo.

 

[Hawkeye95]

I have a really old Allis D-17, it's the coolest thing ever- my grandpa bought it brand new and it's been in my family since. It has narrow tires in the front, but I wouldn't think of getting rid of it.

Danz, you were darned lucky to survive that roll over! Seriously!!!!

Ivy, my DH and I were watching Cesar Milan last night (the dog whisperer) and he was working with a golden retriever and his chicken killing instincts. It took them months to condition him not to kill and even at that, the owners said that they still have to watch him and have full control over him. It was a neat show, but even Cesar had a hard time with this dog! It was like my shih tzu! The dog's brain just 'turned off' and away he went! Sigh.

Have to run! Preschool morning! Gosh, this is going to get old really fast. WIsh they were old enough to take the bus to school.

All of my kids went to this preschool, so it's not a new thing, but about the middle of the year I get to really grousing about the drive and the hassle. But I'm also committed up to my eyeballs on this thing- I'm on all of their committees, and volunteer for everything. I must have lost my brain back when I was pregnant.

 

[chicken danz]

Had DH not been there I am sure I would have gotten hurt. He was telling me what to do. Yep Hawkeye, I think you lost your mind. I used to say yes to everything cause I couldn't form the word no. But after 5 kids and a lot of high stress I finally learned how to do it to some extent.
I still have a problem of committing to things I can't possibly handle. Then I end up feeling like a total failure. I guess that is one nice thing about declining health. It has conveniently helped me get out of a few things I said I would do without having to tell a lie !!
Not a good trade off really. I should have just learned to keep my mouth shut unless I was saying no.

 

[Ivywoods]

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Oh, yes... absolutely you should hold on to that tractor. Sometimes family things are worth more than money. A little off the chicken subject, but I recently found a picture of my grandpa and me. It was an ACCIDENTAL double exposure when the film in the camera didn't advance properly. I remember when I got this picture I was disappointed because it didn't show the pond where we were fishing in the background that I wanted. Now the "accident" was a blessing and the picture is precious. Grandpa was a great guy! I think I was about 30 years old in the picture, so its been a few years ago!

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I'm pretty good with dogs, but I wouldn't even have the kind of time it would take to do some of the stuff Cesar Milan does. Rehoming is about my only option.

 

[justinwrites]

what a great picture

 

[chicken danz]

I so wish I had some pictures of my grandpa. He used to take me fishing when I was just little. He died when I was 7 or 8 but he was such a great grandpa. I remember him as a hero of sorts to me. My other grandpa died when I was in my 20's. He was an just a hard working farmer type. He used to kid me a lot. I have no pictures of him either. Sad!
When I think of my own kids' children I realize they will never know their true grandpa. My late husband passed away before any of the grand kids were born.

 

[ChooksChick]

Bless your hearts, guys, I just saw these posts and I'm in tears- I lost my grandpa on Sunday. He was my advocate in a really bad home life, and he finally succumbed to cancer.

We really lost him over the last ten years, as Alzheimer's took the brilliant physicist's mind and left us with a shell. He is whole now, and I'm grateful for that, but I thought the long goodbye would make this part easier. Notsomuch.

My in-laws will be here at 2, and they don't know, and I don't want to tell them. I've been cleaning my tiny hideous filthy house all week while trying to finish fencing and fighting a cold. I won't get to stop and just grieve until Wednesday. Hubby's b-day is Friday. I leave for Phoenix to move my Grandma back home on Tuesday the week after that, and certainly have to hold it together for that.

*Sigh*

Enough of my whining. Are we all looking forward to the cooler temps? I'm really looking forward to it for my birds!