English Shepherd as Poultry Guardian

[aart]

I thought I lost one of my favorite pet hens. Could not find her on roost she had been using for better part of a year. Could not find her in a tree or other locations hens use based around house. This morning I looked over the entire yard and even went down into the woods expecting to see kill sign like left by a Coyote or Bobcat even though dogs keeping them out very well as far as can be determined. I just about gave and then saw something move around inside the cab of my truck. Door was left open for about and hour during day yesterday. Will have to make certain she is not trying to locate a nest there. She did crap in daughters booster seat.

I 'lost' my dog like that once.

 

[centrarchid]

I 'lost' my dog like that once.

Do not want to do that for any length of time during summer.

 

[aart]

Do not want to do that for any length of time during summer.

No, sure wouldn't...but it was safe.
Just felt frantic, calling all over, and then stupid.
Only lasted about 30 minutes, I finally stopped and thought.

 

[centrarchid]

No, sure wouldn't...but it was safe.
Just felt frantic, calling all over, and then stupid.
Only lasted about 30 minutes, I finally stopped and thought.

When I did night check also looking for hen, the truck cab was looked into with a flash light. She was not evident in high locations. She is white with black tail so should stick out like a sore thumb.

 

[fisherlady]

We have had them go missing and found them in strange places also, thankfully never in one of our vehicles though! Hubby found one locked in the feed shed the other day. Luckily a safe and wind free solid building, but unfortunately no water. She was happy to get out and headed straight for a water dish. Figure she was locked in for about 3 days.
Hopefully she learned her lesson but somehow I doubt it!

 

[centrarchid]

We survived our first obedience class, but we suck. Leaves us in a position to show most improved by end of course. Everyone else had well groomed adult house dogs while he had sticktight covered pups from the barn. Our pups would not eat the treats and my pup barked at the other dogs.

When we got home pups got their second vaccination. Darn chickens came over and started messing with syringes. Pup Pup found a way to get on top of a 4' table where I store feed containers. All the pups are demonstrating climbing abilities.

 

[aart]

Leaves us in a position to show most improved by end of course.

There ya go.
Kinda surprised you are going to a class like that....just for the kids?

 

[centrarchid]

There ya go.
Kinda surprised you are going to a class like that....just for the kids?

I never got formal training with dogs. Had to learn by re-inventing wheel. Only formal training was with horses. And for the kids. Everything is for the kids.

Much of what I have seen with obedience trained dogs not usually applied to hunting and farm dogs. The working dogs had to do a lot on their own what obedience trainers work hard to suppress.

 

[centrarchid]

Somebody stole from the owl bait station. I assumed owl managed to tear chicken carcass from hook. Found out different when carcass was at door of puppy kennel almost 200 yards away. Honey swiped carcass and took it to pups. She had been doing similar with deer carcass parts she puked in to whole she digs in same location. Somehow pups promoting her to do all that. The pups know where the puke holes / caches are located and quickly clean them out when released for the daily run.

 

[centrarchid]

Female pups are forming an increasingly linear hierarchy. To this point all were running around holding tails curled, regardless of battle outcomes. They were also produced a lot more growls which becoming less evident. Now rank readily discernible when looking at head, body and tail posture. Only male pup bucking the trend. Initially he was the smallest pup. He was also less inclined to engage sisters in battle over rank. Now he is the heaviest though still lower to ground. He has largest feet and head. He is not backing down from conflicts when any of the sisters. He now outranks all but the alpha female pup. Fights between those two are becoming much more intense and he is starting to through his weight around. Once he establishes himself I think things will really settle down.

Pups are starting to specialize in the trouble they cause. Black and tan female keeps trying to take me down by wrestling with by leg, no humping, rather trying to trip.

We also encountered a location where fox scent marked near pond. Adult dogs marked on top of it and pups were careful to take in all scents associated with that.

Today when pups were released they went crazy running about. They ran forming a fan causing the free-ranging gamehens a lot of grief. Normally pups running singly did what looks like a bowling ball knock back pens where hens just run of the way. Chicken bowling. Now hens launching and flying a couple hundred feet hard and fast like pheasant, not the slow easy flights like going after feed. First flight had hens launch from near me towards house which is where pups were headed. When pups got to hens, the hens launched again to fly back up to me with at best a 15 second rest between flights. Then I called pups back and came back immediately. Hens flew up on pens to avoid stampeding pups.

I think hens flying in a panic like that are going well over 35 miles per hour. Chickens by the house are not as inclined to fly as they simply bunch as pups run past the bunch.