English Shepherd as Poultry Guardian

[aart]

Dogs like to chase fed ex truck. A group of four hens / pullets are running with dogs as latter runs toward road.

 

[centrarchid]

This morning Honey provisioned pups with Fox Squirrel. Fierce hid it as soon as he got out of pen. Fierce is going to be a big dog.

Honey is spending much of her time hunting. She does not bark on tree like Ben and Lucey. She is being sneaky like a cat or fox using tree trunks as cover.

Currently Ben and Lucy freeing their own squirrels. Pups run to ever is barking most.

 

[centrarchid]

Red-shouldered Hawks going crazy defining territory. Pair working all areas with trees. Chickens paying them no mind.

Today sunny with temperature to approach 70 F. Will be penning breeding groups of games as I can call them in.

 

[centrarchid]

We be listening for Timberdoodles. Waiting for Robins to shut up. Pups in pen are literally chewing up their doghouse. Two pups running free are stealing water bowls.

Should be seeing Red Bats. Seeing none. Whitenose fungus is a bigger deal than most people know.

 

[centrarchid]

Saw Red Bat, yes!

 

[centrarchid]

Doing a test now with two pups free-ranged at barn after dark. They are staying barn and not messing with roosting chickens. One pup though crowded out broody hen that will not leave empty nest on ground. Maybe that will break her.

Test of 2 hours went well.

 

[fisherlady]

Bothering the broody on the ground could be a bit of doggy mentality "you don't belong here, go back with the rest".....
Mindy is a big believer in 'everything, and everyone, in their place. She checks anyone who doesn't head up on the roosting shelves, thankfully she has figured out that broody hens are different and are OK to be in unusual places, though I can say none of ours have sat in outside locations which were worrisome and Mindy seems to be OK about it once she knows we are aware that a hen is in a strange place. She now knows well what a broody is and how to deal with them. Now she just checks on the setting hens a couple times a day to listen for chicks.
Dillon also displays the same trait, though not quite as neurotic about it as Mindy. These dogs (in my experience) like 'normal'.... when things are out of place or the routine changes they try to return it to what it was before unless told to leave it be.

 

[aart]

Now she just checks on the setting hens a couple times a day to listen for chicks.

Will never forget my dog hearing internally pipped broody eggs/chicks.

 

[centrarchid]

My German Pointer male Scoob was good at detecting broods about to hatch. Lucy acts odd around those too. The hen today does not even have eggs, just broody in place. Will see later if chicks near hatching get attention from pups as the pups mature. I will be hatching a lot of game broods this year so will have ample time to see what goes down.

 

[centrarchid]

My phone is dead making photographs not possible. We are also having very difficult family issues as well. A couple more pups will be going out in a few days which should make things easier. Life is not always easy.


One of the good times.