English Shepherd as Poultry Guardian

[centrarchid]

Life will be getting interesting soon. Neighbor to north let hens out free ranging today with several visiting cover patches I have set up for my birds during the summer. I am not sure how to handle this as will complicate my efforts with Ben.

 

[aart]

Life will be getting interesting soon. Neighbor to north let hens out free ranging today with several visiting cover patches I have set up for my birds during the summer. I am not sure how to handle this as will complicate my efforts with Ben.

Oh Geez!!
Not as bad as free ranging dogs - only because your dogs can take care of that.
I'd be ticked off!

 

[centrarchid]

All is not perfect. Those chickens come from same neighbor that has owl and raccoon visiting and it was after latter my dogs trespass over. The dogs free-range also so we have an area of overlap. With most neighbors this would be easy to deal with but this will be a challenge. When my birds are released next spring their will be conflicts that start on my ground but will likely go to theirs as a game rooster runs their ornamental / production rooster off.

 

[centrarchid]

We have had an exceptional amount of rain recently. Saturation of ground is forcing voles up in mass. Dogs are finding nests constructed above ground on which they concentrate their efforts to catch the voles. They are eating what they catch and catch rates are high enough the dogs lose interest in consuming feed. Dogs also developing a stink that is particularly evident on Ben. Stink seems to be associated with efforts to catch voles.

We also chased a GHO shortly after dark with dogs running it hard.

 

[scottcaddy]

Good luck with Ben's odor, Good to see Ben goes after the GHO's now.
Scott

 

[centrarchid]

Ben invests a lot of effort on the owls now. At night Ben patrols yard area while Lucy comes in to lay near children. Numerous times during night when Ben's barking changes Lucy runs out to re-inforce and may be out for 15 minutes or more each time. By about 0300 Lucy stays out and they go on a joint patrol of property which is when they get into the voles. Action around chickens proper has slowed greatly with not even owls approaching pen areas.

 

[TalkALittle]

If the dogs catch enough holes it might reduce your owl activity. Voles are prey for some owl species.

Voles scent mark so if the dogs have the scent on them the same remedy for removing skunk odor should work (hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and liquid soap). Feeding parsley can freshen their breath if that's what is stinking. You can get chlorophyll drops/mouthwash for dogs too. Feeding pre and probiotics can help with diet related breath odor (as well as other odors dogs emit ).

 

[centrarchid]

The dogs will not be able to put a dent in the voles. The stink control will be explored, thanks. The smell I think may have a component coming from the soil and vegetation as well.

 

[TalkALittle]

The dogs will not be able to put a dent in the voles.

Get a Rat Terrier. They might not be able to either but will exhaust themselves trying.

 

[centrarchid]

That will get expensive. I am already targeting three dogs, two as English Shepherds, and dogs cost a lot for upkeep. Even the "low cost" LGD's at work cost more than I can suffer as additional dogs. Dogs cost a lot where if it was not for the availability of dog food I would not be able to support even one. The abundance of voles and other vermin is not consistent enough to support even one dog on the 20 acres I have. If I had several hundred acres where hunting and remains of livestock carcasses plus table scraps were available then I could do without the feed.