English Shepherd as Poultry Guardian

[scottcaddy]

Fireworks even worse tonight. Chickens cackling with each detonation. Both dogs inside now. I am starting think fireworks are not good around animals.

You should be glad that you don't have horses then. We work on getting them used to loud noises with small poppers and such, but when the big ones (illegal in this state) go off it's a real pain.
Good luck with your critters!
Scott

 

[scottcaddy]

It's one of those nights, sorry about that
Scott

 

[centrarchid]

I grew up around horses. They did not like fireworks either and would breath heavy even when they relaxed enough not to flinch.


Fireworks going off big time now. One dog is under bed, another under table in basement kitchen and cats hiding behind toilet in bathroom. None of the chickens have head under wing like they normally do when sleeping.

 

[centrarchid]

Dogs now eating low hanging Persimmons. So far those consumed require no special effort to reach although later will require dogs to stand on hind legs and ultimately jump for them. Currently dogs eating only a couple each day although later Lucy at least will begin to consume several each day. They are green so I guess not all that tasty. My 3 year old daughter took one down yesterday and chewed it sucking some of the juice. Daughter salivated big time and kept saying sour but seemed to eating it. I am guessing dogs getting some sort of medicinal value out of eating them.

Both dogs are getting plenty of rabbits as well. Despite this rabbits all over and allow dogs to approach withing 50 feet. When dogs serious, odds not in a given rabbits favor.

 

[centrarchid]

We just killed a large male Opossum probing the outer perimeter of the poultry yard. Lucy cornered on a pathway and started barking. Ben then took another route on path to come a Opossum from other side. Both dogs put solid bites into it but did not real damage. It did play dead. I killed it immediately. Opossums of that size do not learn to stay way even when harassed by dogs and me. They can also make short work of just about any chicken and the dogs may not stop it before it gets into a nest on the ground. They are also hard on feed. This only third Opossum dispatched in 2016. Zero Raccoons.

 

[scottcaddy]

I had a large Opossum take on a full grown Goose and almost had a wing chewed off before I got to it.
Buried both of them in the same hole.
They don't just eat dead stuff, they will kill whatever they can in a hurry.
Good luck with them, the dogs sound like they help alot.
Scott

 

[centrarchid]

Dogs cached opossum carcass in high weeds to NW of house. Wind out of NW. Imagine smell. Additional opossums likely to investigate and dogs are waiting.

 

[centrarchid]

Raccoon came up on us tonight in the very same location opossum was killed a few days back. It appears to have come from north side of property based on barking of neighbor dogs to north at time I spotted the critter. It did retreat in that direction. Something has been working neighbors flock for some time and I bet this is the critter. Coming in on us is going to get it very killed. It was within dog perimeter but has two more to get through to get at outer birds. Dogs will likely pinch it between themselves and one of the inner perimeters.

I do not know why the opossum are using that same trackway but suspect it is either for rabbits or voles. It is also a good location to get into rather large frogs operating well away from water.

 

[centrarchid]

Two live traps moved out of poultry area to see if we can get raccoons before they get into area where broody hens roost on the ground. Dogs will be kept in house so raccoon can actually have a little time around trap. I am reaching out to get this one because of neighbors flock as much as mine.

 

[fisherlady]

Sounds like a good idea, I know my ES dogs can and will take on a coon but I would also opt for any plan that reduces the need for that confrontation, no reason to risk injuries.