English Shepherd as Poultry Guardian

[centrarchid]

We are having the confrontations but the raccoon can get away too easily. If we go south we could get it. All dogs need to do it put up a tree and I can do rest with rifle. The dogs are not patient enough to allow raccoon to commit.

 

[centrarchid]

Complication. Three year old daughter sneaking out behind me in dark following about 50 feet behind. Not what I want.. She wants to help catch the cuum.

 

[bobbi-j]

Complication. Three year old daughter sneaking out behind me in dark following about 50 feet behind. Not what I want.. She wants to help catch the cuum.

She sounds like a little go-getter!

(My kids are all grown up - it's fun reading about the antics of other peoples' kids)

 

[centrarchid]

On our place zero raccoons. This morning early after dawn dogs treed a raccoon under neighbors hen house. We did catch 3 rabbits in live traps.

 

[centrarchid]

As I pulled into drive after work, free-range chickens exploded out of barn with most flying toward house. Lucy ran from front porch to barn. As I got out of truck I could see one free-range hen up on pen in barn giving alarm with other birds inside pens doing same. Something came into barn from backside and Lucy promptly ran it out, Ben positioned himself on hill but did not run in. He was clearly looking for something. I took three hours for last stag to make his way back to barn. Birds that flew longer distance were hot for a good 20 minutes.

 

[Stephine]

I have Dreamcatcher Daisy's Brother in Wv.

Me, too!

Hi Karlie!

 

[centrarchid]

Something came into barn about an hour ago. All free-range birds got high while penned birds stayed on ground and cackled. What ever it was did not appear to be very effective as chickens did not even flush from barn. Lucy worked a scent hard outside fence on north side of barn and trail was hot. Fence was also off because I have been mowing today.

 

[scottcaddy]

Same visitor as a few weeks ago?
Scott

 

[centrarchid]

Doubtful. Previous critter I think was a fox and it has not come back likely because of close call and no meal. This latter critter could very well be something like a snake chasing mice.

 

[centrarchid]

We are getting more Coyote action as they appear to be very interested in the abundant rabbit population. Ben spends much of each night barking and periodically recruits Lucy to help drive them off. Rabbits are so abundant that Coyotes can probably hunt and watch their backs at same time. A third dog will be reacquired to protect sheep / goats. Two dogs tasked with defending poultry area will not also be able to stay with herd nearly 1/8 mile away.