English Shepherd as Poultry Guardian

[centrarchid]

Lucy and I took pup out for first patrol of hotwire perimeter of poultry yard. Only one bird, a game rooster is kept outside that perimeter. Pup spent too much time chewing on the hotwire or otherwise rubbing up against it. She is already calming down around the chickens, but seems partial to chewing on the Japanese Beetle lures.

Lucy is back in game all systems go. Ben is getting there. Pup is really upping the packs moral.

 

[aart]

Pup spent too much time chewing on the hotwire

Did she get zapped?

 

[centrarchid]

I turn it off.

 

[centrarchid]

Pup got 30 minutes with about 100 juvenile free-range chickens. She chased them for a bit. Not a worry at this point. She is storing to memory alarm sounds they produce. Interactions were without other dogs present so I have control over interactions without distraction. Control of pup will be ratcheted up over time as she becomes more physically capable. Also part of effort involves walking perimeter with my son. More time will be spent away from chickens to get her more interested in other issues. The chickens must become part of her core where sounds they produce get her to remember what she did to cause them. That should help her imagine what it going on when something else disturbs her flock. Eventually, I want her to run to flock like Lucy does when alarms are produced and have an inkling what a given alarm call means. Currently we are learning ground threats from a fast moving predator. Later other calls will be experienced and likely involve me helping line out what is cause of disturbance.

 

[centrarchid]

We are packing up now, except for pup and wife. Kids, Lucy, Ben, Bella and I plus our pet cat Angel ran off something working perimeter of poultry yard. First time both kids participated. Critters will not fare well against us. Cat and Bella are only ones I can see in darkness without eyeshine,

 

[centrarchid]

And we have another Osage Copperhead. A monster pushing 48". It was a psycho as it slithered away when I got too close for both of us. I was able actually call Lucy off it. She likely remembers being sore from last bite. Be assured she will forget, just like she forgets zap of fence when a critter is on the other side.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Do they have any snake aversion training classes near you?

https://www.rattlesnakealert.com

 

[centrarchid]

Do they have any snake aversion training classes near you?

https://www.rattlesnakealert.com

Not to my knowledge.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Not to my knowledge.

Ah that stinks!

 

[centrarchid]

Some training conditioning is to be done. I just moved a 10 x 10 dog kennel from poultry area to what will be a garden next year. From experience, I knew the dogs will take issue with that and would cause troubles. About a dozen juvenile American Dominiques were placed in the kennel as dusk last night where they piled in a corner to sleep. The dogs, minus pup, tried to get into kennel even chewing on wire. Some effort was expended on digging as well, by Lucy. Shortly, a single hotwire will be installed around perimeter that will then be powered by a low output solar fence charger. Each dog in turn will be allowed in with chickens where I will get on them when displaying improper interest. Same chickens in poultry yard are not exciting. Chickens are to be subject of experiment involving Japanese Beetles that I want separate from what goes in the poultry yard. Later the same pen will be used to hold a bachelor flock that will really put soil remediation into effect.