English Shepherd as Poultry Guardian

[fisherlady]

Glad to hear it went well. Always a relief to hear no problems found.

 

[centrarchid]

Pup is doing really well in the poultry yard. She is walking slow through subflocks not reacting to flightiness or discord. She even leaves chicks alone but is starting to hold point on them as they work their way to roost with their mothers. Weak points still involve interest in feed and water bowls.

 

[centrarchid]

So all know, I am likely injured by using bridge myself. Serious hip ouchy related to stepping over the structure the dogs have to jump.

 

[centrarchid]

Pup had been engaging activities not approved by gamecock we call Edgar. Edgar has taken to attacking pup when she approaches him. Pup starting to keep a little distance between herself and her new found foe. This arrangement will not provide long-term relationships with balance of flock. Pup causing disturbances by destroying feed sacks and attacking my feed scoops. She is still lax about crossing fence in proper manner. I see evidence of pup going down to near fence without supervision at night while fence hot.

Last night something to east got dogs and Coyotes riled. Both species were giving warning barks and I could hear bouts of snarling from something I did not recognize.

 

[centrarchid]

Pup starting to range. Uh oh number 1. Uh oh number 2 is she is going into poultry yard and barn unsupervised even with fence hot. I watched her from a distance as she walked about looking for things to chew on. She found bait used for fox but did not work on it long. Chickens were not exciting at the time. Containment on her needs to be stepped up.

Earlier in the day I found a yellow jacket nest. I took my son over to it after linking up with pup. I blew on entrance, no response. Then I stomped hard on ground about nest, out they came so my son and I ran off laughing as his first time to mess with wasps. He has helped me catch honey bee swarms but yellow jackets are whole different ball of wax. Yellow jacket nest will be marked off so no one else gets into them by accident.

 

[ShrekDawg]

You aren't afraid of getting stung? I am terrified of any flying, stinging insect and book it even seeing one. Often I think a fly is one. It's bad. Therefore, I would never intentionally mess with a nest. I would stay a trillion miles away lol

 

[centrarchid]

We are hicks.

 

[ShrekDawg]

We are hicks.

Or just way braver than me

I'm a chicken lol

 

[centrarchid]

We are trying photograph another Red Fox that violated defenses three nights ago. Fence was totally shorted out and had a large stretch knocked down by what I think was a deer. No obvious cattle or even horse tracks. Lucy was already on to fox when I first spotted it with flashlite. Fox panicked crashing into a couple chicken pens and even fence before getting out.

I set out game camera with bait to access good way to trap if fox gets withing perimeter again. Three nights running almost no imagery. First dead batteries, then new batteries began leaking in a big way. May have lost second game camera. They are not very tough.

 

[fisherlady]

We are hicks.

Nope, you are smart....
In my opinion it is better for youngsters (human and canine) to be exposed to things, especially dangerous things, in a controlled or supervised manner so they can learn better how to handle it with a reduced risk. Both kids and canines are nosey and curious, they will find it on their own at some point if you dont beat them to it.
If you know a danger is present and ignore it you are not doing anyone any favors.

I have worked EMS over 30 years...I have seen the end result of not teaching about how to handle things!