English Shepherd as Poultry Guardian

[centrarchid]

American Dominiques invaded by pups last Saturday have sustained egg production. Pup did not cause major disturbance based on that. Cinder blocks appear to have stopped pups' efforts in trying to get into pen with Dominiques.

 

[centrarchid]

Having fun rotating pups on trips to lab. We go for 15 minute car ride, get out and patrol barnyard area, put on leash and walk for 15 minutes, then cross road and go through a couple fences to set poop traps. Pup called Van was supposed to be running perimeter while I armed traps and pulled feeders. The birds providing the poop are Speckled Sussex that apparently stupid for chickens, and maybe vertebrates in general. Four out of 24 still not roosting up until I put them up. The four slackers are all in one pen. As I battled the poop trap the four slackers were walking about under foot getting in the way in every manner possible. When I was really focused on getting poop board in place I could feel what felt like a pullet jump on my back, and man she was heavy for a chicken. Then I noticed four pullets were in front of my while the burden was still on my back. Van had jumped the 4 foot fence and came in to help. She did a good job not scaring the chickens and even stayed out of my way as I took care of remaining pen. She is doing a good job of controlling herself now. Her agility is really coming along.

One of the pups has also taken up to howling when her parents are barking at Coyotes off in the distance. I would be OK will all the dogs howling at Coyotes.

I am really starting to enjoy the pups. It has been a long time since I was able to rear pups from day one.

 

[centrarchid]

Honey just got a opossum about 20 feet from row of pens behind house. She says they are hard to chew. Lucy says you should shake and chew at same time. Pups being kept back since a couple minutes away from taking on easy customers like opossums. We might try tangling with a raccoon in the fall.

 

[centrarchid]

Pups becoming escape artists. They are pulling on door, and now digging, successfully to get out of pen. I thought they would be climbing out of tops first. Short-term fix is laying cinder blocks in areas they are digging out. Longer-term I will likely put in place a floor made of cinder blocks.

 

[centrarchid]

Flo having issues with pump well head that snuck up on her.

 

[aart]

It's sooo funny how all of a sudden something that's always been there sets them off.

 

[centrarchid]

It's sooo funny how all of a sudden something that's always been there sets them off.

First time for her to visit location (lab at university farm)

 

[aart]

First time for her to visit location (lab at university farm)

Oh, well(haha!) that might explain it.

 

[centrarchid]

Honey is an American into politics. Hears and sees only from direction she chooses.

 

[centrarchid]

Last night we could hear two altercations to the SE and smell another from same general direction. First involved Great-horned Owls doing a great deal of hooting, but I still can not hear owl chicks calling. Later a Red Fox was barking and a little later I could smell it. Ben was quietly crouched by orchard looking in direction fox was likely in. Honey is more or less out of commission so Ben doing most work with Lucy providing slow back up. Lucy participates only when things get heated. We are about a month away from running one pup a night with adult dogs. I may sleep outside over night at first until I know a pup is not likely to get into trouble.