flock and property protectors

[mama dixie]

I am looking for some good ideas for some sort of thing that will act as a sentanal when someone or something is on our property. My dad always said get gese they are protective and easy to care for and will gaurd your stuff to the bitter end and then you can eat them. He grew up on a farm in the deprestion can you tell

I have tried to get my husbend to let me get gese he says no, I tried a big dog and we got a pug/chawawa who I love and would trade for nothing but we have over two acres and 30 chickens 10 ducks and our dog that could use some protection from coons and other toothy criters not to mention the owls and turkey vultures and other rafters. we also have trouble with people taking stuff out of our yard. it is very sad when you realize we live in a small comunity and so it must be a neighbor. we live on a switch back road that is a one way road that is the only way in or out so we would hear cars and such. anyway what would be our best bet for a security animal. I need something that is easy for me to handle beucse my husbend will be irate and so I will need to care for it. my shotgun is just getting a bit much to drag around and I missed the racoon last time I shot at one, still trying to live that one down


any ideas?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I'd say my gander will let out a loud noise if anything or anyone comes around but he's not going to be very much protection against a predator like dogs or coyotes or foxes, even racoons, but they will give out a warning call. The only thing if this is happening at night [getting stuff taken out of your yard, well The goose along with all the rest of your animals should be locked up for their own protection. I don't expect my gander to give much protection to the flock other than alerting me tha something is amiss, thats why we have our shotgun loaded and ready at our door.

 

[Oregon Blues]

A gander won't do battle to protect anything but his goslings, and perhaps his mate's nest.

A gander can not defeat a predator. He's a bird, not a grizzly bear.

Some will raise a fuss when a stranger comes around. My ganders just hiss, which I can not hear from the house. They raise a racket when the grain bucket comes out, though.

I hope that their large presence and alertness will discourage the smaller hawks. A large owk or eagle can kill a goose, though.

I love having the geese around. I don't depend upon them to do guard duty.

 

[annageckos]

I just wanted to add that you do not need to worry about turkey vultures. They are scavengers and will not go after your animals. The only cases of turkey vultures going after live animals is when they are near death.

 

[elbertchick]

I have a pair of geese they I let out with my chickens while they are out. Most people think twice when they see them, they can be scary. However my goose Lucy was injured by a neighbors Husky and took 6 months of rehab before she was able to walk again. So I would say good alerts to whats going on not so good with predators, but they do let you know when something is amiss. My dogs have gotten so lazy unless the geese sound they don't even bother to bark.

 

[mama dixie]

I am unsure what is best for us, I agree the shotgun is the best thing. our pug dog and me running though the yard with a pitchfork has scared off more than one animal intruder I was so mad one night that I chased something and ended up out in the pasture in pitch dark and prayed all the way back to the porch thinking now that was stupid. How true that God protecs fools and babes. I may put up a couple of hot wires, how much trouble could I get in if I put one up one night and say forgot to mark it. it would not kill anyone would it? I just would like to hear a nice scream and see who has a perm the next day to find out who is on our property. just a thought. thank you for all the feed back...

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Our geese announce everything that doesn't belong from people to squirrels. However the Great Pyrenees pair we have keeps the predators (2 & 4 legged and flying) away.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
May I suggest a small LED flashlight taped in alignment with your shotgun barrel? I tape a laser pointer to the other side to use in daylight. Many animals and humans will freeze when the light hits them. humans will lose their night vision. And if you don't find anything it sure helps on the trip back to the house! Unless your law is different you don't have to mark fences that are well inside your property lines Here we only have to mark fences along the road. being the nasty man I am I used to string trip wires in the areas that my animals didn't use. Just low tech trip wires will discourage most night visitors. ~gd

 

[SouthernPride]

I've heard that Donkey's are very good and running off predators, especially coyotes. You would only need one and they are cheap.

 

[Oregon Blues]

[[[[[[..........Donkey's are very good and running off predators,......]]]]]

The only problem with donkeys is that within 24 hours, all your neighbors will hate you.