Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ribh]

There isn't really an amount of money that could compensate for Ruffles death; not for me anyway. I was there when she hatched. I've been there for every chick she hatched, she's been my friend for almost nine years. I've spent more time with these chickens than I have with any person in my life excepting my childhood possibly. You can't compensate for that degree of loss. In a court Ruffles would get assessed as a chicken; a few dollars if that. Much the same for Thistle the ewe.
Justice might be to make the women come here and do what I do for eight years. I think she might understand after that, but I wouldn't count on it.

Yes, I understand. Friends are irreplaceable.

 

[Shadrach]

This is most of Tribe 1. Treacle and the two pullets Moon and Tap are on the left out of the picture.
Guess where they are going.

Your house is our house.

 

[Kris5902]

Not a good day yesterday. Has two Huskies attack the sheep and chickens. They pulled down one ewe and her leg broke and killed my lovely Ruffles.
This is my lovely Ruffles on the left with her best mate Fat Bird.
View attachment 1983631
This is what she was like after one of the Huskies got her.
View attachment 1983632

I find it very hard to blame the dogs.
It was a senseless loss but we get more than our share of senseless people out here in the National Park. They arrive with a pack of potentially dangerous dogs and seem to think they are tough wandering around the park with their pack of dogs.
Most people here just shoot the dogs. Fortunately I don't own a gun. I'm not sure having dragged a snarling Husky off one of the ewes here by it's ears that I wouldn't choose to shoot the owner.

I haven't caught up with her yet. I'm sure you can imagine the chaos with two huskies tearing around, the stupid women a hundred metres further up the land calling the dogs and blowing a whistle, which the dogs completely ignored. I just wanted her and the dogs off the property as quickly as possible. She wouldn't climb down the bank where one of the dogs killed Ruffles and just stood at the top shouting at it. I went down and chased the dog up the bank.
The last I saw of the women she was crying because I think I may have said a few unpleasant words in a not very friendly tone of voice and because I had ripped one of the dogs ears dragging it off the ewe.
I've got the Park Wardens trying to track her down. I've asked in the village but nobody seems to know her. Apparently her dogs had also been to the next farm North but their dogs had driven them off.

So sorry for your loss of Ruffles, were you able to save Thistle? A broken leg is a hard thing to nurse an ewe through. They both had wonderful lives with you though, I’m sure.

Predator losses are one thing, poorly trained dogs are another. She should be brought to justice. Here if a dog damages livestock it is basically a death sentence for it. The owner is 100% to blame for the damages, and in the case of a ewe can also be fined for lost future offspring. The dog is very lucky. I would not have let her or her dogs leave until the authorities arrived, and I can’t say I wouldn’t have shot the dog.

I was in the local SPCA with a friend who is looking to get a dog last week, and all they had there were very large puppies, an 11mo husky x and Five pitbull crosses, all under 18 months and all owner surrenders. Don’t bring home more dog than you can manage, and train them properly! There are only usually Bad Owners.

 

[Shadrach]

were you able to save Thistle?

Nope.

 

[Ribh]

Nope.

 

[Kris5902]

Nope.

I do hope the Wardens or local law enforcement picks her and the dogs up before more damage is done. It is unacceptable.

 

[Shadrach]

So sorry for your loss of Ruffles, were you able to save Thistle? A broken leg is a hard thing to nurse an ewe through. They both had wonderful lives with you though, I’m sure.

Predator losses are one thing, poorly trained dogs are another. She should be brought to justice. Here if a dog damages livestock it is basically a death sentence for it. The owner is 100% to blame for the damages, and in the case of a ewe can also be fined for lost future offspring. The dog is very lucky. I would not have let her or her dogs leave until the authorities arrived, and I can’t say I wouldn’t have shot the dog.

I was in the local SPCA with a friend who is looking to get a dog last week, and all they had there were very large puppies, an 11mo husky x and Five pitbull crosses, all under 18 months and all owner surrenders. Don’t bring home more dog than you can manage, and train them properly! There are only usually Bad Owners.

I agree. It just doesn't happen like that in real life ime. I could have kept her and the dogs here but it would have been kidnap.
I also agree regarding predator loss. I've accepted this for many years. I don't like it but it's a feature of life for all creatures.

 

[MaryJanet]

I also think she should be required to contribute time and labour to the care of the sheep and chickens. Maybe 800 hours.

 

[Shadrach]

I also think she should be required to contribute time and labour to the care of the sheep and chickens. Maybe 800 hours.

You're a few zeros short...

 

[MaryJanet]

I don't think you want her there for that long.