Help! Predator Attack and Open Neck Wounds!

[Miss Lydia]

Yes ma'am, Miss Lydia. Next spring. Almost summer? Not here, my friend. It is in the nineties here. Fortunately, with the way we have things, the birds do not have problems with the heat. They have plenty of shade and lots of water to play in. And since they like their mud puddles to play in, I make their mud puddles for them. When are these girls gonna stop laying eggs?

I am wondering the same thing, Missy is due to lay again tomorrow.

90's is just way too hot. Mine make their own mud puddles we have had lots of rain this spring.

 

[tillyita]

Quote:
Originally Posted by wlhtx


I think my nustock has finally arrived at the post office. I'm hoping that it lives up to the high praise I've seen others give it here on BYC... My goose's neck is healing - thankfully the flies seem to have been kept at bay (I'm assuming because they do spend their days out on our pond and all the head dunking seems to have kept it fairly well washed). But she's going to have some nasty scars if I can't find something to help her a little...
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I'm using a product using called dermaclense on my horses leg at the moment. He had some bad scar tissue (shiny skin with no hair) that split open, where I have been using the dermaclense I have nice healthy skin returning. It works by keeping the area moist and at a neutral pH - which promotes healing and discourages bacteria growth - and seals it from the elements. it needs to be put on once or twice a day depending on what he is doing. I know people who are using it on chickens - with no ill effects but I haven't been able to find anything about using it on geese. Also, I don't know whether you can get it over there - but knowing Australia - we probably got it last and you guys have probably had it for years!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Where do you get it? feed store?

 

[Iain Utah]

Sounds like you have a great setup - I've just ordered some new cages/runs for my dogs that are going to be used for the geese during breeding season. I hope the dogs don't mind the smell of geese when they finish! Boxers are great gaurd dogs - but you do need to be very careful around livestock. My neighbours had one, until they came home one day to 5 dead lambs. Then they discovered they were bred for pig hunting! They were very lucky and managed to rehome her (they were going to put her down and the vet nurse adopted her - on a property with no stock). How is your goose going? BTW what is Nustock - I don't think we have that here? and yes - if the neighbours could see they would probably be rolling around on the floor - i've done a bit of that whatching people trying to move sheep without a dog, it can be most entertaining!

I had a boxer/am bulldog cross that was specifically bred for boar hunting. She was the sweetest dog and I trusted her 100% to care for my birds. She was raised with chickens and thought all forms of poultry were her charges to protect. She passed in February at age 13. She is dearly missed.

Yay! Always nice to meet a fellow Texan! We are pretty deep in east Texas, almost verging on the Louisiana border close to Shreveport - but my husband and I were up in the metroplex for years. The breeder we got our boerboel from is in Denton County.

I'm thinking after our boerboel is gone that I would love to get a livestock dog - like you say, something trained to guard the animals but that I don't have to always fear will decide to have a tasty chicken nugget snack one afternoon when I'm not looking... He isn't really open to other dogs coming around, but our boerboel is wonderful at keeping predators (and potential intruders) away. We have a reputation in the community for having the biggest, meanest looking dog around, which was my goal.

I think my nustock has finally arrived at the post office. I'm hoping that it lives up to the high praise I've seen others give it here on BYC... My goose's neck is healing - thankfully the flies seem to have been kept at bay (I'm assuming because they do spend their days out on our pond and all the head dunking seems to have kept it fairly well washed). But she's going to have some nasty scars if I can't find something to help her a little...

I keep calling her a "her" but really I have no idea of the sex of this bird... Being this is my first go round with geese, do you really have to wait until they reach sexual maturity to figure this out? It doesn't really matter enough for me to want to try to vent sex them...

Congrats on your goose's recovery!! Often you can tell gender by personality and appearance when they get to be juveniles, but even then it is not a fool proof way to sex them.


Interesting! I have never heard of that product before and I've had horses for many years.

 

[wlhtx]

I had a boxer/am bulldog cross that was specifically bred for boar hunting.  She was the sweetest dog and I trusted her 100% to care for my birds.  She was raised with chickens and thought all forms of poultry were her charges to protect.  She passed in February at age 13. 

Our boxer is 11. She was not raised around livestock, but was introduced to them too late in life to be of any real benefit. I actually trust her more around the chickens though than our boerboel. She occasionally will nip at them, but not with any real intention of biting anything. Now, when it comes to the goats though, she has some sort of vendetta against them. That ol' girl will perk up, her arthritic hip will magically stop hurting, and she will chase them down to her heart's content. Since she's gotten so slow in her old age, I have no fear that she will actually catch and/or hurt one - so I figure she's entitled to a little thrill these days. She's been the best dog and I would clone her in a heart beat if I could. She barely has any teeth left and we know her time is coming to an end soon, so we are trying to really enjoy what time we have left with her.

And thanks for the tip tillyita! I'll look into the dermaclense.

 

[tillyita]

Interesting! I have never heard of that product before and I've had horses for many years.

I'd never heard of it until fairly recently either until I had a horse with a massive facial injury (basically had 4 inches of bone exposed and all the associated soft tissue damage) and my vet recommended it. 4 weeks after the initial injury all she had to show for it was a scab (and a lump on her face were the underlying bone has moved)! I was really impressed. Some of our stock stores have it but I got my original container from the vet and bought the second one online because it was heaps cheaper than anything local.

Oh and I'm not knocking boxers in general - they are really nice dogs - but my neighbours dog was chasing the sheep because it was fun and instinct kind of kicked in. She was really good with the kids and even the chickens, but couldn't be trusted around stock with nobody home.

 

[RugenerGooser]

I'd never heard of it until fairly recently either until I had a horse with a massive facial injury (basically had 4 inches of bone exposed and all the associated soft tissue damage) and my vet recommended it. 4 weeks after the initial injury all she had to show for it was a scab (and a lump on her face were the underlying bone has moved)! I was really impressed. Some of our stock stores have it but I got my original container from the vet and bought the second one online because it was heaps cheaper than anything local.

Oh and I'm not knocking boxers in general - they are really nice dogs - but my neighbours dog was chasing the sheep because it was fun and instinct kind of kicked in. She was really good with the kids and even the chickens, but couldn't be trusted around stock with nobody home.

I think each dog is different. There are some LGD's that are great with equine, sheep and goats and horrible with birds, and the opposite. Then there are the few that just don't work out at all.