Keeping Chickens Free Range

[Beekissed]

I've really always liked the attributes of the Anatolian breed and wanted one for years, but they are usually way too expensive for me to obtain and they won't give you one out of rescue unless you have 6 ft fences around your property....who in the world except deer and buffalo farmers have 6 ft fencing around their farms???

So, I prayed about it all and asked for God's will on getting another dog and for providing the right one. All summer long there were no appropriate pups in the ads. Finally, last fall I saw an ad for pups that were Anatolian/Maremma/GP mix for $100....that's pretty unheard of for my area and especially for that price. Both Anatolian and Maremma breeds are not too common in these parts, though one can often pick up a free adult GP now and again. An answer to prayer!!!

Then came Ben, came here at 2 mo. and will be a year old next month, and is working out to be a fine chicken dog and companion to Jake and to us.







I'm really enjoying his traits...intelligent, sensitive, intuitive learner, calm, loyal, and sweet. I think the Anatolian traits, from what I've read, are very prominent in his genetics and I'm very pleased with the dog that God brought me and thank Him for him quite a bit. Jake is really loving the companionship as well.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Yep, first post and thanks for the welcome! 

My cats are all outdoors cats but we have trouble keeping them for long at this place...the resident foxes and coyote pack love a good cat snack.  At my previous place I could keep them for much longer if they didn't get hit on the road.   As with all things, it's all survival of the fittest outdoors. 

People look at me funny when I say I want to start a cat breeding program here, as it's very hard to find replacement kittens when you need vermin control now that they have all these spay and neuter programs jammed down everyone's throats.  Used to be a person could find kittens anywhere you look but they have become very scarce in these parts....pretty soon they will be on the endangered list if everyone stops allowing them to procreate. 

All you need is one good mama. I got lucky with this batch, mama is a good hunter, good mama, and friendly, she raises very independent kittens. Mine mostly stay near the yard and so my losses are not high. They are very quick to climb a tree whenever any foreign dog comes into the yard. My trouble is she is almost too good and while I happily accept all of her daughters, I am forever removing toms.

 

[islandgirl82]

I've really always liked the attributes of the Anatolian breed and wanted one for years, but they are usually way too expensive for me to obtain and they won't give you one out of rescue unless you have 6 ft fences around your property....who in the world except deer and buffalo farmers have 6 ft fencing around their farms???

So, I prayed about it all and asked for God's will on getting another dog and for providing the right one. All summer long there were no appropriate pups in the ads. Finally, last fall I saw an ad for pups that were Anatolian/Maremma/GP mix for $100....that's pretty unheard of for my area and especially for that price. Both Anatolian and Maremma breeds are not too common in these parts, though one can often pick up a free adult GP now and again. An answer to prayer!!!

Then came Ben, came here at 2 mo. and will be a year old next month, and is working out to be a fine chicken dog and companion to Jake and to us.







I'm really enjoying his traits...intelligent, sensitive, intuitive learner, calm, loyal, and sweet. I think the Anatolian traits, from what I've read, are very prominent in his genetics and I'm very pleased with the dog that God brought me and thank Him for him quite a bit. Jake is really loving the companionship as well.

Congratulations on your new addition. What a handsome helper.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I've really always liked the attributes of the Anatolian breed and wanted one for years, but they are usually way too expensive for me to obtain and they won't give you one out of rescue unless you have 6 ft fences around your property....who in the world except deer and buffalo farmers have 6 ft fencing around their farms??? So, I prayed about it all and asked for God's will on getting another dog and for providing the right one. All summer long there were no appropriate pups in the ads. Finally, last fall I saw an ad for pups that were Anatolian/Maremma/GP mix for $100....that's pretty unheard of for my area and especially for that price. Both Anatolian and Maremma breeds are not too common in these parts, though one can often pick up a free adult GP now and again. An answer to prayer!!! Then came Ben, came here at 2 mo. and will be a year old next month, and is working out to be a fine chicken dog and companion to Jake and to us.

Your right, I need to relax and accept that the perfect dog just has not appeared yet. Hoping God speeds up. But he has never worked on my schedule There is now an ad for a 12 week female Australian Shepherd, which is what my current pup is. I reached out, we will see what happens. I have found 2dogs before that sounded perfect. But one never responded and the other thought her unneutered mutt was worth 350 dollars...the whole "if you cannot not afford 350 dollars you cannot afford a dog" argument annoys me. It is not that I cannot afford the dog, it us that I cannot justify that amount if money on a mutt....Sorry Craigslist is annoying me....

 

[islandgirl82]

Your right, I need to relax and accept that the perfect dog just has not appeared yet. Hoping God speeds up. But he has never worked on my schedule

There is now an ad for a 12 week female Australian Shepherd, which is what my current pup is. I reached out, we will see what happens. I have found 2dogs before that sounded perfect. But one never responded and the other thought her unneutered mutt was worth 350 dollars...the whole "if you cannot not afford 350 dollars you cannot afford a dog" argument annoys me. It is not that I cannot afford the dog, it us that I cannot justify that amount if money on a mutt....Sorry Craigslist is annoying me....

Have you tried one of the pet rescue sites? For the roughly same fee you can get a pup that's already spayed/neutered and has a clean bill of health.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yep, first post and thanks for the welcome!

My cats are all outdoors cats but we have trouble keeping them for long at this place...the resident foxes and coyote pack love a good cat snack. At my previous place I could keep them for much longer if they didn't get hit on the road. As with all things, it's all survival of the fittest outdoors.

People look at me funny when I say I want to start a cat breeding program here, as it's very hard to find replacement kittens when you need vermin control now that they have all these spay and neuter programs jammed down everyone's throats. Used to be a person could find kittens anywhere you look but they have become very scarce in these parts....pretty soon they will be on the endangered list if everyone stops allowing them to procreate.

Bee, you will be a great asset to this thread. Your experience with free ranging will be helpful to many. Re: cats. I agree that soon, cats will be as hard to come by as good dogs.

It's already very difficult to get a puppy here in New England without paying an arm and a leg for it. The dogs that I've heard come from breeders seem to have a lot of health issues due to uneducated breeders. They crank out one litter after an other, irregardless of the health issues of the previous litter. One lady I know had a pure bred dog that had major heart issues. Hip displasia is also common, especially in the larger breeds. And even for mix breed pups, 90% of which are shipped in from southern states, the humane societies are charging $400 apiece. These pups are all being neutered at 8 - 10 weeks old. Back in the day, it was common practice to wait till the pup was 6 months old, because it was better for the animal's health. Wonder why that practice changed? I'll tell you why. It was b/c of the agenda to be sure that NO animals were allowed to procreate. And, the dogs that are being shipped in? No guarantee re: health there. I met a man with a beautiful rescue dog at the vet. Dog was shipped up from a southern state. He took a risk, paid a pretty penny for this dog, showed up when the truck arrived, and took posession of this dog, never having met it. First trip to the vet: dog has heart worm. So... he's left to decide what course of action to take there. Treatment is very expensive. Non treatment leads to slow but sure death, or he could euthanize a young, beautiful animal.

Cats are becoming the same issue. From the vet, they are charging $150 for a kitten, again neutered at 8 weeks. Very few litters being born, and by the time you take care of the basics for immunizations and neutering you're well over that price. However, I have heard that many of the humane societies are offering "barn cats" at a reasonable price. These are cats that are surrendered or strays which for one reason or an other are not appropriate for adoption as family pets. They are neutered, have the basic shots. There needs to be a middle ground re: both puppies and kittens: Enough breeding to allow folks to have a pet or farm animal at a reasonable price, as well as control to keep the irresponsible idiots from owning animals. You know who I'm talking about: The family that picks up a couple of kittens to keep the kids entertained for the summer, then dumps them when school starts in the fall. The family who gets a cute little puppy, irregardless of breed and behavior, and ends up with a high energy teen age dog that they have not trained, and dump it because they find it's too much work. Then again, you can't legislate intelligence.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
I SO agree! It's not the point if you can "afford" the price, it's the unnecessary expense that's the bother. When you can get a dog for free or cheaper, why spend that much? I've seen that whole refrain on BYC many a times...if you "can't afford" to spend this or that for this or that, you shouldn't be allowed to have animals at all.

The "allowed" part is the most galling portion...they want to dictate who can or cannot have animals according to income??? I agree about the whole expense of animals~feeding, shelter, ongoing care~and there are many people who probably shouldn't get animals because their income just doesn't have room in it for animals, but to say someone shouldn't be "allowed" to have animals if they don't vet them for every sniffle or don't want to spend top dollar on them every whip stitch is another breed of cat.

 

[duluthralphie]

Bee, you will be a great asset to this thread. Your experience with free ranging will be helpful to many. Re: cats. I agree that soon, cats will be as hard to come by as good dogs.

It's already very difficult to get a puppy here in New England without paying an arm and a leg for it. The dogs that I've heard come from breeders seem to have a lot of health issues due to uneducated breeders. They crank out one litter after an other, irregardless of the health issues of the previous litter. One lady I know had a pure bred dog that had major heart issues. Hip displasia is also common, especially in the larger breeds. And even for mix breed pups, 90% of which are shipped in from southern states, the humane societies are charging $400 apiece. These pups are all being neutered at 8 - 10 weeks old. Back in the day, it was common practice to wait till the pup was 6 months old, because it was better for the animal's health. Wonder why that practice changed? I'll tell you why. It was b/c of the agenda to be sure that NO animals were allowed to procreate. And, the dogs that are being shipped in? No guarantee re: health there. I met a man with a beautiful rescue dog at the vet. Dog was shipped up from a southern state. He took a risk, paid a pretty penny for this dog, showed up when the truck arrived, and took posession of this dog, never having met it. First trip to the vet: dog has heart worm. So... he's left to decide what course of action to take there. Treatment is very expensive. Non treatment leads to slow but sure death, or he could euthanize a young, beautiful animal.

Cats are becoming the same issue. From the vet, they are charging $150 for a kitten, again neutered at 8 weeks. Very few litters being born, and by the time you take care of the basics for immunizations and neutering you're well over that price. However, I have heard that many of the humane societies are offering "barn cats" at a reasonable price. These are cats that are surrendered or strays which for one reason or an other are not appropriate for adoption as family pets. They are neutered, have the basic shots. There needs to be a middle ground re: both puppies and kittens: Enough breeding to allow folks to have a pet or farm animal at a reasonable price, as well as control to keep the irresponsible idiots from owning animals. You know who I'm talking about: The family that picks up a couple of kittens to keep the kids entertained for the summer, then dumps them when school starts in the fall. The family who gets a cute little puppy, irregardless of breed and behavior, and ends up with a high energy teen age dog that they have not trained, and dump it because they find it's too much work. Then again, you can't legislate intelligence.

We have the same thing here in Minnesota. Laws with good intent by non-thinking feely touchy people runamuck. It is illegal for pet stores to sell dogs here. The humane society and animal shelters charge $300-$400 for a dog. They do a background check and stuff to make sure you are a good pet owner. I find that funny as the last time we got a cat from them it was over $200 not including our spaying which was required.

The only way to get a purebred is through a breeder. You can ask around but it is almost a black market underground economy so reliable information is nearly non-existent. Meaning the puppy mills can flourish.

At least with the pet stores you had a brick and mortar store to go back to if the dog was a lemon. (healthwise).

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, you will be a great asset to this thread. Your experience with free ranging will be helpful to many. Re: cats. I agree that soon, cats will be as hard to come by as good dogs.

It's already very difficult to get a puppy here in New England without paying an arm and a leg for it. The dogs that I've heard come from breeders seem to have a lot of health issues due to uneducated breeders. They crank out one litter after an other, irregardless of the health issues of the previous litter. One lady I know had a pure bred dog that had major heart issues. Hip displasia is also common, especially in the larger breeds. And even for mix breed pups, 90% of which are shipped in from southern states, the humane societies are charging $400 apiece. These pups are all being neutered at 8 - 10 weeks old. Back in the day, it was common practice to wait till the pup was 6 months old, because it was better for the animal's health. Wonder why that practice changed? I'll tell you why. It was b/c of the agenda to be sure that NO animals were allowed to procreate. And, the dogs that are being shipped in? No guarantee re: health there. I met a man with a beautiful rescue dog at the vet. Dog was shipped up from a southern state. He took a risk, paid a pretty penny for this dog, showed up when the truck arrived, and took posession of this dog, never having met it. First trip to the vet: dog has heart worm. So... he's left to decide what course of action to take there. Treatment is very expensive. Non treatment leads to slow but sure death, or he could euthanize a young, beautiful animal.

Cats are becoming the same issue. From the vet, they are charging $150 for a kitten, again neutered at 8 weeks. Very few litters being born, and by the time you take care of the basics for immunizations and neutering you're well over that price. However, I have heard that many of the humane societies are offering "barn cats" at a reasonable price. These are cats that are surrendered or strays which for one reason or an other are not appropriate for adoption as family pets. They are neutered, have the basic shots. There needs to be a middle ground re: both puppies and kittens: Enough breeding to allow folks to have a pet or farm animal at a reasonable price, as well as control to keep the irresponsible idiots from owning animals. You know who I'm talking about: The family that picks up a couple of kittens to keep the kids entertained for the summer, then dumps them when school starts in the fall. The family who gets a cute little puppy, irregardless of breed and behavior, and ends up with a high energy teen age dog that they have not trained, and dump it because they find it's too much work. Then again, you can't legislate intelligence.

Thank you, LG! And I say "Amen" to that! I think the feral cat explosion is a problem merely because people feed them. Back in the day~yep, I'm one of those old farts that say that~people kept barn cats but never bought cat food....nor dog food, for that matter. All farm animals were either fed food scraps from the human table or they hunted for their food. That's what barn cats were for...to hunt for the mice and rats.

Within that system were unaltered males that had hunting territories and killed all rival males and male kittens that were born to the females in their territory. This kept the population in check like crazy. Added to that, was the fact that folks used to shoot stray dogs and cats when they saw them on their land unless they needed a good cat or dog...then they fed them a little to get them to stick around and work for their food but then they were expected to hunt/scavenge for food.

Then a new thinking moved into the country. All animals needed pet food....and lots of it...or they just couldn't be healthy and it's cruel to not feed them at all. Then there was the resulting explosion of pet population as cats no longer needed to have territories for hunting, so no need to be aggressive about it all. Pregnant cats were moved indoors so that humans could "keep them safe", so kittens were no longer killed by the males. THEN, to add to that mix, people started aggressively neutering all the toms, which further took away that territorial instinct that caused them to eliminate competition to the food and fertile females.

Every time we start messing with a natural system, we truly mess it up. Before we started having "pets" instead of just animals it was a self regulating system that needed very little intervention from man.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Your right, I need to relax and accept that the perfect dog just has not appeared yet. Hoping God speeds up. But he has never worked on my schedule

There is now an ad for a 12 week female Australian Shepherd, which is what my current pup is. I reached out, we will see what happens. I have found 2dogs before that sounded perfect. But one never responded and the other thought her unneutered mutt was worth 350 dollars...the whole "if you cannot not afford 350 dollars you cannot afford a dog" argument annoys me. It is not that I cannot afford the dog, it us that I cannot justify that amount if money on a mutt....Sorry Craigslist is annoying me....

Have you tried one of the pet rescue sites?  For the roughly same fee you can get a pup that's already spayed/neutered and has a clean bill of health. 

It is very difficult to find a puppy there. I got lucky with my current pup, she never attacked my birds, is good with the cats, and has been very patient with my babies, but I do not count on being so lucky again.