My new chicks and new property thread!

[OnlyOrps]

That is a great pup!

Awe thanks! So far so good! She's got some naughty puppy quirks to work out like going under the house and tearing down the dryer vent hose then laying there to keep warm. Such a stinker! It's warming up now so predators are coming out like crazy and she's being put on poultry duty more and more. Very proud of her!

 

[OnlyOrps]

Well... the Guardian pup was escaping the barn so I removed her from the chickens for one night. We were going to secure her today so she could continue to protect my birds. The one night she was not in the barn a mink got one of my best pullets. We followed the trail to an old stack of round bales and moved them with the tractor and sure enough a black mink or weasel type thing took off. It pulled her through a fence. Little foot prints in the mud. I'm pretty sure it was the culprit. Wish I'd left the pup in the barn. I feel so bad! I jinxed myself talking about how we dont have predator problems very often because our pyrs do such a great job... oops!

 

[MsKay]

What sweet pup you have! Beautiful chicks. Keep posting pics. Love it.

 

[OnlyOrps]

What sweet pup you have!  Beautiful chicks.  Keep posting pics.  Love it.  

Thanks! The pup spent the night with the chickens and the older Pyr slept beside their pen. we were woken up at 3 am by them chasing off the culprit. They cornered it and there was some blood and scratch marks where the weasely creature had trouble escaping hut can't find a body so I think it got away. I bet it won't be brave enough to come back. Dogs got a special breakfast this morning!!!

 

[OnlyOrps]

this is the ole girl that we inherited with the farm. She loves this land and the chickens and she is doing her duty to protect them and anything else in her boundaries. She had been neglected and rejected. She now trusts me and let's me love on her.

She needs a thorough brushing and I've wormed her and trimmed her nails. Please excuse her matted appearance, I don't want to overwhelm her with too much interference, too fast.

Her name is Taylor and she reinforces my theory that there is no such thing as a bad Pyrenees

 

[MsKay]

Thanks! The pup spent the night with the chickens and the older Pyr slept beside their pen. we were woken up at 3 am by them chasing off the culprit. They cornered it and there was some blood and scratch marks where the weasely creature had trouble escaping hut can't find a body so I think it got away. I bet it won't be brave enough to come back. Dogs got a special breakfast this morning!!!

I hope it doesn't come back but predators usually are not that smart. They know there is food there so they will keep trying but hopefully the dogs will kill it.

 

[TeaChick]

The white ones are mottled also. They might darken up a little. I will wait until they molt and cull accordingly. I might keep the white hens for table layers but the two white boys will be supper lol

I see. Yeah, I keep all the girls I can get my hands on just to keep my family in table eggs. lol
But I hatch only according to my breeding plans and I cull males according to my breeding plans.

 

[OnlyOrps]

I see.  Yeah, I keep all the girls I can get my hands on just to keep my family in table eggs. lol
But I hatch only according to my breeding plans and I cull males according to my breeding plans.

Exactly! I was thinking why not invest in nice show quality birds then keep any lesser hens for table layers and eat any boys that weren't up to snuff? Some people run a show flock and buy cheaper hatchery birds or just don't have any interest in exhibition birds and that's fine but I love breeding toward the SOP, I like the challenge and reward so it seems perfect that I can utilize the birds that aren't breeding quality to provide for my family and still enjoy my not too cheap hobby

 

[OnlyOrps]

I hope it doesn't come back but predators usually are not that smart.  They know there is food there so they will keep trying but hopefully the dogs will kill it.

It's been a few days and everyone is safe and sound. The Pyrenees are getting a new pasture this weekend that will surround the birds coop entirely so that there won't be any areas left unprotected. Haven't heard any aggressive reactions from the dogs since their first and second nights in the barn. I think the critter came back once or twice then gave up or was injured. The barn was destroyed the first night, the dogs had dug at every little corner where t posts and things were stacked up. Looked like they were after something small and scared. There were claw marks at one of the gates where a small critter had trouble escaping and blood then the next day buzzards were circling the woods a few yards away. I never walked out to see what they were after, it could have been our bird. This weekend I am going to walk the woods and see what I can find if it's still there... keep wishing us luck! Thanks for all the support everyone!

 

[OnlyOrps]

It's warm today so I went out to give the Pyrenees some extra cold water to cool off with and low and behold my Pyr pup pushed the coop door open and freed the roosters. I walked in and one was roosting on her and the other was sleeping in the dirt beside her. I think the bonding process is going quite well! I wish I had brouft my phone with me so I could have gotten a picture! It was a darling moment!