Okies in the BYC The Original

[faerielady]

Well, guys... I'm having a bit of an issue.

Remember those 30 chickens I need to get to the processor? Still haven't gotten them to the processor. I called and asked when they could be scheduled and the guy said (at the time, right before Christmas) that they aren't "scheduling", just to call and find out the day before whether or not they can fit me in the next day.

This will not work for me. I need to know at least a week in advance. I have to take time off during the day to go GET the birds from Okmulgee (or she's willing to meet me in Broken Arrow), and my dad is coming with me. I have to borrow J's truck AND have the gas money to fill it, AND the processing money. I'm so frustrated about it that I could scream. I also owe the lady who has the birds for an extra 4 weeks of feed, since the processor people were so wishy washy and didn't call back like was promised.

30 chickens born end of August. I'd ask for slaughtering lessons except that 1. I can't bring them to where I live because there is NO WAY I'd be able to hide 30 meat chickens. I don't know who to ask to help me, I don't have the equipment, and I have nowhere to do this. My dad's memories of slaughtering chickens are over 40 years old... so he doesn't think he'd be much of a help.

Does anybody have any ideas? This has been one big horrible expensive mistake.

 

[muesky]

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I have guard llamas and for dogs and coyotes not a problem but they do not do squat for small things like coons or opossums and as we have found out bobcats either. I think if we did not have cats they probably would not let a bobcat come on the place but since we do they just figure them to be one of the cat herd. Which really sucks. We are talking about getting a dog. Had a pyrenees puppy but neighbor dogs taught her to kill the chickens so I found her a home with people who only have large livestock. So we are trying to decide what type to get and are leaning towards a collie or sheltie. My grandparents had collies on their farm and they were great at guarding all the livestock including the chickens and ducks. I really do not want to get a dog but with the bird loss we have had it may not be an option.

 

[michaeldaugherty]

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Yeah, I've heard of that happening. One lady bought a Great Pyr that was fully trained to work with chickens and locked in the barn with her birds, came out the next morning and found it had killed 5. It hadn't bonded with these birds yet and so saw them as either fair game or chew toys.

I got these dogs fully prepared to lose a few birds in their training, which is okay for me since I don't get really attached to most of them like some folks do (although I do have my exceptions). In the long term, these dogs are far more valuable to me and the future of my place than any individual bird, which are all food eventually, anyway. The dogs will protect far more livestock over the long term than they will harm during their clumsy years.

That's the way I look at it, anyway.

I read a post on BYC wer a guys dogs chased of hawks. AN one guy postd that his dog eat the dead birds but never touch the live ones. An if his roo"s startd fighting his dog would brake thim up.

 

[poultryand bees]

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Can you choose a date that would work for you and then call the DARP processor the day before to see if they can be processed? If you try that for two different dates and can't get it worked out, you can either 1) take them to an auction or 2) I will show you how I process chickens and we can do it in my backyard - but I skin chickens rather than blanching them and plucking them. Removing the skin takes off all the feathers at the same time and I can process one in about 15 minutes - head chopped, evicerated and skinned. They aren't particularly "pretty" but once they are cooked, who cares about "pretty." You do lose the skin though so if you planned to fry them, that wouldn't work.

 

[bigokie37]

we had a pyr. when i raised game chickens that would break up the roosters if they got loose an started fighting.she would grab them up an carry them off aways an let them go without hurting a feather on them.even when they fought at her.we started her on a chain in the pen an would only let her loose when we were in the yard with them.also found several owls she had caught at night an she killed them.

 

[countyroad1330]

Grace - Glad to hear your roos gallop too. I was starting to wonder if maybe one of his hidden toes was shorter than it should be or something. Lol

Alright where's Buster tonight? I need some homework help. Lol. Have a 10 page paper due Friday and can't find sources!

 

[MAllen]

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That's because you can't get milk from soy, all you can get is soy juice.

 

[countyroad1330]

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I don't even know what this is in response too, but I found it pretty darn funny. Thanks for the laugh!

Sorry you're irritated though... That parts not funny... Not too funny anyway...

 

[nnbreeder]

Personally I would go with an Anatolian Sheperd. A collie of sheltie either one would have a hard time with a Coyote or a big boar Coon.

Two things that you should never do with a working dog is to play with them or socialize them to people. Part of the dog's job is to not be concerned with how many legs a predator has. We have had as much problem with two legged as four legged in the past. But with this comes great responsibility too. Good fences must be maintained and gates locked tight.


Basic obedience training is a must, a dog that you do not have absolute control over is worthless and a liability.


Buster I used to have a hard time dispatching stray dogs. Then one day I got a call from Teva and she was frantic. A dog had ran her colt through a fence and he had a gash over a foot long on the inside of his front leg. She had the trailer hooked up and Hotshot loaded when I got there and Teva applied direct pressure while riding in the trailer to the vet. My attitude changed greatly during that trip. As luck would have it all it did was to tear flesh loose and he made a full recovery.

 

[michaeldaugherty]

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Man that would be a good deal to have a dog like that.