PLANNED POULTRY GUARDING DOG

[centrarchid]

First electrified fence is now in place around cockyard 1. It is not expected to deny wildlife but will give stray dogs some powerful entertainment that will be backed up by my dogs ambushing them. My dogs are in the process of learning how to negotiate fencing and should shortly be jumping it like a wiley coyote does. They can clear it easily but need to judge it better. Scoob knows the business of avoiding shocks but Lucy is still a bit confused. Care must be taken not to allow her to get scared of hotwire. This and other so formed paddocks will be used to enable rotating of sheep and goat herds that will manage pasture. Eventually I will have eight paddocks ranging in area between 1 and 2 acres. Next I need to construct ponds and planted cover. Then perimeter fencing to keep neighbors cattle from "accidently" grazing my recovering lush areas when not fenced into a paddock in use.

 

[centrarchid]

After 96 hours fence was finally made hot. Two reasons for this, first to allow dogs and deer to become accustomed to it, second the charger unit was a dud requiring swapping out at retailer. Fence now good and hot. Once hot, Scoob and Lucy both got popped once. After that both are keenly aware of fencing and no longer just walk through it. Scoob will jump through and over it but Lucy is a little hesitant. Both are using gate which will be modified shortly so that only way to get through without me helping will be by jumping it and hotwires one it. Both dogs are very good at jumping and seem to enjoy the extra coursing required to patrol.

 

[centrarchid]

GRAY FOX AT 0430


Gray fox, my first one since moving to this new location, tried to put moves on young dominique crosses closest to house with baby monitor on top. From bed I could hear birds flush from side of pen and then dogs come in like a holy terror, presumably from direction of house. Dogs knocked down a stretch of hot wire in the excitement and pup may have got shocked but stayed on mission. It took a little over a minute for me to get sox, shoes, no pants, and coat put on so hoody on top and rifle to pursue as well. Tracks of all participants very clear in snow. Fox walked perimeter of coop then attempted to lunge through coop and bouncing of but scaring birds. Fox did not have time for second lunge since dogs got there fast with all three sets of tracks heading south into woods. That was first time a fox used that escape route. Gray fox got up on things a lot before getting to coop, apparently to eat residual feed (mostly corn) in bucket on top of a coop. For me, walking very difficult since snow nearly 16" with ice layer at 14" and freshly fallen 2" on top. Even dogs are skating on it but they seem to enjoy that. Wildlife is hurting since last summer's drought and the later winter snow is deep. Fox will likely return because its a gray and eats are hard to come by until snow melts. Dogs will be busy.

 

[centrarchid]

Fox returned almost to the minute relative to previous visit yesterday. Reaction time of dogs was much shorter as if dogs were watching and waiting for fox. THis gray fox is like typical red fox in being relatively consistent when making rounds.

 

[scottcaddy]

It's good to see dogs are watching out for Mr. Fox. You must have tall boots to handle 16" of snow without pants.

Scott

 

[centrarchid]

TRAINING REBOOT: DARN DUCKS

Last time I had ducks Jimmy Carter was President of the U.S.A. Sadly that has had to change. Scoob and Lucy patrol an area that is centered on poultry yard but not restricted to my property. In past Scoob has intervened multiple times on behalf of neighbor's poultry including his waterfowl. We bagged two raccoons and a skunk for neighbor and Scoob would trot right through neighbors flock of waterfowl without paying them mind. Adolescent Lucy is another matter. She no longer abuses my chickens and is settling into her role with them well but she likes to go after ducks. The interest in neighbors ducks is likely an expansion in her interest in wild waterflowl; namely woodducks, mallards, blue-winged teal, Canada geese, and some sort of shoveler that has been working my ponds. They are also going after muskrat but those are beyond either dogs current skill set and digging for them I will not allow. Lucy has lately taken to visiting neighbor without Scoob and stalks his ducks. Scoob gets frustrated, I am guessing, and comes back to house and gets underfoot. Neighbor has taken to shooting Lucy with BB gun but she does not respect it from range he has used it. Going after neighbors stock is not acceptable so I must resume training process to at least get domestic waterfowl off Lucy's to be chased list. Hawks and owls are still OK to chase.

Last night at about 2100 I decided to get into waterfowl and had located and went with Scoob to purchase a mallard drake for $5 from a lady located on Craigslist. It is some version of Pekin that is about half again as large as a wild mallard with a base white coloration and random specklings of wild-type coloration. Duck was a bully at previous owners yard. Scoob thinks duck is cool but should not be in yard. It took about 1 minute of growled out "no" to get point across for Scoob. Lucy's interaction did not occur until following morning because both dogs where confined to house for night which forced me into pre-Scoob mode where I had to go out and chase off critters dogs alerted me too. Red fox came in multiple times but not after chickens. Bugger is after voles in fen between house and cockyard. Fox can get in and hunt like that when dogs inside and chickens stay quite. I like quite chickens.

The following morning Lucy went promptly to pen holding lone duck and tried to get at him. I had a fiberglass fence post that I swung everytime she went after duck. I have whacked her with it in past related to other issues and she knows it's sound very well. Every time I swung I also said no. It took less than a minute to get her to stop by simply saying "no" and less than 10 minutes to get her simply walk past pen without even looking at it. When I said "no" Lucy would run the 100+ feet to get to me and roll over at my feet, then go back to pen. Duck was taunting her by hissing even then. Later in evening after I got home from work I repeated "no" a single time and Lucy went on patrol with Scoob. I still kept both confined in house for most of night but now allowed them out when they got riled. Fox returned on one occasion early in night but not after. Later excursions took dogs to neighbors where his waterfowl were acting up. Dogs in past have left waterfowl alone after night and targeted predator and thankfully this was realized. I do not think neighbor realizes Scoob and Lucy visit every night, often multiple times on a given night. Scoob has been doing it for more than a year. Only sign left would be dead coon left on mobile coop.

Lucy will have to demonstrate trustworthiness around duck for prolonged periods when she and duck are free-ranging together without her knowing I am about. Looks like this may progress more rapidly than with chickens. Then I will get a hen so we can have duckies that will crap on back porch.

 

[scottcaddy]

TRAINING REBOOT: DARN DUCKS

Dogs in past have left waterfowl alone after night and targeted predator and thankfully this was realized. I do not think neighbor realizes Scoob and Lucy visit every night, often multiple times on a given night. Scoob has been doing it for more than a year. Only sign left would be dead coon left on mobile coop.

Lucy will have to demonstrate trustworthiness around duck for prolonged periods when she and duck are free-ranging together without her knowing I am about. Looks like this may progress more rapidly than with chickens. Then I will get a hen so we can have duckies that will crap on back porch.

You have a lucky neighbor!! And it sounds like Lucy will work out OK, I Hope so for all concerned.

Scott (do you really want a poopie porch?)

Scott

 

[centrarchid]

You have a lucky neighbor!! And it sounds like Lucy will work out OK, I Hope so for all concerned.

Scott (do you really want a poopie porch?)

Scott

Sarcasm.

 

[centrarchid]

NOW CATCHING ADULT SONGBIRDS

Two days ago female (Lucy) was taken off job (location) for 24 hours to be fixed (neutered). Scoob immediately changed his habits by staying closer to house and making only brief excursions around property. He patrolled areas chickens where kept but not territory perimeter. During this time he started going after songbirds (American robins, northern mockingbirds and cardinals). He invested considerable catlike effort and actually caught a female mockingbird. Scoob is very fast and used cover to mask his approaches but normally birds get away with no problem. My songbirds may not be all in best of health for such to happen. He did not eat catch and even chickens pecking it over would not consume it. Lucy is not back and behaves well around lone duck but she is still confined of time to allow surgery wound to heal. Even she would not mockingbird and she eats anything including rotten mink. Mockingbirds must taste bad. Scoob stopped chasing songbirds once Lucy came back. Both dogs were distressed by separation.

 

[aart]

Love reading the updates to this saga.