Wondering why you had Lucy spayed. I would've thought the reason you got two dogs of the same breed was to have a few litters in order to raise your own replacements.
PLANNED POULTRY GUARDING DOG
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- #202
Scoob is German short-haired pointer while Lucy appears German long-haired pointer but breeder would not register her as long-haired becuase she may in fact be half short-haired by Scoob's dad. If breeding to be done I want pups registered to improve odds of finding quality homes for those not held back for my use. Pups will not be sought for a few more years until Scoob starts to slow down. I am still learning about the breed as well and will research next female very carefully. We got Lucy for free. Maybe cloning technology will get cheap and so I can make another "Lucey".
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- #204
Scott, my original statement was intended as sarcasm. Too little time to elaborate then.
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- #205
Lone duck can now be released. Scoob nor Lucy causing it trouble even after dark. The contact calls may be helping dogs realize the strange white thing walking about is just a duck.
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- #206
This morning we got buzzed by a sub-adult red-tailed hawk. This time of year that is only type of hawk that concerns me. Both dogs were confined at time since just back from vet and being given cool down time. Hawk came through riling only free-ranging male chicken (bull-stag) dominique cross that ranged around house. This riled dogs so I released the hounds of hell that immediately went out in serious hurry to scene. Hawk already left so Scoob went after duck and held him down. I hollered and Scoob released him. No harm done, not even feathers. Scoob and Lucy could see hawk perched in distance but only duck was close enough to blow steam off on. Chickens in pens making racket did not help come dogs but duck was able to walk amoung dogs without being targetted. It is likely hawk was not after birds but hawk still not a welcome by anyone.
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- #207
Duck is doing fine but social problems are on horizon. Duck found dog water bowl.
Interesting interaction between us and neighbors. Neighbor to south with at least 10 free-ranging dogs was spoken to concerning his dogs coming up onto my property. Several of his dogs are big enough to stand toe to toe even with a regular LGD and they come up in groups of three, usually. Yesterday they came as a group of five and included two pitbulls, one was an intact male. I promptly got my dogs inside, checked fence charger, then drove three miles around to get to neighbor with those dogs. I have been trying to catch him at home for some time concerning those dogs since that exceed my repelling capacity and they killed or damaged some of my penned birds last year. They did not touch the free-ranging birds. Initial interaction between self and neighbor looked pretty bad. He seemed intent on kicking by butt at first but cooled down after a bit. I am more than capable of defending interest and he did math to realize same. We discussed his dogs and their killing my stock and the problems it would cause if mine did same to his cattle. He also accused me of killing four of his dogs. I fessed up on one (nephew actually did it) and had pictures of dog actually in pen with dead birds so he acknowledged we had right. I also indicated I am not keen on killing dogs I know and have actually invested a little in training a couple of the more regularly visitors with respect to ettiquite around my chickens. To get improved relationships, I suggested he take a couple of my cull games and have them live in his barn lot. He seemed real eager once he realized they are game chickens. That will get him more vested in keeping dogs of my birds and provide me with a potential walk for long-term. He also gave me $100 for birds lost. Covered birds but not pen damage which is OK if problem can be resolved long-term.
Later in day while I was doing yard work, a 6 month old male bull mastiff came past perimeter barbwire fence and was outside hotwire barking at birds in pen. I walked over to investigate. Scoob came running in from south and jumped on the much larger pup and sent it running back across fence. Pup then attempted to come to me and Scoob jumped on him again. Scoob seemed only interested in displaying dominance. Pup is a threat to birds. Owner came over fence to retrieve dog. He was clearly nervous. He commented on the large number of birds I have but did not seem to regiuster the fact the their loss would not make me happy. Scoob will not be able to repell such a large dog once it is mature.
Some people complain about dogs running loose. Most would be taken of guard if they realized how many I have to deal with. Not a single one of these dogs I am tangling with have a purpose beyond being pets. Some are claimed for the purpose of personal protection but they seemed more likely to cause troubles with small children.
Plans are being made to upgrade fencing. It will be cheaper than the half dozen LGD's otherwise required to keep actual dog packs out.
Interesting interaction between us and neighbors. Neighbor to south with at least 10 free-ranging dogs was spoken to concerning his dogs coming up onto my property. Several of his dogs are big enough to stand toe to toe even with a regular LGD and they come up in groups of three, usually. Yesterday they came as a group of five and included two pitbulls, one was an intact male. I promptly got my dogs inside, checked fence charger, then drove three miles around to get to neighbor with those dogs. I have been trying to catch him at home for some time concerning those dogs since that exceed my repelling capacity and they killed or damaged some of my penned birds last year. They did not touch the free-ranging birds. Initial interaction between self and neighbor looked pretty bad. He seemed intent on kicking by butt at first but cooled down after a bit. I am more than capable of defending interest and he did math to realize same. We discussed his dogs and their killing my stock and the problems it would cause if mine did same to his cattle. He also accused me of killing four of his dogs. I fessed up on one (nephew actually did it) and had pictures of dog actually in pen with dead birds so he acknowledged we had right. I also indicated I am not keen on killing dogs I know and have actually invested a little in training a couple of the more regularly visitors with respect to ettiquite around my chickens. To get improved relationships, I suggested he take a couple of my cull games and have them live in his barn lot. He seemed real eager once he realized they are game chickens. That will get him more vested in keeping dogs of my birds and provide me with a potential walk for long-term. He also gave me $100 for birds lost. Covered birds but not pen damage which is OK if problem can be resolved long-term.
Later in day while I was doing yard work, a 6 month old male bull mastiff came past perimeter barbwire fence and was outside hotwire barking at birds in pen. I walked over to investigate. Scoob came running in from south and jumped on the much larger pup and sent it running back across fence. Pup then attempted to come to me and Scoob jumped on him again. Scoob seemed only interested in displaying dominance. Pup is a threat to birds. Owner came over fence to retrieve dog. He was clearly nervous. He commented on the large number of birds I have but did not seem to regiuster the fact the their loss would not make me happy. Scoob will not be able to repell such a large dog once it is mature.
Some people complain about dogs running loose. Most would be taken of guard if they realized how many I have to deal with. Not a single one of these dogs I am tangling with have a purpose beyond being pets. Some are claimed for the purpose of personal protection but they seemed more likely to cause troubles with small children.
Plans are being made to upgrade fencing. It will be cheaper than the half dozen LGD's otherwise required to keep actual dog packs out.
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- #208
OPPOSSUMS, TURKEY VULTURES, RED-TAILED HAWKS, A DUCK AND A PESKY SAVANAH APE NAMED TRUEMAN
Thursday night of last week at about 0130 Scoob and Lucy caught and dispatched an opossum they caught in woods. They left carcass over by pond a little over 100 yards to south of where free-ranging birds forage. They also interfered with a squabble between coyote packs. I was there in the thick of that. Apparently this year my property represents no man’s land for coyotes.
Saturday the opossum was rotten enough for turkey vultures to have a go at it. Scoob and Lucy made multiple attempts to capture the vultures. Technique was consistent. Dogs went all the way to house and around to front door then walked to rear facing windows where Scoob looked out. When vultures came in Scoob barked a couple times and dogs bolted out front door and took opposite routes around house and too vultures. The tracks were like loops rather than direct resulting in dogs making final sprint almost from opposite directions. Each time vultures got into air when dogs where about 30 feet away. Dogs seem to arrive at almost same time. The dogs seem to be having a blast.
On second day vultures no longer coming but local breeding pair of red-tailed hawks came in at same time to clean up remains. Their chicks must be near fledging for both birds to be away from nest at same time. The hawks seem a lot better at not having dogs go after them than were vultures on previous day. Dogs flushed them once I saw that appeared not to be as coordinated as with vultures.
Sunday evening young son (Trueman the savannah ape) began chasing the lone duck about cockyard under nose of Lucy that had only recently been convinced such activity is a no-no. Trueman at 18 months is a lot slower than duck but still had fun putting duck on run. Trueman was running about laughing but chase was slow enough for duck to eat and grab water as he went. Trueman also had trouble getting past electrified fencing even though it was turned off. Duck was able to use fencing to slow Trueman considerably.
Nest of red-tailed hawks roughly 3/8 mile from house.
Remains of opossum after picked over by turkey vultures and red-tailed hawks.
Duck chasing savannah ape.
Thursday night of last week at about 0130 Scoob and Lucy caught and dispatched an opossum they caught in woods. They left carcass over by pond a little over 100 yards to south of where free-ranging birds forage. They also interfered with a squabble between coyote packs. I was there in the thick of that. Apparently this year my property represents no man’s land for coyotes.
Saturday the opossum was rotten enough for turkey vultures to have a go at it. Scoob and Lucy made multiple attempts to capture the vultures. Technique was consistent. Dogs went all the way to house and around to front door then walked to rear facing windows where Scoob looked out. When vultures came in Scoob barked a couple times and dogs bolted out front door and took opposite routes around house and too vultures. The tracks were like loops rather than direct resulting in dogs making final sprint almost from opposite directions. Each time vultures got into air when dogs where about 30 feet away. Dogs seem to arrive at almost same time. The dogs seem to be having a blast.
On second day vultures no longer coming but local breeding pair of red-tailed hawks came in at same time to clean up remains. Their chicks must be near fledging for both birds to be away from nest at same time. The hawks seem a lot better at not having dogs go after them than were vultures on previous day. Dogs flushed them once I saw that appeared not to be as coordinated as with vultures.
Sunday evening young son (Trueman the savannah ape) began chasing the lone duck about cockyard under nose of Lucy that had only recently been convinced such activity is a no-no. Trueman at 18 months is a lot slower than duck but still had fun putting duck on run. Trueman was running about laughing but chase was slow enough for duck to eat and grab water as he went. Trueman also had trouble getting past electrified fencing even though it was turned off. Duck was able to use fencing to slow Trueman considerably.
Nest of red-tailed hawks roughly 3/8 mile from house.
Remains of opossum after picked over by turkey vultures and red-tailed hawks.
Duck chasing savannah ape.
Maybe Trueman will take lessons from Scoob and Lucy on the fine art of birding. Good training for later catching of chickens.
Scott
Scott
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- #210
We got two opossums in last 24 hours. Both like that captured roughly one week ago never made it to poultry yard. We are currently hammering predators before they have a chance to cause problems.
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