PLANNED POULTRY GUARDING DOG

[centrarchid]

Way more.... cause the main variable is that animals are not hawk prey so dogs don't chase them off....but I understand.

Some of the LGD's charged with sheep and goats do chase the hawk (post #375) indicating perceived threat to herd mates is not the only consideration. Observations related in that post deal with LGD's charged with ruminants rather than poultry.

 

[centrarchid]

GREAT-HORNED OWL VISITED TWICE IN EARLY MORNING HOURS

Early this morning at about 0215 a dogs erupted into a barking fit I could hear even from bed. Both were under trees on far side of pens in pasture. About 10 minutes later Scoob came into house to recruit me so I got up and looked around thoroughly but could not find cause of commotion although dogs indicated it was in those trees. A quick check of chickens indicated they were not aware of even dogs as all were asleep in usual locations. Apparently my presence caused the bad guy to leave. I went back inside only to be roused by Scoob a second time about an hour later and this time chickens were stirred up a bit and a game hen was displaced into a bramble patch a good 100 feet from her roosting site. Lucy was tracking all around hen on ground and repeatedly coming up on her to restart process. Both dogs were looking up a so my thought is they were looking for an owl. The hen was left on ground because cover was heavy enough to make so owl was unlikely to find her before dawn and the dogs working area made her safe from even Mr. Fox that often comes in after owl disturbs roosting birds. As I starting walking back to house I could here neighbor's ducks to north go crazy and one sounded briefly distressed. In all likelihood the owl is trying to find an easy to catch bird and we repelled it twice before it moved after the water fowl. That was a pattern in previous years where owl would at least visit multiple locations and you could hear the commotion.

 

[scottcaddy]

GREAT-HORNED OWL VISITED TWICE IN EARLY MORNING HOURS

Early this morning at about 0215 a dogs erupted into a barking fit I could hear even from bed. Both were under trees on far side of pens in pasture. About 10 minutes later Scoob came into house to recruit me so I got up and looked around thoroughly but could not find cause of commotion although dogs indicated it was in those trees. A quick check of chickens indicated they were not aware of even dogs as all were asleep in usual locations. Apparently my presence caused the bad guy to leave. I went back inside only to be roused by Scoob a second time about an hour later and this time chickens were stirred up a bit and a game hen was displaced into a bramble patch a good 100 feet from her roosting site. Lucy was tracking all around hen on ground and repeatedly coming up on her to restart process. Both dogs were looking up a so my thought is they were looking for an owl. The hen was left on ground because cover was heavy enough to make so owl was unlikely to find her before dawn and the dogs working area made her safe from even Mr. Fox that often comes in after owl disturbs roosting birds. As I starting walking back to house I could here neighbor's ducks to north go crazy and one sounded briefly distressed. In all likelihood the owl is trying to find an easy to catch bird and we repelled it twice before it moved after the water fowl. That was a pattern in previous years where owl would at least visit multiple locations and you could hear the commotion.

I am thinking that you have a couple of trained dogs working for you, while you are getting some sleep!

Scott

 

[centrarchid]

The owl action has already started tonight. This cannot all be Great-horned Owl action. The chickens are not getting stirred up enough. I think some smaller type of owl is also coming in but can't be big enough to go after chickens. The small rodents are very abundant and this is the time of year the migrant owls should be coming through as well.

 

[scottcaddy]

I hope that you get/got a good nights sleep tonight!

Scott

 

[centrarchid]

Dogs were at it all last night. I got called out once. I also went out half asleep thinking a chicken was being killed in front yard because I heard what I thought was squawlling. Sound turned out to be Trueman sleeping next to me and snoring, Too much pizza before bed caused that. Dogs are now exhausted with Scoob laying by front door listening and sniffing. Lucy is covered in stick-tights and now zonked. Both will still explode into action and will run a patrol as I feed,.

 

[centrarchid]

Below is a satellite image of a neighbor operating a diversified animal production operation. Neighbor with about 100 head of sheep, between 100 and 200 chickens, and 5 Great Pyrenees adults. They also have a small dairy cattle herd. Blue box represents about 120 acres of a 200 acre area grazed by sheep. Dogs roam same area and further after dark. Red indicates where dogs stay during day. Yellow circle represents area foraged by chickens during day while they roost in multiple locations during night. Area ranged is not actually circular as depicted, rather birds tend to stay closer to cover and follow road ways. Entire area is over grazed. Chickens are lost during day to south and west of where dogs stay, mostly to hawks. Hawks hunt from trees along stream to south and power-poles along road to southwest. At night when dogs are out red foxes are thought to come into building to pull low roosting birds. A little tweaking could make this setup work much better with respect to controlling losses to predators although forage management is actually a much bigger problem. This is a classic example of where livestock guarding dogs are not effective at protecting chickens although they do a good job of protecting sheep. Dogs are provided only small amounts of purchased feed while bulk of nutrition comes from eating offal and occasional carcasses from livestock. In that respect, these dogs do operate more like how their ancestors operated in Europe and Asia.

 

[centrarchid]

Over last few evenings red bats could be seen foraging over pens and gully where front porch flock forages. This usually means their is a qualitative change in flying insects resulting from the heavy frosts. Other species are impacted as well and will shortly cause an uptick in the number of predators visiting. Balance of persimmons are ripening to look like droopy orange bags hanging from branches. Lucy and now even Trueman really like going after those. My dogs are also bringing up deer parts from woods likely stolen from coyotes. Coyotes at least will be occupied with cleaning up deer carcasses at least through Christmas so they are not likely to even visit us other than to pass through.

 

[TeaChick]

We have GSDs. The male pretends the chickens (free range) don't exist, the female tries to eat them if she's outside alone (but only when she's in heat), and the pup(s) treat them as litter mates (Please come play with me...; the chickens' response is a resounding I don't think so!!!). lol

 

[centrarchid]

FOX PROBING TO SOUTH OF PEN AREA

A fox, most likely red, probing area to south of pens. Two perimeters of fence separate probed area from pens. Dogs appear very much aware of fox and over last couple nights since temperature dropped into low twenties (F), the dogs launch what might be described as sorties against fox. The fox is coming in almost certainly for the abundant rodents (voles, white-footed mice and rice rats) that are very abundant this year. In an effort to figure out what causes dogs to barrel down their, I moved couch to front porch where Trueman and I could lay to hear what dogs were up. This was Trueman's first camping trip and he like it but promptly fell asleep. Before each run dogs would do some very low level growling as they lay on ground looking over pasture where fox was located. The growling has until probably the last few runs been followed by barking as the dogs run top speed down to where fox is located. Distance is a good 400 feet at least. Dogs seem to have switched tactics and are now running without barking until the very last second although they still sound like horses as they run down paths and crash into heavy grass were fox hunts. After five minutes or so dogs come back, usually checking on things as they go (I can see them easily because of the clear sky and bright moon). Upon their return each time they usually lay down, especially Scoob, as if sleeping but are oriented in the same direction as before until next round. I think dogs are waiting for is sounds produced by fox pouncing and possibly a rodent squealing as fox catches it. The grass is very crispy but my hearing is no longer good enough to hear anywhere near as good as dogs can. Wind is totally wrong for detection by smell. I doubt dogs can see fox directly because of all the high weed patches and even some small trees obstructing view. If I were dogs. then I would trot down quietly without advertising I am present and make attack by darting out from path. They can be very quite if they stay on short and still green grass. The red fox is very, very persistent in its willingness to come back even after being run off. I had noticed similar before Lucy was acquired and Scoob and before that me operated alone to keep chickens from working pens. Fox keeps coming back until it gets a close call or gets killed. Owing to furbearing season opening tomorrow I am going have a little fun and up ante by confining dogs and positioning myself with predator call and .22 rifle where I can get a pelt. Fox comes in about same time every night shortly after midnight so entire night need not be wasted. Dogs will still be able to alert me if they start barking and may distract fox from me.