PLANNED POULTRY GUARDING DOG

[Chickenfan4life]

I was stealing chicks from hen after dark when she was easier to handle. The bitties were placed in a 5-gallon bucket so they could not jump out causing me aggrivation. German short-haired was not by first choice with respect to breed, pup was free and I had lots of experience using hunting dogs as LGD's. First choice was a free Great Pyrenees but it would have been several weeks behind and I had reservations about feed bills and aggression issues. We have several LGD's at work and several are more people aggressive than I desire around infant son. Also want to acquire sheep later and I am more confindent in my abilities with a breaking an adult hunting dog of harming sheep than an independent minded adult Great Pyrenees that had not been properly imprinted on sheep.

Oh, I see.

 

[centrarchid]

CLOSING OUT 2012 PRODUCTION SEASON


This has been a drought year making so pasture performed poorly after late June. I have hatched in total only 150 chicks and never had more than 80 birds free-ranging at any giving moment. Bad year in regards to birds produced but had minimal disease issues and lost only one bird to predator that was caged and that was to a very large dog that had three associates with it that were also larger than average; dumber too. During same time frame Scoob and I took out 6 raccoons, at least twice as many oppossums, one red fox, one juvenile skunk and one female mink. New pup acquired for nothing caught parvo, likely from mink and now cost $600 in vet bills alone, and coming along nicely already performing like Scoob's wingman that will soon be able to deny Mr, Fox's ability to out turn Scoob when chase is at full speed. Yesterday a cohort of the gamestags decided it was battle royal time so as a result everybody is going into pens which I am building frantically to contend with intention of keeping all birds housed singly this winter.


FOX MAKES TRY

All but one group was penned last night and Mr. Fox tried what I would do if dead set on getting one of Scoob and Lucy's birds. Those birds were roosting as pile in ground outside of a pen at perimeter of property which made so dogs had to run farther to get to location. Fox snuck in, grabbed a 1/2 grown American dominique and started running other way with bird screaming. Scoob barreled across front porch with Lucy behind him torwards the moving sound of screaming bird. About 5 seconds later I could here Scoob growling and screaming of bird stopped. I walked up to where growling occured and found bird standing there with almost no damage and could hear Scoob and Lucy running in woods tracking fox. I picked up bird and took it back in pile with rest that barely moved. By this time Scoob came back and checked every pen and Lucy sniffed the birds heavily, especially the one fox had mouthed. Even a 3 lb chicken must really slow fox down so next year he needs to go after smaller birds or find way to kill without it making a sound, then run.

 

[cgmccary]

I have been following this thread, and it is very interesting. I appreciate the detail you give. Like you, I too have dogs that are not true LGD breeds but which function the same way (and my dogs come inside a lot too - I leave a couple out to sound the alarm and then send out the muscle). I like the fact they are loyal to me and the place and so whatever animal belongs on the place is accepted.

I use a Shepherd mix, a couple of hound mixes (and recently two Treeing Feists (aka Mountain Cur dogs -- still puppies) that were dumped on my road. The Shepherd mix keeps things run off and will attack coyotes, coons, opossums, etc.-- she is the muscle. The predators don't even test her anymore; the winter pack of cvoyotes will probe my perimeter. My main issue right now is that my Buckeyes range really far out in the deep woods and so it is impossible for my Shepherd mix to cover all the ground. The hounds like to go running in the woods all day but are home at night (they are only good for barking at things).

Wanted to let you know I enjoy the thread. Btw, I stocked my livestock (I have cows and a donkey) pond with Bluegill. When the drought last year reduced the pond to about 6 inches, a Blue Heron pretty much cleaned me out but surprisely, some Bluegill somehow survived. The minnows are still numerous. I noticed your BYC handle. Before my life & profession now, I was a Paleontologist (geologist) with biology minor but know my largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill (whatever else is a Centrarchid - they have been around since the mid-Miocene, thereabouts -- used to have a fossil one).

 

[centrarchid]

Very cool. I never saw a fossil Centrarchid but have to deal more with behavior instead.


I am into fossils but not professionally. My sister found a couple phalanges and claw of a dinosaur washed out of berm to a horse watering pond. Critter disarticulated but could still tell what parts were. Since, fascination has been with birds as dinosaurs which gamechickens make for very good examples of the smaller predatory species excepting lacking teeth, tail and functional claws on forelimbs.

 

[Hilatious]

Been reading your thread and I would love to get your opinion about a trained bird hunting dog. I am currently training my female Rott/German Shepard mix to be a LGD, all is going well. My husband has a male GSH/Lab mix that he has trained for hunting (pointing and retrieving). He has asked me not to allow his dog around the chickens in fear it will mess with his training, which I totally respect. But it would be much more harmonious to keep them paired. I've been trying to do my research but cant find much helpful info.

 

[centrarchid]

My dogs have no problem distinguishing birds based on species and with chickens they can tell individuals appart. My male still goes after timberdoodles and quail which are both gamebirds yet does not go after chickens. I suspect a hunting dog could be relied upon to distinguish other bird species. I expect a coonhound to target raccoons but leave other critters such as rabbits, oppossums and deer alone; again the assumption is dog can distinguish species.

 

[Hilatious]

Thanks for your input. Me and my husband came to an agreement that if I don't punish Buck for harming a bird I can work with him. We agree that he can distinguish different species but he doesn't want any bad association with birds.
Challenge accepted.

 

[centrarchid]

TOO MUCH OWL TIME RESULTS IN BAD CASE OF OPPOSSUM-UGLY NEXT TO YOU IN PASTURE

Tonight has been clear with nearly full moon making for perfect owl visiting conditions. This round was a great-horned that was going about knocking birds off roost but being thwarted by Scoob since owl not allowed to make catch and kill on ground. I finally figured out how great-horned owl as been getting birds off roost. While laying out in pasture amoung some uncut grasses I watched for owl to return after being chased off maybe 15 minutes prior. When owl flew back in it came in relatively hard and fast and landed roughly near a targeted bird which bailed from tree and went to ground to start a commotion that all other birds nearby also started to follow. All birds fluffed in a very particular manner that will be uploaded later. This round I simply stayed on ground and watched for a good 45 minutes. Owl remained in same location for almost entire time but would not go after birds on ground just 30 feet away and in plain sight. Owl did not seem aware of my presence but did track Scoob. Scoob had gone off into woods until birds started cackling then returned pretty quickly to sit by me watching owl and make low growls. Periodically Scoob would then check on cackling birds with owl tracking him as he walked about looking back up at owl. Towards end of this observation period I began flashing light on owl but it totally ignored light. This got Scoob riled enough to stand up on his hind legs under owl and jump up and down like pogo-stick causing owl to fly off with Scoob in hot pursuit until fence reached. As I got up I felt something warm curled up against my arm. I put light on it to find Scoob hat brought a another darn oppossum up from woods and just layed it next to me as I watched owl. Sucker was alive and essentially unharmed but playing "oppossum". It was smiling and slobbering trying to look sexy I guess.

 

[centrarchid]

SCOOB ACTUALLY CAUGHT A BARRED OWL TRYING TO GET INTO BROODER IN GARAGE

Tonight has been a relatively moonless and windy night so great-horned owls not a real concern. I had left garage door open because is it will be a warm night. At just after 2000 (8:00 PM) Scoob got riled and rushed out front door and then into garage. A few game pullets were roosting free in garage (to be corrected by tomorrow) so I though initially that was cause of commotion. I went around back into house to enter garage through house-garage door and saw Scoob holding what I at first thought was Elmer (rooster with inner ear problem) down on floor but quickly saw Elmer was on his roost. It was a barred owl. Initially I thought owl was dead so as Scoob stood over it lying on its back, I went to get camera. As I came back Scoob got me and owl was flying about with Lucy trying to jump up at it. Owl fluttered into parlor falling to floor where Scoob pinned it down again. I quickly ran over, held Scoob back and grabbed owl to keep it from further harm. That was an Ouchy moment because bugger taloned me between fingers as I picked it up. Talons could not penetrate my skin anywhere but between fingers bur it still smarted. I held owl only long enough to inspect for damage and photograph it. To best of my knowledge bird was not hurt so it was released after being taken well away from house. In flight it looked huge but I doubt it weighed 1.5 lbs even when wet. I think it was a male. Scoob and Lucy chased owl off into dark making sure it did not land close I guess. As I type Scoob is lying on bed watching me and listening to his chickens. Lucy still wants a piece of that owl. Game pullets were also doing the fluff up with head down just like they do for great-horned owl.

Barred owl. Watch out for talons.


Presumed target - aquarium serving as brooder for American dominique chicks.


Game hen showing posture chickens make while on roost in response to owl . Usually neck more outstetched and extended at roughly 45 degree angle below horizontal.

 

[centrarchid]

RACCOON GETS ONE HEN EARLY THIS MORNING

Details on this later. We are going to get coon before it gets chicken number two. We know exactly where it sleeps!