PLANNED POULTRY GUARDING DOG

[3riverschick]

I am very familiar with coyote hunting methods (I am also zoologist that studies wildlife). Coyotes in my area largely single hunters. Pack activity when it comes to territorial disputes (between packs) usually has cooperation of only mated pair. The pups that add up to six howl a lot but noncombatents.

My German short-haired pointers will weigh 55 to 75 pounds and be operating on their home turf. Size extremely important, more often than not dogs will have coyotes out numbered and home turf in itself gives dogs confidence and gives coyotes pause when hunting in someone elses turf.

If we had wolves or coyote - wolf hybrids as exist in NE US, then your concerns would be shared and dog breed and number of dogs would have to be upgraded or my free range system would be revised. My reality is 35 pound coyotes and 35 pound bobcats, both will stand down when my 55 pound plus LGD presses issue.

I am not a romantic in respect to invulnerability of wildlife. They are mortal and will seldom put themselves at risk for a piddly meal of chicken. I also will use firemarms if needed but will face hand to hand any predator except a skunk if gun not immediately available since I am up on my shots.

Great Pyrs in pairs will hunt coyotes and destroy the coyotes.
Karen

 

[centrarchid]

Great Pyrs in pairs will hunt coyotes and destroy the coyotes.
Karen

A group of five adult Great Pyrenees down the road are less effective than my dog at protecting chickens. I am racking up lots of expereince with Great Pyrenees at work and getting insight from farmers using them them and they are not the best in all situations for protecting poultry. Also here, coyotes are not a problem. Foxes, raccoons and oppossoms are problems. Dog does not have to be big to tackle smaller predators but with fox speed and smarts helps which Great Pyrenees lack on both counts.

 

[centrarchid]

CRAFTY PREDATOR USING FENCE AGAINST US


Darn raccoon coming up from woods has a route starting from den below our woods to south. Critter starts route by coming up ditch through my woods then hitting pond in pasture before taking fence row to trailer court where where I think it hits feed left out for cats. It is on return route across my pasture that critter gets into pens at extreme of my birdyard. It makes a quick effort to grab a bird causing bird to make alarm call with Scoob then barreling over but critter then beats retreat to trailor court where Scoob and I cannot follow. Livetrap has been set out but Scoob keeps chasing critter before it has chance to get in. Tonight Scoob will be confined inside and I will hunker down with livetrap placed on route coon takes. If it proves to be trapwise which it may be, the I am banking on being able to get raccoon commit to far enough out into feild than when Scoob is loosed the bugger will not be able to get into trailor court. Strategy is for me to cut behind raccoon and push it down hill then let Scoob to tree it before bugger reaches den trees down in woods. Too many den trees.

 

[centrarchid]

RIGGGING PENS AND FENCING TO MAKE DOG'S JOB EASIER

A red fox has been coming for some time causing a commotion before Scoob runs it off. Like critter above it has been using boarder fence as cover. It actually got a low roosting game stag on night I had Scoob penned to work on raccoon. I very much want to actually get this fox and will use pens and fencing to funnel him into trap where odds of Scoob catching him are much higher. Yesterday I put most of the pens in a straight and touching. Today I will put out a strip of orange construction fencing to form a V-shape with line of pens. If fox tries to work perimeter of pens like he typically does, then Scoob (possibly with Lucy's help) may be able to corner and catch fox for proper dispatching. I may still have to restrain Scoob until fox in proper position.

 

[aart]

Fascinating thread, thanks for taking the time to document all this. Wish more people understood what it takes to properly choose and train a dog. Curious as to where you are located.

 

[centrarchid]

Central Missouri. Setting is rural but not supported by economically sustainable agriculture. Predator community is typical for midwest but domestic dog population is extremely high, especially when considering those running about some days. I am still learning area.

 

[centrarchid]

Neighbor is suffering losses from same great-horned owl that visits me pretty regularly. He has a dog as well but is confined. Additionaly owl is taking waterfowl during day. I saw owl leave his place after it got a duck and based on that and direction it takes from mine, nest site is at most 200 yards away from my house. Dogs are going to be busy during the 2013 production season.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

My brother in law told me about his neighbor's Anatolian Shepherd, and how he watched it trying to protect its flock of chickens against a bald eagle. The dog kept trying to herd all the chickens under a truck that was parked in the field and then go out to stand over the carcass of the one chicken the eagle had killed before the Anatolian chased it off. The dog would run out to guard the downed chicken and then have to run back and chase the live ones back under the truck.

We have a 14 month old Anatolian Shepherd and he spends about an hour a day out guarding the chickens while I let them free range in the afternoon. He takes his job very seriously.

 

[centrarchid]

Some dogs to take job seriously. It is a marvel to see them in action.

 

[centrarchid]

NORTHERN HARRIER PUT ON RUN

Today an adult male northern harrier hawk flew low and slow over pasture to east of house. Dogs stood in front yard watching for some time before trying to slip in behind it in an all out sprint. They closed distance to withing 50 feet before hawk new it was being tailed which caused hawk to put on after-burners get get up and out of reach. Hawk did not leave area but rather tried for another run on far end of feild. Too many voles to pass up and dogs can be beat when packing such little fare. Chickens only range that pasture during summer and harriers are all up north then. My brother claims he lost a juvenile game chicken to a harrier but I have yet to see such a hawk go after my birds. The northern harrier is the prettiest large hawk in my opinion.