Please Help, Need Dog Lost my Sweet Girl

[ShellyLynnW]

Hello everyone! I'm 1st time posting here and just joined, though I've come here often for help with my Sweet flock, and don't know what I would've done without your great help and advice! As excited as I am to be here, I'm heartbroken today. I lost my only sweet white Silkie girl last night in an attack that I was unable to stop. I've raised my flock from day olds. I have 10 LEGHORNS and I've lost three silkies to predators and two (dangerously close to 3) Leghorns. Mostly a neighbor's dog, and that situation is mostly handled, but I live in an area where coyotes, racoons etc are all around. I literally go out all night, even though their Coop is Fort Knox. I'm getting pygmy goats thanks to the kindness of a friend who is making them very affordable. I cried all night over Lucy, my Sweet Silkie, and I don't think I can handle much more loss! I've gone through my options and I know an LGD is the right way to go. My husband won't allow it unless I'm breeding them, which is ok, but I know the cost is high, and I'm having quite a time finding any in Portage Co Ohio. If anyone knows the right way to go about this, please let me know. I want my Sweet girls to be safe, and they deserve to be! My email is shelly2601@gmail if anyone can help me. I'm trying to get odds and ends together to have money, but I am afraid I won't have enough, especially if they're from out of area!? Thank you in advance! And even if nobody knows, I can't thank you all enough for all the amazing information, my girls that bring me such joy and delicious eggs , are very healthy, thanks to this site!!

 

[pwiker]

May I suggest http://www.agoodeviewalpacafarm.com/maremmas-italian-herd-dogs.php where you can talk to James about a Maremma puppy. I believe that he may have one or two left from the last litter. That's where we got our sweet little Maya.

 

[FrankieDoodle]

Welcome to byc! I'm sorry about your chickens. It's tough to lose them, probably
even more so to a predator.

 

[ShellyLynnW]

To Pwicker-Thank you so much! When I've read about the dogs, I'll admit, they're all adorable (I'm an animal LOVER), But, I instantly fell in love with the maremma breed! Beautiful dog! Thank you so much for the information, and I will definitely try to get in touch with them tmrw! Hopefully I can afford. I'm excited tho! I know my husband wants me to breed, but got to get one to get the other, takes two, I'll be happy with anything that can keep my animals safe, I also rescued an abandoned tiny kitten, who just isn't growing and I worry about her. She's been here months and is still so tiny and stays very close to home! I'll be thrilled with any LGD mating pair, so that my husband will be ok, and my animals safe, and quite frankly, I really love dogs too! Thank you so much again for responding!

 

[ShellyLynnW]

Welcome to byc! I'm sorry about your chickens. It's tough to lose them, probably
even more so to a predator.

Thank you, yes, it's heart breaking. And I feel so stupid for not realizing until the first four were gone that a well behaved (with ppl at least) dog would do that!? But this last one really was heart wrenching, she was my silly sweet girl. Lucy would "waddle" as my daughter puts it, around after me wherever I went. I cried all night, and sad to say, I could barely pull it together to comfort my poor son and daughter, who loved her dearly as well. An LGD dog is all I know to do, all that's left really! My husband, understandably, just wants to only have animals that can financially benefit us (he won't listen to my argument that they are by saving our producers!) But, I understand. Times are tight right now, and he knows me, I'll end up rescuing anything and everything I can, and then we have to feed and care for it