Stranger Danger and Flock Addition Suggestion

[superchemicalgirl]

I live out in the boonies near the end of a dead end dirt road.

My neighbor who lives in the house before mine on the road states that he saw 3 "teenagers" walk up my driveway earlier this week. One came back out down my driveway and down the road. The other two did not. Neighbor "chased him down" and asked him if he knew the people that lived there. The kid said "yeah."

Neighbor asked me today if I knew the kids. I absolutely do not.

Neighbor tells me what one of the kids looks like, he's a kid that I see frequently walking down the road with some other kids. Neighbor also thinks the other kids might have been cutting through my yard to the trailer on the road behind my property. Why they'd do that versus walking down the road, I don't know. Like I said, I'm pretty rural, and no one should be on my property.

Cutting to the chase: Is there some kind of free range fowl that will defend and protect while I'm away at work? Right now I'm working a ton and am hardly ever here. Or even something that's going to make a ton of noise and alert me if someone's in the yard? I can barely hear people pull up to my house in a vehicle, as it is. I was thinking guineas but I don't want to alienate the entire road, as I hear guineas don't stay put on your property.



And yes, I do sleep with a loaded 12 gauge shotgun next to the bed, and I'm armed out the wazoo.

I'm really upset about all this. Your home should be your castle, not your fortress.

But if this helps me get the emu I've always wanted...

 

[billfields]

Geese and/or guineas. I hear that guineas make great watchbirds and I remember my Poppy's geese chasing anyone that came into yard.

 

[Lollipop]

Tell ya what, Super, geese are great watchdogs. White Chinese recommended. They eat weeds, are very hardy, and some ganders are quite ferocious. Seems that everyone has a mean goose story. I love my geese, but wifey Sandee had a time taming the first gander we had. He would attack her housecoat and she would grab his scrawney neck and scold him. Then she would kiss him on his topknot and turn him loose. After about 6 times, he got the idea and became very docile. Still made a lot of racket when something strange was going on. Lotsa goose stories. They`re smart as dogs. Hope I never have to live anywhere without my geese again. I have guineas also, and while they are very entertaining and great watchdogs during the day, at night they don`t see as well as geese and they want to roost in trees, which makes them vulnerable to owls and in the daytime, hawks and any number of predators day and night. I started with 20 keats and ended up with 3 adults. However, I live in the woods, on the side of a mountain. Geese are the way to go. Good luck...................Pop

 

[sadies chicks]

My cousins trained their turkeys to be "watch turkeys" they were evil. I agree with the geese!

 

[gryeyes]

Geese.

I am raising up two Toulouse goslings to be flock watch geese.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Great, I'll have to check geese out. I know next to nothing about them - except I do have a goose story. We had one when I was real little. My older sister teased it once. Once. It chased my sister down to the barn. She tried to climb over the fence to get away from it. When my mom and I finally found her she was half up the fence with a goose attached to her butt.

Too bad I just loaned my incubator to a friend. I do, however, have incredibly determined broodies right now... once I read up on geese I'll get some eggs.

Anyone got a good thread for geese?

 

[Mrs. Eggna Beaker]

As an alert for trespassing I suggest the guineas (between 4-6 should be good) They have very distinct chatter when threatened, however they cannot replace the fear instilled in people after they've chased them down. The only thing I suggest is to make sure you spoil it so it doesn't attack you.

 

[calista]

I agree with the good advice you've been given and still remember how fiercely our flock of geese on the family farm would challenge strangers. They're great weeders, terrific parents, and it only takes ONE egg to make an omelet for two.

Not to be paranoid, but you need to be aware that, if these kids hurt themselves while on your property, you could be liable. Check your homeowner's insurance policy. And put up lots of NO TRESPASSING signs.

 

[Blue]

Quote:
The NO TRESPASSING signs are a good idea. I believe that in many areas, having up a NO TRESPASSING sign pretty much gets rid of any liability issues. You could also put out some kind of disclaimer sign like, "The homeowner is NOT responsible for any injuries obtained to anyone other than the homeowner while on this property." I don't know the legalities of this, but signs like that seem to be pretty standard at all our nearby grocery stores (related to vehicle damage caused by any shopping carts), so they must have some effect on the store's liability potential. I also used to go to a hair dresser who had up a sign saying she wasn't responsible for any injuries obtained on her property, which she claimed she put up because she'd heard of the scams some people ran where they'd stage falls and then sue the businesses.

 

[ranchhand]

No Trespassing signs, for sure. The other thing I'd do is notify the County Sheriff's office- if they're heading across private property to avoid using the road, it would make me wonder what was being hidden. I was a bad kid, but I rarely got caught. Now, I can almost smell rats!