Surviving Minnesota!

[MNChickMom]

Where?

Benton County Fair - 4H

My daughter is showing 2 Speckled Sussex (cockerels) that we purchased as day old's from Ralphie. Both birds have been receiving lots of compliments.

 

[MinnesotaNice]

Does anyone worm their flock? I never have, but was curious if maybe I should once or twice a year.

 

[lvie]

Quote:
Very nice

 

[duluthralphie]

Hello again. I missed something here. WHERE is this fair? Wright, Ramsey and Sherburne are done. I am going to the State fair on that Thursday, August 25th (Remember, Don Henley in concert). So what fair are ya all going to?

So DH has a black lab. It was a family rescue dog. We have had her almost two years now and she is almost three. DH has never had his own dog to hunt with. DH has not spent alot of time training and would not know how to begin to train a dog. We also have two ankle biters that are mine. Ralphie knows - they bark! Ugh! Anyway, the black lab has developed possesive disorder or whatever. If she has a bone or chewy she will not give it up. I am super firm (not abusive) with her to let her know that I feed her and I say what she can and can't have. Which are no bones and no chewies. It cost us $300. plus when she tore up one of the ankle biters because he was trying to walk by her. Opps. Thats it - no more goodies for you -EVER!

While, this last weekend in Aitkin, when there were five labs visiting, my DS threw some turkey water on the grass. Our lab was doing whatever and the DH called her off til he could see what she was doing. When he figured it out he released her (verbally) and then a couple other dogs joined in to smell and taste what was so interesting. Well, you can about tell me the end of the story. There was a fight because our lab said MINE! My DS took our lab (no complaints about this) to the ground and put her in a submissive mode. The dogs were okay but my DS was P _ _ _ _ _ D. She is not allowed up there again (our 5th wheel sits on their property until we start to build on our parcel of property) until she has gone through professional training with my husband to get rid of this bad, bad behavior. I am totally on-board with all of this. I thought that kind of training should have started in May.

Please note here that I have kept my mouth shut and my thoughts to myself about this subject with my DH. Only a few gentle reminders that all is not right with Abbey and that I have never had a dog behave like this and I have had many dogs in my many years.

Okay, now I know this is a chicken thread, but do you have any input about this dog story?

My DH has called two trainers and has a third one to talk to. The two trainers that he has talked to have told him if you have chickens and they have free-ranged and the dog has not killed any - she will n-e-v-e-r hunt. Well, she wanted to get those chickens but I reprimanded her and told her off limits. Now the chickens do not free-range anymore so no issues in any case. Incidentally, she is a british lab. I guess they are more stubborn and quitters if they do not feel like doing it anymore - they just won't.

I took her into our home because the b-i-l had some medical problems and I was attracted to this dog from the moment I saw her. We are her third home. The first one, a woman bought her for her kids for x-mas and they just did not want a dog. Then she went to the b-i-l in feb so you gotta figure she was about four months old. We got her just before november. We recovered her from the humane society. Beautiful dog. However, during her puppy stage she did puppy things i.e., jump up and grab butter off the counter top (dah! who left that butter out??????) and drink from the toilet (totally gross but did you ever think of closing the toilet lid???) and if she had an accident in the house she was pretty much knocked around and thrown into her kennel. Hence, our 15 year old niece told her mom (they are divorced and were watching the dog while the b-i-l was in the hospital) to take the dog to the humane society while b-i-l was recovering from an accident in the hospital. He could not afford the bill to get her out.

Any thoughts, ideas, useful feed-back? We are talking about re-homing her but cannot do that with the problem she has. If she was an only dog it would work out great. But that would be her fourth home. And she is a good dog. She has learned our property boundaries and responds to the commands I have taught her i.e., sit (hand command) stop, lay, etc.

I am not sure the "trainers" gave you the straight chicken poop. I like your lab, She might have some issues with food, that is not uncommon in labs. I think that can be worked out. Your lab is a sweetie, she is like all labs. ( Are you sure she is 100% lab?)

As far as the hunting goes, you told her no and leave the chickens alone. A lab will leave them alone. My labs are trained hunting dogs, it took me a long time to trust them with the chickens, turkeys and guineas, however, I have no doubt they would hunt in a second if given a chance. They know the birds they cannot touch. I came out one day with them and there was a Raven in the yard. They immediately went after it. They must have known it was not one of the royally protected birds. When I go out to "hunt" the rotten stinking veggie eating rabbits they come with. They love chasing them but they are bird dogs and refuse to pick the rabbits up and bring them too me.

When I use my phony Dummy shooting gun they retrieve and hunt for it. I feel for my dogs because they most likely will never hunt again. My old dog is just that old, and my young one has a artificial hip so they would not be able to handle a long day of hunting. The other thing is their owner has a bad hip and knee and could not handle a long day of hunting. I am thinking of taking them to a game preserve just to give them the feel of a hunt. I wish I knew someone that did hunt so they could go.

It would not take long to tell if your dog would hunt or not. Is it gun shy? That is the only thing that would stop it, I think. Just because a dog hunts does not mean it is a good hunter, and I have never seen a gun shy lab, but I have heard they exist. If I take a gun out my dogs are pups again and ready to go.

The food issue you can address and change, I think, by forcing her to sit near a high value treat and not eat it. Start with short periods of time and increase it. Sometimes take the food away and give it to the other dog or put it in the fridge so she knows it is gone... You need to get her to accept your praise as the treat and not the food. ( I am sure when I do this to mine they are calling me 4 letter words in their minds though and telling me where to put the praise.





About the fair, it is in St Cloud, almost. We are not going today though as we want to see the ribbons and judge how well the judge did. I did not realize it was where it is, or I would have had Andy there. Next year I will send some to it. The Princeton and Elk River fairs did not have an open division. I am going to try Isanti County and Benton next year. I read the entry info and Benton county accepts Sherburne county residents birds.

Andy will be too old though, so all his practicing was for naught, unless he goes to Hutch.

 

[duluthralphie]

Does anyone worm their flock? I never have, but was curious if maybe I should once or twice a year.

I have and I should again, I use cayenne too some. I might just do that and see what happens first. I have some frontline I plan to put on them. I have never done that. Does that kill internal worms too?

 

[duluthralphie]

I hope BC does not mind, but I have found a thread that is so funny.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...g-thread-w-hosts-mike-sally/470#post_17367357

If you have the time and need a laugh go to it. I can't believe I missed it for so long.

 

[holm25]

Benton County Fair - 4H 

My daughter is showing 2 Speckled Sussex (cockerels) that we purchased as day old's from Ralphie. Both birds have been receiving lots of compliments. 

Good luck!! It feels good to get compliments on bird after putting alot of hard work into them! One guy even said mine looked like the males would be good for fighting... I said they but hopefully wont do any fighting.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I break out in hives whenever I get inside the 494/694 corridor. The fair grounds is way inside!


You need to seek professional help with your duck addiction....says the man that counted 85 birds leaving his one coop this morning..



Have you seen Runnings? Montecello is getting a fleetfarm too! I suppose you do the Cambridge store a lot.... Runnings is not L&M for clothes but close second, way better than Fleetfarm clothes.



Judy wants to go to the fair now, today, when she found out the SS where there. I tried to explain they are not our SS, but she keeps dwelling on " but they were"......

You better watch out, Ralphie or you might catch up with me. I counted about 290 the other day after losing the ones in the heat.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Poultry Judging is tomorrow (Thursday) starting at 8 am.

Good luck!!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Does anyone worm their flock? I never have, but was curious if maybe I should once or twice a year.

Twice a year.
Wazine in Spring.
Safeguard in Fall.