Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[PugBug]

Yep, when I recovered from the shock of finding a naked chicken with my dogs standing over it and figured out what they were doing and why, I was all

and

myself.

The hen looks even stupider than usual now. She is currently residing in a box on the dining room table. Suppose she could go back out to her roosters -- 3 of them look after this idiot Silkie -- tonight. If she wasn't willing to sit any and all types eggs every 2-3 months and stay until they hatch or rot, I'd find her a new home, or she would die of complications related to complete stupidity.

must be a Silkie thing- mine have more than once gotten licked- SugarPeeps my little roo is the only one who seems to get indignant about it the others couldn't care less-

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

I have had LGD for 13 years.....Great Pyr and now Anatolian/Great Pyr. right now I have a mother and daughter team. Stella and Heidi and they are hell on predators. They are in the sheep pasture.

Whatever you do, DO NOT MAKE a pet out of them. You want them to bond with the stock and not you. You can pet them when you are in the pasture but do not pay any attention to them outside of the pasture. If mine, jump the fence to greet me, I chase them back into their pasture then pet them. They must learn the pasture and the flock is their home.

However when a hawk does grabs a hen, by the time they leap the two fences the damage is done. But they patrol the grounds quite well and I do not get land predators such as coyotes or raccoons etc. The only other predator has been the neighbors lab.

If you get one, be sure to not make it a pet and keep the pup in the pasture. Also they will chase chickens when they are pups and in the teenager stage...you will have to manage that. You probably will lose a few chickens in this stage.

If you can, get a adult that has been trained to protect fowl, or one that has had fowl exposure and will not kill them.

You can PM if you want more info.

 

[SunnySkies]

I have a couple Silkie hens and a rooster that do not like the dogs and get away from them, but that lot grew up with some Swedes and so do not realize they are supposed to be kind of dumb. The other lot has to stay in a tractor because they can't even figure out how to walk up the ramp into a coop but I suspect none of them would tolerate the dogs' love and would run at least. This silly hen won't even do that!

The dogs don't seem to care about playing with the layers or the meaties. The ducks were a brief spate of interest, but they quickly got bored of the ducks. I'm a bit concerned about them with chicks....soft, peeping, tiny chicks, since Larunne got one...and I have a bator full inside and a broody outside. The broody won't stand up to dogs, so I am going to have to revamp my broody hen and chick management until the dogs grow up.

 

[ki4got]

I have had LGD for 13 years.....Great Pyr and now Anatolian/Great Pyr. right now I have a mother and daughter team. Stella and Heidi and they are hell on predators. They are in the sheep pasture.

Whatever you do, DO NOT MAKE a pet out of them. You want them to bond with the stock and not you. You can pet them when you are in the pasture but do not pay any attention to them outside of the pasture. If mine, jump the fence to greet me, I chase them back into their pasture then pet them. They must learn the pasture and the flock is their home.

However when a hawk does grabs a hen, by the time they leap the two fences the damage is done. But they patrol the grounds quite well and I do not get land predators such as coyotes or raccoons etc. The only other predator has been the neighbors lab.

If you get one, be sure to not make it a pet and keep the pup in the pasture. Also they will chase chickens when they are pups and in the teenager stage...you will have to manage that. You probably will lose a few chickens in this stage.

If you can, get a adult that has been trained to protect fowl, or one that has had fowl exposure and will not kill them.

You can PM if you want more info.

well, I don't really have pasture... my horses and my chickens all free range, or are in breeding pens scattered around that 'free range' area... the chickens do occasionally wander across the property line, but it's all wooded so nobody seems to notice or care. LOL the horses stick around the hay and water and the boys (who ARE captive).

I think for now the lgd is going to go on hold... I seem to have kicked the coon problem *knock on wood* &

the ones that have come by have been trapped and disposed of. there's one possum that evades capture, but seems to be cleaning up any loose eggs the girls are hiding (those the dog doesn't find). I've got 4 eggs in the live trap that are probably getting quite ripe LOL. he'll find those soon enough and be done with.

I can't use anything in the trap that the cats like or the chickens will eat. LOL so far old eggs are working the best.

 

[SunnySkies]

well, I don't really have pasture... my horses and my chickens all free range, or are in breeding pens scattered around that 'free range' area... the chickens do occasionally wander across the property line, but it's all wooded so nobody seems to notice or care. LOL the horses stick around the hay and water and the boys (who ARE captive). I think for now the lgd is going to go on hold... I seem to have kicked the coon problem *knock on wood* &

the ones that have come by have been trapped and disposed of. there's one possum that evades capture, but seems to be cleaning up any loose eggs the girls are hiding (those the dog doesn't find). I've got 4 eggs in the live trap that are probably getting quite ripe LOL. he'll find those soon enough and be done with. I can't use anything in the trap that the cats like or the chickens will eat. LOL so far old eggs are working the best.

That would pose a problem. Many of the LGD breeds will wander, and they will annex someone else's property or don't recognize their animals as ones to not bother. You would end up fencing in some way to contain the dog, and with that sort of situation, even though it works for you, the rescues won't adopt to you. but keep thinking about it. It has been lovely knowing the coons are not out in my yard every night bothering my birds. ETA: we don't really have a "pasture" either, except the ones that hold the horses, which obviously do not need protection. The coops are scattered around the back half of the property, so the dogs have a perimeter fence and can go anywhere they choose within the boundary, just like the chickens and ducks. I feed and play with them in the main chicken area, where I feed the chickens. If I was training them to sheep or goats, they would definitely stay in the pasture with them.

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

That would pose a problem. Many of the LGD breeds will wander, and they will annex someone else's property or don't recognize their animals as ones to not bother. You would end up fencing in some way to contain the dog, and with that sort of situation, even though it works for you, the rescues won't adopt to you. but keep thinking about it. It has been lovely knowing the coons are not out in my yard every night bothering my birds.

ETA: we don't really have a "pasture" either, except the ones that hold the horses, which obviously do not need protection. The coops are scattered around the back half of the property, so the dogs have a perimeter fence and can go anywhere they choose within the boundary, just like the chickens and ducks. I feed and play with them in the main chicken area, where I feed the chickens. If I was training them to sheep or goats, they would definitely stay in the pasture with them.

what will work if you let them free range on your farm is "hotwire fence " on the perimeter.....my farm is totally fenced and sometimes the LGD do jump the fence but I tied the mom up for a few month (long chain) and the daughter's wandering is not limited to maybe 100 yards off the farm...enough to chase the coyotes away.

A rescue LGD may work if you know the history; however one with no history may not work out but the LGD rescue can sort out the ones that may work. Sometime an older LGD will work as the tendency to wander has waned over the years.

~diane

 

[nicole63021]

well, i'm not a professional groomer, but I think I do a pretty good job most of the time... this time around, I never did finish his back legs. my get up and go got up and went about the time I got him down to his bloomers. LOL by the time I get his back end done i'll need to do the front again!

this is how he USUALLY looks... (a bit longer in the fall)


and shorter for summer. not a huge difference, but enough.




I still think he's the best 'part time LGD' out there.

He looks good. I live/work in the suburbs, and my clients have money to throw around, lol. So I do "fancy" cuts and coloring and the like for most of these people. Many think I'm nuts for having chickens and a garden, even crazier when they find out what kind of dogs I have!

 

[RedRidge]

Quote:
Great post... and this is the reason I run a minimum of 4 lgd's... at least... that way one is with the poultry at all times.

 

[SunnySkies]

what will work if you let them free range on your farm is "hotwire fence " on the perimeter.....my farm is totally fenced and sometimes the LGD do jump the fence but I tied the mom up for a few month (long chain) and the daughter's wandering is not limited to maybe 100 yards off the farm...enough to chase the coyotes away.

A rescue LGD may work if you know the history; however one with no history may not work out but the LGD rescue can sort out the ones that may work. Sometime an older LGD will work as the tendency to wander has waned over the years.

~diane

The problem is the rescues won't all adopt to people wanting a dog to (gasp) work (gasp) outside (horrors) and stay outside. I asked around. None also would adopt to us because of the electric fence, effective as it is. They want an actual mesh fence, even though there are plenty of folks who say their LGDs won't stay in such a fence but totally respect a perimeter hot wire.

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

The problem is the rescues won't all adopt to people wanting a dog to (gasp) work (gasp) outside (horrors) and stay outside. I asked around. None also would adopt to us because of the electric fence, effective as it is. They want an actual mesh fence, even though there are plenty of folks who say their LGDs won't stay in such a fence but totally respect a perimeter hot wire.

Some LGD rescue will place a working LGD in a farm home.

I have a mesh fence with barb wire on the top and we watch the girls climb over with ease. When we had the hotwire, they stayed in. Mesh fence with a stand of hotwire on top is ideal. Search for "LGD Rescue" and email them and tell them your situation. Put the word out to rescue and LGD breeders. Look on craigslist. There is one out for you, but will have to look for him or her. You will have to pay for one. where do you live?