Newbie here in Garland, TX - we have had our 3 chicks for about 2 months now and enjoying it a lot! Looking forward to this adventure and welcome all the advice and tips from these forums.
Penny, Piper, and Peep - I think these gals are white leghorns.
Awesome dog. My 14 year old, Titan, is the best baby round up dog I've ever had. No loose chicken that still peeps gets past him. He also whines and paces when I don't notice something wrong.Oh my gosh. Picture this - the 4 hens who refused to come in at horse feeding time (7:30 pm) have flown over the fence into the barn by dark. I catch one in the aisleway, chase another up and down before finally catching her too, then, Dad & I start looking for the other two - Kiwi (light brahma) and Apple (RIR). My Aussie puppy, Kira, (7 month old) has disappeared, and I just know she's gone into the deep brush by the fence line after the missing two. Thing about Kira is that when she gets a chicken, she won't budge off of it until I get up to her, but she won't make a sound either. Dad and I spend 10 minutes with flashlights trying to see through the brush before Kiwi finally makes a sound and I find them. As I stagger through the brush to them, Kira steps away from Kiwi so I can pick her up - she's perfectly unharmed, just a bit wet. So, I send Dad back to the coop with one wayward hen and I send Kira back into the brush to find the other. Takes her less than a minute before we hear the cackling of Miss Apple, who is having her very first up close encounter with a dog. Kira just pinned her to the ground and waited on us to come get the hen. There is NO WAY we would have found those hens tonight if not for Kira. Holy Cow, this is the most awesome dog I've ever had! So much natural instinct to herd and catch these hens. My other Aussie just ignores them and finds the horses much more interesting. I found a farm out in Waller that can help teach Kira to herd on command, so guess we'll be heading out there soon! Kira:
That's awesome! Give that baby lots of treats and extra scratches! My little dogs run from my chickens hahaOh my gosh. Picture this - the 4 hens who refused to come in at horse feeding time (7:30 pm) have flown over the fence into the barn by dark. I catch one in the aisleway, chase another up and down before finally catching her too, then, Dad & I start looking for the other two - Kiwi (light brahma) and Apple (RIR). My Aussie puppy, Kira, (7 month old) has disappeared, and I just know she's gone into the deep brush by the fence line after the missing two. Thing about Kira is that when she gets a chicken, she won't budge off of it until I get up to her, but she won't make a sound either. Dad and I spend 10 minutes with flashlights trying to see through the brush before Kiwi finally makes a sound and I find them. As I stagger through the brush to them, Kira steps away from Kiwi so I can pick her up - she's perfectly unharmed, just a bit wet. So, I send Dad back to the coop with one wayward hen and I send Kira back into the brush to find the other. Takes her less than a minute before we hear the cackling of Miss Apple, who is having her very first up close encounter with a dog. <g> Kira just pinned her to the ground and waited on us to come get the hen.
There is NO WAY we would have found those hens tonight if not for Kira. Holy Cow, this is the most awesome dog I've ever had! So much natural instinct to herd and catch these hens. My other Aussie just ignores them and finds the horses much more interesting. I found a farm out in Waller that can help teach Kira to herd on command, so guess we'll be heading out there soon!
Kira:
Thanks, I will do some more hunting. I know I can not do the killing blow. Just want a back up plan in case neither one of use can. Think I may have the fortitude to help with the processing, but will have to wait and see. Was hoping the 2 broilers I had picked up would be of the slower growing variety, oh well. Next time I will order from a hatchery, if we succeed with these 2.
