The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ki4got]

It's just real old, LM, and needs to be lubricated OFTEN to work correctly....
I got some Z- Traps coming next week. Got some cage trap wary coons right now. But I bet I catch that one in the picture tonite......;-)

le me know how the z traps work... I was looking at them a while ago. worried about them tho because the dog may try to take on a coon while it's trapped but not inaccessible.


and on a totally different note... mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. just made the BEST pot roast I've ever done.

 

[lindz8504]

He is stinkin' cute! They are great dogs but need a job. They need to be stimulated. Only dog I ever saw "load up" into the back of a dump truck ...up over the side....unreal!

Handsome fella! Firm hand and a kind word and he will be an excellent protector. (In all truth, I wouldn't want to be a stranger, walking up to my chickens).

Oh definitely know he needs something to do! We've had them for years! And had Aussies before that! Although my personal all-time favorite are border collies.... I wasn't informed or asked about the pup, until about 30 minutes before my dad dropped him off!

He has a pretty strong herding drive already at 12 weeks.... I hope to get some goats in the near future, so that will be a blessing! Until then, he herds the chickens from the house back to the coop, and amazingly does it without nipping at them... LOL....

 

[RedRidge]

I have to say... My working dogs (border collies, Belgian tervuren, and kelpies) make great working and herding dogs but I would never use them to guard. Their herding instinct is so strong that my livestock would never rest. My Maremma guard, my herding dogs herd - two totally different jobs, but running the farm without them would certainly be more difficult. My working dogs are expected to work in partnership with me and I control their dimmer switches and they live in the house. My lgd's are expected to work independently and have no idea where my house is. Apples and oranges

 

[Scott H]

Will do ki4got ....

 

[lindz8504]

I have to say... My working dogs (border collies, Belgian tervuren, and kelpies) make great working and herding dogs but I would never use then to guard. Their herding instinct is so strong that my livestock would never rest. My Maremma guard, my herding dogs herd - two totally different jobs, but running the farm without then would certainly be more difficult. My working dogs are expected to work in partnership with me and I control their dimmer switches and they live in the house. My lgd's are expected to work independently and have no idea where my house is. Apples and oranges

Oh most definitely! I am considering a Maremma, but will have to wait until my Dane is gone.... One big dog to feed is enough!

 

[ki4got]

Quote: they have armadillos in florida? hm. never noticed any when I lived down there (16 years!) but then, I was in south fla. near the glades.

Quote: LOL if people want to come up, unless they've been here before, I warn them of the "dogs" (1 standard poodle)... but my driveway is enough to deter all but the bravest who may also be driving 4x4... LOL heck, hubby's mom just lives 30 miles away and she won't come up here unless she has to... and she's got 4wd now.

 

[Kassaundra]

they have armadillos in florida? hm. never noticed any when I lived down there (16 years!) but then, I was in south fla. near the glades.


LOL if people want to come up, unless they've been here before, I warn them of the "dogs" (1 standard poodle)... but my driveway is enough to deter all but the bravest who may also be driving 4x4... LOL heck, hubby's mom just lives 30 miles away and she won't come up here unless she has to... and she's got 4wd now.

Maybe the alligators ate them before they could be hit by cars???

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

 

[hellbender]

they have armadillos in florida? hm. never noticed any when I lived down there (16 years!) but then, I was in south fla. near the glades.


LOL if people want to come up, unless they've been here before, I warn them of the "dogs" (1 standard poodle)... but my driveway is enough to deter all but the bravest who may also be driving 4x4... LOL heck, hubby's mom just lives 30 miles away and she won't come up here unless she has to... and she's got 4wd now.

To me, it's a lifestyle choice. People come to get eggs on Friday afternoon and on Saturday. The Heelers are either locked in the barns or out with the chickens and the Patterdales are safely locked in another room, although neither of them would even think of biting anyone, they would be under-foot. Beyond that, I like my privacy.

Someone walking into the chicken flock or goat barn would get shredded if I weren't handy to call the Heelers off.

 

[fenwickchic]

Happy Birthday fenwickchic!!!!! How exciting to share a birthday! Awesome about the DE! Yes--they can eat it! It is actually good for them.... Lisa Steele also has a "breakfast of champions" for layers and it calls for a little bit of it in the breakfast mix! I don't think they should eat a ton of it-- but I also don't think they will. I think they usually know what to eat and how much! Ours peck around in the sandbox all the time and it is very fine granules-- they are either trying to fill up on grit or there is something else they are liking about it! Also-- I am not positive about whether you would need to change it but I would guess not and that you could just add to it! It is a relief to hear you say that yours come out-- and hang out all day! DH did go to Lowes today and purchased Polycarbonate clear roof sheeting and he installed it!!!! He worked on it until after dark-- it is finished but I didn't get to show it to the girls yet!!! I did go in the coop though to tell them goodnight and bragged about it though! I can't wait till tomorrow. I do have their food and water in the coop but it is very very tight (as in no openings that aren't covered with hardware wire) in there so I really don't stress about mice/rats and I actually go through the shavings almost daily. In the summer I always put another waterer outside and weather permitting I have always given them any scartch or treats outside. Now that they have this enclosed part of the run, I will for sure be giving them their extras outside! I know they are going to LOVE it!!!! DH was going to take me to dinner last night but I said--- "ehhhh.....I'd rather save the money for my chicken run!!!" haha.... he couldn't resist to do it for me when it was all I was getting for my birthday..... :O) Hope you had a wonderful day yesterday and today!!!!

Wow, your husband is awesome. I went to your coop link and saw your building. Lucky girl! My husband built my portable chicken tractor and he has done remodeling work, but he would never tackle a project like that (I don't think). We built the tractor because we are not going to be staying in the house when he retires in about 2 years so I don't want to invest that kind of money into something no one else will want anyway. But... I will put the bug in his ear for our next residence/farmette.
My plan for this year is to get him to make portable fencing. I saw it on a website that I bookmarked. The guy is selling it, but it is expensive and very easy for my husband (or me) to build. However, if I pick up an electric saw, my husband will jump right in and take it away and do it. LOL Anyway, I want to put a high fence (6 ft.) around our vegetable garden about 3 feet out into the grassy area, then put another about 4 ft.) around the interior of the garden with a couple gates and pathways. I want the chickens to do the weed work. They should be able to keep the weeds/grass from creeping into the garden while having a good time doing it! We also have a compost area so I want the outside "run" around the garden to have a gate at the composting area so they can "work" that too. We shall see... I have to get the plan all mapped out for him. I bought "FREE-RANGE chicken gardens" by Jessi Bloom to help me plan it. I have also purchased "heritage seed" so no GMO food for us or chickens!! I also have got to come up with a better plan for winter next year. They get along fine, but I just think it is too cramped in there for them. They are not picking at each other, but... I am not a farm girl and so am buying books and reading here to get as much information as I can. Our yard is not fenced and I cannot simply let them out to free-range because they would go into my neighbors yards and my one neighbor treats his lawn with chemicals. So my SIL is giving me 2 dog X-pens so that I can add it as a movable play pen as I move the tractor. I will have to buy bird netting to put over it because we have hawks and vultures. I need to get the book you have. It sounds good!