The Old Folks Home

It must be chick season as I've got several inquiries if I'm going to have any anytime soon. The short answer is "Nope" as I've got a new rescue dog coming in today AND we're putting the Santa Fe place on the market after the boiler situation gets resolved. The Brinsea is kind of set and forget, but I'm so frazzed that I'd probably REALLY forget and it'd be a sad situation in the back bedroom in 21 days. Maybe later....

New dog being shipped up from TX for arrival tonight is Slatex Selene who ran 77 races with a 41% 1st/2nd place record and who then went on to whelp 28 puppies (27 of which went on to race.) She got a bit run down after 6 litters and has been in a very crowded foster home of the rescue for far too long (close to a year) and hasn't been adopted due to her age (9). Poor girl has been used and industrialized and needs a soft place to land.
Old(er) dogs rock!

She looks very sweet!
 
I got rid of most of my rat problem
I'm just now starting to work on mine. Put a foot long box (open both ends) with an unset rat trap in it against the wall in the stall next to the coop stall and set up the game camera. At one point there were 3 rats in the video but none went in the box. I put some peanut butter on the trap 3 days ago, it is still there. I tossed some scratch in the box/tube today, will see if the rats go in the box tube and the scratch disappears. If it does I'll try setting the trap. Given the hens can't get into that stall (I have the door closed), it might be worth putting rat bait in the stall if they don't get caught in the trap.
 
It must be chick season as I've got several inquiries if I'm going to have any anytime soon. The short answer is "Nope" as I've got a new rescue dog coming in today AND we're putting the Santa Fe place on the market after the boiler situation gets resolved. The Brinsea is kind of set and forget, but I'm so frazzed that I'd probably REALLY forget and it'd be a sad situation in the back bedroom in 21 days. Maybe later....

New dog being shipped up from TX for arrival tonight is Slatex Selene who ran 77 races with a 41% 1st/2nd place record and who then went on to whelp 28 puppies (27 of which went on to race.) She got a bit run down after 6 litters and has been in a very crowded foster home of the rescue for far too long (close to a year) and hasn't been adopted due to her age (9). Poor girl has been used and industrialized and needs a soft place to land.
Old(er) dogs rock!

We have a greyhound rescue about 10 miles away.
I’ve been to their rummage/garage sale fundraiser but never thought about adopting because my flock free ranges. Can they “forget” their track training?
 
Bruce, there is 1 type of bait that I've had the best success with. https://www.amazon.com/NEOGEN-RODEN...n&qid=1582341677&sprefix=Ramix,aps,174&sr=8-7 You can put some in the empty stall, in the box you're using for the trap, minus the trap, or on a pie tin, whatever. Break it up at the designated sections. I use a very large screwdriver, and put out about 5 sections. They probably won't eat on it at first. Just leave it. In 3-4 days, you'll notice they've nibbled on it a bit. Within 7 day, you will notice they've been going at it pretty good, and may want to add more. Keep adding bait, until no more is being eaten. Depending on the number of rats that are really there, your rat problem should be over in 10-12 days. Store the bait where you can locate it later. It may take a month, it may take 6 months, but they will find their way back eventually.
 
Some greyhounds are small animal safe, but that needs testing. Some agencies do test as cat-safe and small dog-safe dogs are desired. Might have to ask about birds. The main thing is the property (or dog area) needs to be totally fenced because once they start running, well, they can be a gone dog and most have no clue as to street savvy.
 
Being married to a genius, has it's moments. When we put the electric fence up, the grands were warned not to touch it. One of the neighbor boys came over, and being typical boys, they dared each other to touch it. First my grandson, quickly put a finger on the fence, then pulled it back quickly. "Awww, that wasn't so bad" he told the other boy. The neighbor boy followed suit, and quickly touched the fence with one finger. "Yep, it wasn't bad at all", they agreed. My genius husband overheard this.

Dh comes into the house, gets his volt meter, goes and tests the fence. Yup, it's working. He keeps testing. It reads exactly as it should. This can't be right, since the boys touched the fence, and remarked that it wasn't too bad. Does this man even remember being a boy, and taking a dare? Anyway, my genius husband proceeds to take his whole hand, and grab on tightly to the fence. It's working just fine! He admitted that had he not already been sitting down to test the fence, it would have probably knocked him on his butt. Of course, I had to walk off, so as not to hurt his feelings, and have a good hard laugh.

Later on in the afternoon, when no one was listening, I asked my grandson if he wanted to go touch the fence again, to see if it was working. NOPE. I mentioned him saying it wasn't too bad, so why wouldn't he go touch it for me, and tell me if it was working? First off, they barely touched it with 1 fingertip. Secondly, it was a dare, and neither boy was willing to show any weakness. BUT neither one of them is willing to touch it again. Just what I thought.

In the meantime, several times my husband has wondered out loud, how touching the fence didn't bother the boys, but zapped the tar out of him. He speculates that it must be that the boys were wearing tennis shoes, which insulated them, while he was sitting on the ground. I agree, that must be it, and go off to chuckle.

He did order a fence tester. It came today. I went to test the fence, and reported back to him that the tester says the fence is working just fine, but he can go grab it to test it, if he thinks it's not working.
 

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