The road less traveled...back to good health! They have lice, mites, scale mites, worms, anemia, gl

[jlynnet]

Love the card Bee! So true too.

 

[cpchicks]

This isn't my picture, oh I wish! I don't have fields like that. Most of my land is wooded. I have 1 1/2 acres that are not - and it's grass, clover and weeds

Their previous owner was a photographer

Thanks

The bite seems fine in person, so I think she must have been chewing. I really don't care if they are mixed, but what else do you think they have in them? Their faces are darker now, but not as dark as suffolks on Google Images. They are cuter than the Sufflolks too

Clem's first encounter with Molly!

Not sure what to think, though she was very submissive. Even took quite a few head butts.

Doesn't matter to me if they are pure or not

They are the same size as Clementine, which is perfect.
We ended up getting the two girls despite Bee trying to get me to get those Katahdins

Though I may consider something less wooly in the future.

It snowed for the first time today.. For all of 5 minutes.

Love this picture.. Though the land is so boring right now.. Dull.. Uninviting. A bit of snow would look better than this.

Lots going on here

 

[Mountain Momma]

Yes...I say we all load up in the buggy in the spring and visit Aoxa's land and barn and slobber all over it with envy. Just a mass visit to run our hands over the barn and lovely animals there....

I'll be there. I slobber a lot around here.
L

 

[Mountain Momma]

Ok here goes. I'm not an OT in chicken years but I'm an OT in life years. If your dog loves the dogs next door or down the street, then it's not a Livestock Guardian Dog. It will play with it's friends rather than run off the animals that do not belong on your property. End of story. No if's, ands, or buts. That's the way it is. Your great doggums that you love so much is NOT protecting you or your livestock if it just loves and plays with other dogs. I don't care what you say. It's not. NO BUTS.
And with a rooster. Either he's nice and you keep him, or you kill him. None of this "I love him and don't want to kill him or give him to someone that will and don't' know what to do" BS. You either do what needs doing or you give it to someone that will. I get really tired of reading threads like this on BYC. "Oh no, I love him he's so pretty! No one can kill him! What do I do?" Then said person doesn't listen to what they need to do. Sheesh.

I dont know about this. I'll be the first one to say my retrievers are knuckleheads. The kids think their nick name is idiot. I am very mad at them and barely let them in the house anymore. However, lately we have had an older golden hanging around and my idiots play with her/him? and race around with her/him? like she/he? is their litter mate. She/he is a stray I think. DH has shot her with the bb gun a few times but she keeps coming back. I cannot tell if she has a collar and Nina has explained that if she comes back we need to check her first for a collar and call her people before we shoot at her. lol. My great kid. Anyway, she/he? ignores the chickens. On the other hand there is an old English that walks up the road on a leash every day and he/she? is very curious about the chickens and my idiots want to tear him/her? in pieces. So I kinda think even the idiot dogs are somewhat aware of the idea of protecting the greater pack or family that they live with, even if, as in my case , they are oblivious to so much else that is important!
L

 

[Beekissed]

I often wonder what Jake's reaction would be if a stray dog started to chase my flock. Would he just get distressed and start barking at him? Would he catch the excitement and run along behind the dog but not really chasing the chickens but more of a playful chasing the dog? Would he attack the dog for attacking the chickens?

Jake is not an alpha dog and I've seen him assist Lucy with attacking other dogs in their territory....right after he was trying to get the dog to play with him. Jake is a born follower but not so much one to take the initiative in a pack situation. As another dog, even a stray, is sort of an equal in the pack to Jake....no clear ranking yet, as far as Jake is concerned, I think he would just run around with the dog and show distress at its actions, or excitement, but I doubt seriously if he would attack it.

Now, defending his birds against predators that are not dogs is another matter. They could, in no way, be in any pack structure in Jake's mind and would be attacked immediately they come in the territory. This I know when I find dead possums and coons in the yard and see him run to attack low flying buzzards or hawks. He barks at nighttime intruders and kills the ones that enter the boundary. I don't know if this is a dog and his territory response or a dog and his chickens response but I'm betting it's a little of both. He gets anxious when even I make the chickens alarmed so I'm thinking he doesn't like it when other creatures do the same.

No, Jake is not a true LGD and he is not alpha but he makes a great partner in protecting the livestock and I find that to be very valuable in all ways. I sleep well at night knowing he is out there and I will help him during the day with my trusty .22 rifle. For when I am not here and Jake falls short, I let God handle that one....we all make a great team.

 

[maryhysong]

Quote:
Aoxa, I'm not sure about breeds you have in Canada. Down here they are often crossed with Corriedale which is a wool breed making her a dual purpose ewe! Have fun, sheep are great. Nice barn

I'm envious.
Sorry I don't know how to just quote one line......it's going to copy all the pictures in my reply.
C~


Quote the post and then highlight the part you don't want to keep and hit delete. Be sure to move your cursor outside the quote box before you type so you don't type inside of it (unless you want to)

 

[galanie]

All I'm going to say regarding dogs that let other dogs come in and play are that each of the people that disagreed with me on that are unsure if their dog would indeed protect their birds from another dog.

 

[fishnet1971]

Bee, my girls and Hope got the FF served to them yesterday. I thought it was supposed to take them a day or two to get used to it?????

My piggies ate the entire thing like it was CRACK! I have never seen them absolutely devour something like that! They just loved it. I look forward to seeing the improvements!

 

[aoxa]

I just got back in town and haven't gotten through the new posts on this thread, but I have to share some sad news.

It's Marek's disease

It was reasonable to believe that Inga had sustained an injury, but now Frederic, the cockerel who was her best buddy, has declined to the point where she was. He had a small nail puncture wound last week which I had soaked and treated. He seemed to be getting better. Tonight when I got home, his leg was curled up the same way Inga's was - totally useless.

I'll be culling him tomorrow... he is my only crested Swedish Flower Hen

Does anyone have experience with Marek's?? And OT advice for me??

Yeah - I know it is very contagious. I'll be keeping my eye on all my other birds - none of which are showing any signs yet (that I know of). Do I clean the DL out of the coop and start over as a precaution? Do I need to spray it down with something to kill any left over virus?

Needless to say, if any of my flock shows so much as a slight limp or loss of balance in the next few weeks, they'll be culled right away. I have Frederic separated right now and hubby and I will cull him in the morning after the kids go to school (yeah - the kids will be told about our plans... sad to send them off to school knowing that, but we have to do what's best).

So yeah - I need advice on dealing with an outbreak of Marek's and preventing further losses if its possible.

BDM: Leadwolf has been dealing with Mareks in her flock for a couple of years. Maybe you cam PM her?

I'm so sorry, and I hope that is not what it is. I would definitely get the bird examined after death to see what's going on. Mareks is a disease that takes a long time to show signs.. Usually their legs go back or out to the side, not just curled up like your pullet. I am just trying to be optimistic. I don't want it to be mareks. That is a bleak outcome.

I would call your agricultural department before culling Frederic. They may need him to be live and then be put down before testing, but I am not 100% on that.

Aoxa, your camera is fantastic!  Those pics of the sheep and the dog feels like we are standing right in the barn with you.  Aren't both the dog and the sheep the most beautiful animals you've ever seen?  I just want to reach out and touch them!

You are allergic to wool and you got the woolly sheep anyway???    Just had to have them, didn't you?   Told ya that you should have went with the hair sheep....... 

 

I know right? LOL I'm weird like that

I'm sensitive to a lot things touching my skin. I'm allergic to many different types of trees (pine, birch, cedar, etc) - as well as hay. If I kept away from what I was allergic to, I wouldn't have chickens either

All I'm going to say regarding dogs that let other dogs come in and play are that each of the people that disagreed with me on that are unsure if their dog would indeed protect their birds from another dog.

My LGD Does NOT like other dogs. The only ones she tolerates are the ones that she was raised with. I don't want her to tolerate them either. There are too many dogs that would hurt our birds, and I want her to make sure they don't get close enough to.

Everyone has been remarking in our life with how much Clem has changed. She is calm, submissive and listens! It's a miracle.

Did I mention Clementine purrs? Honest to God... She snuggles her head up to our lap and purrs like a cat! Trainer said she hears it in small dogs, but never in a large dog like her. It's a sign of affection. Makes my heart melt

 

[aoxa]

Bee, my girls and Hope got the FF served to them yesterday. I thought it was supposed to take them a day or two to get used to it?????

My piggies ate the entire thing like it was CRACK! I have never seen them absolutely devour something like that!  They just loved it.  I look forward to seeing the improvements!

Mine were the same way

Never fall down in your chicken coop - cause they'd eat you..