The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[TerriLaChicks]

Congrats JamesA! nothing prettier than new little Wellies!

Pinkchick I am so sorry about your loss. I dealt with a straying dog all last summer. The idiots down the road from us picked him up off the side of the road coming back from a vacation in Florida. An un-neutered male chocolate lab the size of a pony & they had NO fence NO yard---they lived six miles down the road from us & once he found out where my chickens were he was over here every day, he couldnt' break into our pen but scared them & set my dogs to barking like crazy--my dogs whom I DO NOT LET RUN LOOSE!

I called & they would come get him & promise to build a fence & then he'd be right back again the next day.

Finally the day came I called & the man informed me he was out on the golf course & couldn't come get his dog so just to "run him off".
That did it. I told him I'd run him off all right---if I ever saw him on my property again, I would be calling the sheriff's livestock officer to come get him & off to the pound he'd go.

I guess they got rid of him after that because I never saw him again. I know they never did build a fence or anything.

I've had the livestock patrol officers pick up 2 more strays since then. I am at the end of my patience with people who don't take care of their animals. One was a Rottweiller & it would actually jump up at my truck window & try to bite through the window! THe people who owned it had a fenced in yard but they always let the dog out anyway.

The other was a big pit/cur cross somebody dumped out--he was pitiful, starving & would not let anybody touch him--he'd stand back & growl & bark at us though. They had to shoot him with a tranquilizer gun.

I feel bad about having to call---but the rescues won't take these dogs-they all say they are full up-- and I have to protect my own.

 

[flower]

I agree that pets and livestocks come before any stray, predator stalker, uncared for domestic type animal or wildlife who kill your animals. People who spend time and money on animals should be able to defend them.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

So sorry to hear it Kim! Your birds were beautiful!!

 

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:
Lauralou, what is the bird pictured at 3 o'clock with the golden hackles?

God Bless,

 

[EweSheep]

That looks like a Buff Orpington pullet to me.

 

[Tailfeathers]

James, congrats on the Wellie chicks. So how many of the 15 did you hatch out total?

Kim, that's a bummer about your birds. I hope you catch the culprit. Here's a suggestion I recommended to someone on here some time ago...

Walk over to your neighbor's some evening and in a nice calm voice just say something like, "I just wanted to inform you that I'm letting all the neighbors know I recently had something kill several of my chickens. You may not be aware of this but these aren't your ordinary run-of-the-mill chickens. I raise exhibition poultry and my birds are quite expensive. It appears that it was a neighborhood dog that did the damage and when I catch the culprit, I will be seeking monetary renumeration for my losses. Oh, btw, my cousin is an excellent lawyer who specializes in cases involving pet negligence and has won several cases involving thousands of dollars in compensation."

That should get their attention.

God Bless,

 

[EweSheep]

Oh Tailfeathers, you are SCARING me with that tactic!

With my case, I had the animal control officer going to that dog's owner and he kept saying, oh, no, my dogs could not have done THAT!

I have not seen those two dogs since then after my hubby told the dog owners that his dogs will be SHOT immediately if they ever set their paw on the property. For curiousity sake, he went back to the location and the house have been empty for some time and no dogs in backyard. So, that must have scared him straight LOL!

 

[pinkchick]

Thank you all for your kind words and most generous offers. After spending most of the day trying to work and being in a funk....I finally had a nice cry on the drive home.

17 Wellies are set to hatch on the 1st, so all is not lost and my gigantic roo "Odin" escaped the massacre.
We have a video surveillance system that we unfortunately had to purchase several years ago. It will be up and running on Wednesday or maybe tomorrow afternoon if I can swing it.


Congratulations James!!!!!!! You will love them. They are stunning birds.

 

[lauralou]

Quote:
Lauralou, what is the bird pictured at 3 o'clock with the golden hackles?

God Bless,

That's Blondie, the broody Buff Orp. She hatched six of those ten babies. And still guards them jealously against all threats, real or imagined.

(pinkchick, I'm so sad for your loss....)

 

[Minniechickmama]

Quote:
I had a problem getting my Dark Cornish to start laying again after bringing them from my neighbor's. I read someone's suggestion to give them some calf manna and after three days had them laying again. The extra protein gives them a kick to get going. Maybe she could use a similar kick in the tailfeathers to get her laying? Now that the days are starting to lengthen, maybe that will help too. Good luck.