Very Sad, but I have a quick question.

[ldaziens]

Oh no, I am SO sorry about Darcie. That is just horrible. Just try not to be too hard on yourself. I am sure many of us have faced the dilemma of trying to find the balance between protecting our critters and giving them as much freedom to enjoy life as possible. I am using and would recommend electric poultry netting from Kencove w/ a small, portable charger, http://www.kencove.com/fence/Battery+Energizers_detail_ECY.php

I was hesitant to make that suggestion at a time when you are grieving, but I know you still have Daddy and ducky. The netting won't protect from birds of prey, but I can tell you that it absolutely stopped my 2 dogs cold -- one is a 50 lb hound mix and the other is a 150 lb. mastiff. My dogs actually are in the enclosure with the birds and are fine with the birds, but they won't go anywhere near that fence. Our neighbor has a cocker spaniel that loves to slide under our non-electric fence to come into our yard and bark at us, so I got the poultry netting to keep him away from my birds and to keep my mastiff from killing him.

You loved Darcie, and you were a good "mom" to her, and you will grieve for her for a long while and you will never forget her. I still get upset when I think about my first goose, Romeo, an Embden, who was killed when he was attacked by a neighbor's dog. But, I also have so many good memories of him. Darcie was obviously a very special and wonderful goose, and I am glad that she had a mom who loved her enough to get her a duckling so that she wouldn't be sad...

Hang in there!

 

[jerseygirl1]

I am so, so sorry about your pet............................I have been following this from the start.

 

[JordanFamily]

I'm sooo sorry that happened... I wish I had a female goose to give you , not to replace her but just so you can have your dream of having goslings hatch in the future from your own goose... I wont have any until next spring though.

and mine will be Sebastopols, not the type you had... Maybe someone on here can give you a little female like you had... I sure would if I had one... If not keep my info and I will be happy to give you one or two next spring... 2011...

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

I'm so sorry. I'm right there with you crying. So very sorry.


Joni

 

[[email protected]]

Oh, what a story, sooo very sorry for your loss. I am worried about the same thing with my own dogs. I have a yr old Golden Retriever who has been following my geese around and I wonder what dog behavior I should worry about. I know that my older healer mix will get them when we are not watching, but does anyone know dog behavior enough to give advice on this? I so badly want to protect my geese. jennifer

 

[Kim65]

I thought retriever dogs were bred to hunt (retrieve) wild ducks and geese IOW a retriever's genetic heritage makes him prone to want to retrieve your geese!! Hard stuff to break them of, maybe impossible given the type of dog. Each dog has a different temperament no matter the breed. We need our dogs to help keep predators away, and yet our dogs are predators, a very complicated maneuver

I was lucky (as I've seen over the years), I have basenji mix who chowed down on some young cockerels. I busted him in the middle of eating one, and, well, I was so ANGRY I scared him pretty badly. It was busting him right in the middle of eating them that did the trick, HE LEARNED. For a long time, if a chicken strolled by he would avert his whole head to not look at them

. Years later, he is still trustworthy, thank God. He has scrapped with my gander but seems to deliberately try not to hurt him, though the gander takes no such care.

It's hit and miss with dogs. It sounds cruel, but using a shock collar a few times to zap a dog stalking your birds is a harsh but effective deterrent. I love my dog(s) too, but can't bear to lose my birds.

 

[[email protected]]

Kim, that's exactly my philosophy, I am trying to get a shock collar for the retriever, but I kind of don't think she wants to hurt them, but not sure... On the other hand, the Aussie healer mix has been historically a cat/chicken/everything killer. She's wonderful for snakes and my kids and bad predator's like the coyotes, but she killed all of our guinea's. My husband was in denial and kept thinking it was coyotes till he caught her red-mouthed! She will do as yours and look away b/c I scared her really badly, and we have tied a dead chicken to her neck and left it there to rot, but she'll still do it when she thinks we are not watching - she's a sneaky thing! Anyway, thanks for the reply - sorry about all of this! I wish the gander would start scraping with them instead of just hissing. jenn

 

[Kim65]

Even if your gander did toss in with the dog, the dog would win the fight

My dog allows himself to be chased away because he is smart and knows what I am capable of doing when he eats MY birds. Not every dog can be taught, that's why I believe I am somewhat lucky.

If my dog and gander actually make contact and get in a scuff, the dogs jaws go right for the gander's neck or head. It wouldn't take much to snap the ganders neck, no matter how hard he's flogging the dog or pinching him in the hiney with his bill.

The big lucky break I have is that Boogie (thank GOD) does not allow himself to bite down hard on Petey. ANd of course I'm right there hollering at both of them, usually Petey. Petey has suffered tooth marks on his bill and a slobbery, probably sore neck. It could be much worse. As long as they are both with me, I'll be keeping the dog from really hurting or killing Petey, and Petey from harassing and bullying the dog. They are never confined in a small space together. It's just our life

Oh and as far as a shock collar, I think it's wise to train a dog to avoid your poultry, period. Whether he may or may not want to hurt the birds is not as important IMO as preventing any killing or harming. I had a border collie that played a few chickens to death. She loved them, tossed them up in the air, chased, tossed, chased . . . sigh. She's the one who wore a rotting cockerel around her neck until the Great Pyrenese ate it off of her.

Sorry to hijack your thread Dulcydoll

I hope this feels sort of relevant anyway

 

[LindseyM12]

 

[marathonmultiplesmom]

oh dear, I'm sorry!

Earlier this Spring some dogs killed 26 of my chickens. Its always terrible. I hate losing my birds.