Wow! That first pic looks like a snow storm. LOL Do you have any white ones?
We had a massacre yesterday
" Feed bill for my four large dogs runs about $60."
kenboy, what do you feed? I'd sure like to get my bill down even close to that.
Here, I have not only coyotes very close, but there was a pack of dogs (or wolf hybirds), probably Mal or Sibe X's that decimated my little flock several months ago. I don't have enough critters to justify or neccesitate a full time LGD, much less 2 or more, but it sure would be nice. We are looking into donkeys, which could share the cow pasture.
Great Pyrenees have a very low matabolism and a 200 lb GP will only eat about what a Doberman or Boxer would, once they are grown. When they are put under anaesthesia, it only take about half what other dogs do. When they run down a coyotes, they do not run full out like a Greyhound would, they just trot along until they tire them out and then catch up with them. So as you may guess my dogs roam a great distance but I live in the heart of dairy land and my neighbors love them. But they are not for everyone and need to be penned when young, if you do not want them to roam. Once they learn to roam there are very hard to keep in. Country dogs know how to get through finces.
I understand your feed bill. we had 2 german shepherds and a rottie mix. Our bill was about 60 or 65 a month. We fed them Black Diamond.
NOw we are down to just the ditch Bonny as I call him the Rottie mix. When we got him from the rescue we were told he was a german shepherd. That was a laugh. But we love him too . Just before Christmas we had to put down our last shepherd from the Kennel. I sure miss him.
Nice article in Hobby farms on keeping our crittersLavina
Well, my opinion, LOL For what it's worth, is against having a guard dog.. especially for chickens.. There are times, when they want to play and the chickens are the "toy". LOL I had a Plotter hound that never chased the chickens, but one day.. when a stray came around and they were having some serious fun running and playing... 4 chickens paid the price. Clem didn't even realize he was doing wrong.. and he never did it again, but 4 hens is 4 hens...
I'd keep a dog just to keep a dog... to depend on them to protect a flock is a little much for me...
Again.. that's just me... that's my experience.. it takes all kinds to make the world go round..
I can see both sides of having a dog. Surely just the scent of them keep many predators away. They are great for burglars and such. Dogs can just sense when somebody isn't right, and they will usually sound the alarm when things are wrong.
The problem with dogs is they don't live long enough. Just when you get used to having them around, they up and die, and break your heart.
If parrots can live 80 years, why can't dogs?
My plan is not to have another dog when this standard poodle dies, and she is 12 this year. Her health seems pretty good considering. My biggest complaint with dogs is the dog poo in the yard.
She and the chickens are so weird. As long as she is chained up, the chickens walk right up to her and she doesn't mind. If she were loose, she would chase them and kill them without a moments hesitation. Chaining her in the yard during the day seems to be working out fine. When the chickens go in the coop, she is then freed.
Well Kenboy you just made my case. No doubt your situation is unique and having your dogs is a twofold reason. I can agree with your decision, but you must admit your dogs would only fit when they have room to roam with no neighbors complaining. That description would not fit the normal case...
I love dogs, shepherds and dobies especially but dogs to protect chickens, I must say I totally have to agree with ZZ's. Dollar for dollar it is not costly nor difficult to build a coop that will protect birds for years to come. Once built properly you can sleep easy. No one that raises chickens goes without the occassional loss...Hay
Ken.... Love your peacocks. We lost ours last year but have some on order tor this Spring. Had some beautiful Pieds and black shoulder, but our long time pet was just a plain old blue. We guessed him at as being in his mid 20s when he died.
We had a Scottie as our yard/guard dog for years. Nothing came in the yard while she was on duty. Best guard we ever had was an Emu, she took on Coyotes and won.
Our chickens are usually let out in the morning and penned up before dark. This killing was during the day.
I am going to add on to the pen this Spring Make it 10x20 so they can stay up longer this summer. This is a picture of my hen house.....Totally Varmint proof.
Well ZZ had a dog but it was the wrong dog for the job. Plotts are great dogs, if you are wild hog hunting and I have used them for such as well as Black Mouth Currs and Pits, I lived in Fort Worth most of my life and after my girlfriend was attack walking to my house, just two block, I got a Doberman. Then started breeding them and then started training them for attack. I have had some that knew 80 commands. I really love the breed and brought one from the city when I moved to the country to raise peacocks for a very rich man. I lost him to a cow kick and soon learned there was a breed that was great for watching out for my birds and here I am. The oldest pup I have does double duty by watching out for my flock and family. My dogs have run free from the time they were pups and now they can not be contained. On the other hand, I gave Nadine a pup several years ago and she is kept in a 4' fence and has no desire to roam. First you get the right dog for the job and then you train it to do the job you need done. Dog have been bread for thousands of year to do specific jobs. To get a dog bred for one thing and expect it to do something else is betting against the odds. You can build pens to keep out a coon or fox but of a 120lb Malamute can get through just about any pen you build, when they go mad for the kill. Dogs do not kill a bird and carry it off, they kill and kill and kill.
Properly strung and charged hot wire will keep that dog out.
I am a big fan of hot wire and have a lot of it strung around here but it is a bear to keep it free od debris here abouts. Especially the goat pen because it has to be so low to the ground.
Roundup!
It's not just the grass. It's small limbs that shed out of the trees, leaves in fall and snow in winter. When the bottom strand of wire is only 4" from the ground everything seems to gather on it. I weed eat the grass.
Yes, I can see that snow would be a problem.
I guess I will just invest in lots of wire for the ground. Will be a whole lot cheaper than getting sued from someone being afraid of a big dog. Look what someone wants for being afraid of my geese and falling and breaking her hand.
edited to put link
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1150947/
This message was edited Jan 28, 2011 8:52 PM