Bee's Guest House

[Blackbird]

I loved the pictures Bee! How cool is that?! WOW!

And the cow... Cows are no good if you ask me..
I do agree, temperament can definitely be passed down! This years goat kids were separated from their dams at birth (CAE) and have never even seen them since. You can definitely tell which was born to which goat just by their antics and personality!

 

[BarredBuff]

When my mom and aunt were growing up they had a jersey cow and they named it Bones. It was nice though and gave lots of milk.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

great pix, Bee!

i'm so glad you are enjoying your pups! dontcha just love love love them?

yay!

 

[Farmfresh]

My earliest cow experience came when I would go with Grandma Nettie to visit her sister Blanch. Blanch and hubby milked around 30 beautiful registered Jersey cows and Blanch had some severe OCD's. Sanitation is good when you are running a dairy and I guarantee there was none cleaner. Blanch scrubbed things due to her germaphobia constantly. She wiped her home kitchen so clean she took the paint off of her refrigerator!!

It made me sorry for the cows however. Her Jerseys had the typical bony dairy built (which I didn't know was typical at the time) and those lovely huge brown eyes. She would call the cows by name and they would step out from the herd and enter the milking parlor on their own. There they were not allowed to poo ... or even lift a tail. If she even suspected they were going to "make a filthy mess" she would stab them in the butt with a pitch fork!!!

I always felt so sorry for those poor bony cows.

 

[TanksHill]

Bee your pups sound wonderful.

The picture you shared are wonderful. Your parents look so happy and satisfied. Your brother sure is handsome. Where are the pictures of you?? I can't wait to read your book.

g

 

[Beekissed]

Pics of me are in the blast from the past thread....and that's all you are getting!!!

Glad you all are enjoying these old grainy photos....they download in a twinkling! Wonder why they are so easy to download and digital photos take so very long?

 

[BarredBuff]

That is a good question. You would think it'd be the other way around....

 

[Beekissed]

This is a "it finally happened to me" moment....my new pups are chicken aggressive. They have been "playing" with the chickens while I am at work these past few days....the coop had been showing signs of a lot of activity, which is not normal. I still didn't put this together with the pups...thought the chickens were bored in this frigid cold and had been spending too much time in the coop and were fighting or something.

The plastic on the windows torn, feed bags torn open, nest box roost lying on the floor, etc. Yesterday evening I caught them attacking a chicken out in the garden fencing, admonished them in the usual manner...they seemed quite remorseful and chastened.

This morning they had a chicken cornered~same place~ and had been plucking her...her tail feathers missing and a bloody butt. I really went ballistic on them. Placed her in a nest box high off the floor until I could work on her this evening after work...she seemed fine except the shock and the tail.

This evening I found her and another hen huddled on the floor...she didn't have any new marks but the other hen had a bloody face and wing. Both are older hens that had very hard molts this year and were easy prey...they couldn't flap their wings effectively and escape this menace.

My heart sunk to see them injured in this manner....never have I had a hen injured by one of my own. I dispatched them to end their misery.

Other than containing the pups with tie outs inside a fenced enclosure~they have learned to dig out from under fences~I only have one more option to try. I am currently trying it....this may sound primitive but I had to give it a shot.

I have two very sad pups wearing dead chickens right now. I know. Gross. But I had to try it to see if this would work....I can't bear the thought of tying up a dog or penning a chicken. If this doesn't work, I will rehome the little female pup and keep Dewley.

I think she is the leader on this...I've noticed she is the one leading on most of the bad behaviours they get into. I've disciplined her for other things and she just doesn't learn by traditional methods...but Dewley does.

<sigh> I think I've been very spoiled by the intelligence of my labs...they trained so quickly and effectively.

Sad day on Sweetwater Farm.....

 

[Farmfresh]

Do you have a rooster?

This will sound barbaric but it will work.

One pup at a time.

Muzzle the pup (A strip of gauze works well) and pen them in with the biggest meanest rooster (or hen) that you have. Provide no escape for the pup, but keep an eye out just in case it gets dangerous. Then let them spend a little time on the receiving end. It makes them think twice next time they look at a chicken.

 

[Beekissed]

I have a roo but he isn't the least bit mean and would just avoid the pup at all costs. He's a cream puff! I don't really have any mean hens, either. Wish I did right now!!! :/

This morning I removed the chickens from two very apologetic acting youngsters and outfitted Tuesday with a running bar on her harness.

I read once about how old sheepers kept their farm dog pups from running sheep...they would attach a short stick to their collars that would hang horizontal at about the level of the dog's knees. When the dog attempts to run the stick knocks into their legs...sort of a self-correction tool for dogs that want to run sheep.

I'm hoping this apparatus will keep her from getting in the pop door and escaping from the perimeter fencing. She's been getting under the fence and going to the front of the house to eat the cat's food....10 yards away from a very busy highway. The worst that can happen with this is that the stick gets her hung up somewhere so that she can't move around....she can't get choked as she is wearing a harness.

I will be getting her a receiver and collar for the electric system after the first of the year....by then I will know if we can actually keep her or if she is beyond training on livestock. She will make someone a very sweet and loving family dog....just not around chickens.