We Have New Kids!

Born on Friday, June 14, 2013 at 6:30 and 6:40. The first born is a Doeling and she is naturally polled (no horns) like her Mother. The second born is a Buckling and we aren't sure yet about whether he will have horns or not. I really hope he doesn't because I hate disbudding, but we will have to wait and see.

Here are some pictures that I took of Hazel kidding, so if you are squeamish about this sort of thing turn back now or just close your eyes.

 Hazel needed a little help with the clean up process and Angel needed to make sure everything was alright and that anything that might draw in predators was cleaned up. She also needed some bonding time with her new charges.

The Doeling has erect ears like her Saanen Daddy.

The Buckling has floppy ears like Mom.

2009 Hatchlings

I have ended up this hatching season with three hens who successfully incubated their eggs. The first standard sized hen hatched out nine bantam chicks only smashing one of them. Her eight remaining D'Uccle chicks are now nearly adult size and five of those eight are roosters, four of the five roosters are turning Mille Fleur. I am currently trying to find them new homes.

The other two hens were both D'Uccles, one hatched six chicks and the other hatched three. These chicks are all D'Uccles as well, but are still little balls of fluff, so I don't know if they are pullets or cockerels.

Egg production has dropped drastically in the last few weeks. When we were getting plenty of eggs, no one wanted to buy them, now we have a waiting list. I guess fresh farm eggs are getting harder to find because of the season. This is hard on our dogs who are use to getting a few eggs everyday.

I am glad to report no chicken losses other than one smashed chick. Having Great Pyrenees can cut your chicken losses as long as it isn't your Great Pyrenees who are killing your chickens. My older dog does chase them a little bit when she is feeling frisky and my cat does too, but neither has ever hurt one of them.

I am really impressed with my cat, Garfield, he kills birds, mice, chipmunks and rabbits but the little tiny chicks can walk right over his front paws and he only twitches. I have been afraid that he will snap one day, but so far so good.

Sold 5 Goats Today

What a day! I was told that I probably wouldn't be able to sell any goats until this fall. Then I got several calls yesterday and someone showed up to look at Paris and her twins last night. He told me he was going to take them and sure enough he showed up today with a trailer. I think that they got a real good home.

Then a lady came who was interested in the other spotted buckling that is the twin brother to the one that I am keeping as a buck. She had told me over the phone that she wanted him and was coming after him today. Then when he started crying for his brother after she loaded him, I talked her into buying Calico's last buckling as a companion for him.

That takes care of all of the goats that I have for sale except for Cooter. But I believe someone will come along who has a hankering for a big, lovable, stink pot like him.

My new little lonely buckling has officially been named Rancid, even though he doesn't have any odor yet, I am confident his time will come.

This also means that I have two does who will have to be milked twice daily without any breaks for me. Calico's big buckling was not only keeping her drained but was nursing Collette as well. I have been having to put him in the dog kennel with the other two bucklings at night so that I could get some milk in the mornings.

Angel, my Great Pyrenees, is not a happy camper. When the man drove off with Paris in a crate on a small trailer, she was in hot pursuit. I had just come back into the house without even thinking about her. Then I got a call from Paris' new owner that Angel was still following them and that he was going to have to turn around and come back.

I went to the top of the hill to meet them and when Angel thought that he was bringing her goats home, she took the short cut across the field and went down over the hill. He turned back around and took off again and I came back down too.

Angel was waiting on me and wagging her tail, all happy that she had saved the day but kept looking up the hill, after awhile she went back up the hill to see what was keeping them. She went back up to check around three times. Even now, after several hours have passed she is still acting defeated.

Kia

Kia is our new Great Pyrenees Livestock Guardian Dog. She is a full sister to Angel my first Great Pyr but from another litter. Abby, my second Great Pyr is her mother. Kia needed a new home and I took her on a whim. She is a great LGD, she never tries to get out of the goat lot and she is great with the goats, chickens, Angus and the Grandkids. What more could you want in a livestock guardian dog?

The problem is that I don't need three big dogs to feed. Dog food is way too expensive and I really don't need an LGD for each goat that I own. If I were smart and thinking logically, I would keep Kia and sell Angel because Angel won't stay where she is suppose to be. But the old emotions kick in and I realize that I can't think logically because I love Angel.

Abby is a perfect LGD, she is vicious with anything that gets close to her goats but she is very people friendly. Angel is not people friendly but does love the Grandkids. Kia falls somewhere in between, she isn't as friendly as her mother but is not as untrusting of humans as Angel is.

I really need to sell Kia before I get too much more attached to her. At this point I am going to have to know that she is getting a really good forever home. She is 2 and a half years old, is not a real large Great Pyr, she is happy and smiles all of the time. She is spayed and up to date on all Vaccines and Wormings.

**Kia has found a great new home with lots of animals, human kids and room to roam, she is loving all of the attention.

Abby

We have a new smiling face in our goat lot. Her name is Abby and she is Angel's mother. A neighbor called us Sunday evening and asked if we wanted her because the people who owned her had sold all of their goats and had taken down all of their fences. She was wandering the neighborhood with nothing to protect. One of their neighbors was threatening to shoot her and the neighbor who was making the threat thought that she was just too good a dog to be shot.

So, I got the call and went directly to my DH, something strange happened, I am still in shock. He said that I could have her. It may have been because I was told that she was probably bred to Angel's father and he thought that we could sell the pups but when we went to pick her up, it was obvious that she isn't pregnant.

The goats and chickens took to her right away, but Angel was not happy. They didn't remember each other and there was no happy reunion. At first Abby was afraid of Angel and didn't want a conflict but then she started snarling and growling every time Angel got close to her. Finally they fought tooth and toenail, Angel is bigger but Abby has more experience, so she prevailed. When dinner was served, we found out who has probably been missing some meals and won't be missing anymore. Abby will not share food under any circumstances.

Abby is the dog closest to the camera in these pictures. She is very friendly, even with strangers which is a quality that Angel does not possess, she does not like strangers in any form or fashion. However, we were told that Abby will not tolerate anyone messing with her goats.

In researching Great Pyrenees as Livestock Guardian Dogs and getting expert advice, I learned that it is best to have two. Since I was lucky to get one, I never asked for a second one. But I can already see why two is best, since Abby has arrived, Angel is already less keyed up, her stress levels are way down. She felt that the goats were totally her responsibility and she wouldn't let them out of her sight. She has started leaving the goat lot now to do some patrolling and checking on Cooter, the billy goat, who lives up the hill. She is also coming to the barn/house for some cuddling. I think that she will be more of a guard dog for the whole farm now.

Perfect Angel

Angel, my Great Pyrenees Livestock Guardian Dog or LGD for those who have never read my blog before, is doing just great. She hardly ever carries stuff away or chews on things that she isn't suppose to anymore, I think the whipping that she got with the garden hose that she chewed in two really helped. I did catch her with a coffee can the other day, she had taken it into the goat lot, I explained to her that it doesn't look good to have tin cans in a goat lot because it causes people to stereotype goats as tin can eaters. She understood and hasn't done it since.

The main reason that I am so proud of her this morning is because she barked and barked until I finally went out, I looked around and didn't see anything but she insisted that there was something out there. Finally a fox ran out from behind one of the buildings where he was hiding. I didn't have time to get a gun. I don't know when I will start remembering to take a gun with me when I go out. Angel got a big "Good Girl", a pat of the head and a hug around the neck.

The only problem that I am having with Angel at this time is that she wants me to play with her and I am just not able. She is always bouncing around me trying to entice me to play. I told her that I was going to have to hire someone to rough house with her but the problem is that she doesn't much care for outsiders. She is only friendly with my husband, me and our little Granddaughters. She is friendly with our Grandson but only enough for him to pet her, not enough to really play. She doesn't really want to play with my DH either, she sees him as the big, bad alpha male.

Angel Update

I have been a little nervous about my goats kidding with Angel around. I know that LGD's are excellent midwives with some experience, but since Angel is still just a pup, I don't know if she is prepared for kidding.

Since we have moved Giselle and Cinder into the horse trailer at night, Angel is sleeping halfway between the goat lot and the horse trailer. My DH ("Dear Husband" for those who don't spend any time in private messaging, chat or on message boards) said that when he went into the horse trailer to feed the girls this morning, Angel came in right behind him. That is pretty desperate for a dog who is used to being scolded and pelted with BB's for being out of the goat lot. That tells me that she is very serious about her job as a Livestock Guardian Dog and her job is to protect all of her herd and not just what's in the goat lot.

We are not disciplining her for checking on the horse trailer and when the babies are born, she will be invited into the horse trailer to help, as part of her training. She will also be allowed to eat the afterbirths and any dead babies (hopefully we won't have any), which is also the job of a LGD. They clean up anything that might draw in predators.

Angel ~ my Great Pyrenees

LGD Puppy Love

I know people love pups, so do I. There is nothing cuter than a puppy. But my Livestock Guardian Dog, Angel, is just about to drive us crazy. I have talked to other LGD owners and they have had the same problem that I am having with my Great Pyrenees pup.

She is a kleptomaniac, a pack rat, a thief and a part-time chewer. She is making off with everything that she can carry in her mouth. My husband changed the brakes on the car and we ran to town to get something, when we came home the brake pads and some of his tools were gone. At first we thought someone must have stolen them, we couldn't figure out why anyone would have taken the pads except as a joke, but then we started finding everything in the goat lot.

If I put a cover on the swimming pool filter, she takes it off and carries it away. She doesn't necessarily chew everything up, she just carries it off to her area.

My husband was really upset the other night because he laid his hoof pick down for just a minute and it disappeared. Water hose ends, sprayers, cardboard boxes, feed and water dishes, sticks, ropes, she just steals whatever she finds. So far, she is just stealing our stuff and not the neighbor's stuff.

We can never catch her in the act and we cannot even catch her with the goods. She will be sleeping somewhere with the stolen items yards and yards away from her. I didn't know how to discipline her or stop her.

So I consulted an expert on a message board that I frequent, she raises and trains Great Pyrs. She had already recommended a BB gun to keep her in the goat lot since the electric fence doesn't affect her because of her thick winter coat. But then she said that these dogs are smart and you can usually correct them with just a couple of scoldings.

Sure enough, if we find stuff in the lot, we scold her and she never bothers that item again. Of course, sometimes it is already ruined and chewed up, unless it is hard rubber or metal.

The problem lies in figuring out what item she will steal next in the dark of night and telling her, "NO", before the crime is committed.

Keeping her in the lot is the real answer but that isn't easy either. The Crossman Pumpmaster BB Rifle is very nice and my husband has hit her with a BB a couple of times and she has yelped but for some reason I just can't hit her. I find it hard to pump up and can only pump 3 to 4 times, he does 7 and I think it is more accurate at 7, the limit is 10.

We only shoot her if she is not looking at us, to make sure we don't hit an eye. It hasn't taken her long to tune in to the sound of that gun being pumped, so she is usually running for the hills by the time we pull the trigger anyway.

So, it isn't that I don't think puppies are adorable, I just wish that this one would grow up. My husband keeps telling me that she needs to grow up and my LGD friends keep telling me to bear with her because she will eventually get past this stage.

She also barks a lot but I knew before I got her that was a characteristic of a Great Pyrenees, that is all a part of the guarding and protecting, which makes sense because most predators and not going to go into a pen with a barking dog, she sure doesn't sound like a puppy, she was born with an adult voice.

Groundhog Day

If a groundhog surfaced here today, he would have most assuredly seen his shadow, so I guess we get some more winter. After our big winter storm warning yesterday, I believe he is better at predicting than those getting paid to do so.

Our deer did return this evening, just like clockwork, so I guess our offspring didn't traumatize them too badly.

I had a wonderful day, I went out this morning and the ground was still frozen and covered with ice. My back is so bad that I am terrified of falling, I did slip several times but never went down. My animals had to be taken care of and I was the only person here to do it, so I had to suck it up and be brave.

I went back out at about 1:00 and didn't even need a coat, all the ice was gone and muddy soup had taken it's place, like I say, you gotta love Indiana weather. I did some more slipping around and checked for eggs.

My Great Pyrenees, Angel was running all around me, in a playful mood, trying to knock me down, wallowing in the mud and when I went into the goat/chicken shed, she gleefully followed me in. That's when I started being splattered all over with a mixture of liquid mud and manure as she wagged her big furry tail, it was just like a big, wet dish rag being slung around.

Spots appeared all over my glasses and clothing as well as my neck and face. Then of course, she just couldn't help but put her big, mud soaked paws all over me.

When I got back to the house I was a sight and I didn't smell very good either but that is good, because as long as you have a good sense of smell they say that you don't have Alzheimer's. Losing one's sense of smell is one of the first symptoms, this is reassuring to me since I can't smell my billy goat anymore, at least I can still smell manure.

More Chicken News

I know that you are all waiting on pins and needles to find out how the great chicken transfer is going. Well, when last we visited the Spinner's Farm, she had taken her three Rhode Island Reds to the goat/chicken shed during a driving rain and wind storm, you will be happy to know that they survived their first night in the shed.

Meanwhile, back at the house/barn, I do actually live in a barn with a small apartment built on one side. The five Barred Rocks were waiting in a large pet taxi to be carried one by one to their new home. The transfer went without incident, the Rhodies were turned out into complete freedom, which I doubt they had ever experienced before, while the Rocks were put into the large cage in the shed that had held the Rhodies the night before. Tomorrow the Rocks will join the Rhodies in complete freedom.

I was afraid that Angel would chase the Rhodies but there seems to be one Rhodie that has an attitude. When I first took her out to the shed she pecked the nose of a curious goat named Cinder, who is my oldest and queen (alpha) doe. I don't know what happened out there because I was gone most of the day but I did notice that the three red hens and Angel seemed to be respecting each other's space.

Angel is terrible about chasing my little banty hens, she doesn't hurt them, at least she hasn't so far but she does enjoy the chase. The banties have learned how to avoid her and they know when she is sleeping.

My LGD Angel

Angel is my LGD (Livestock Guardian Dog), she is a Great Pyrenees. Angel was born on the 30th of July, so she is still a pup. She is very playful and loves her goats. She was born in a goat pen and has always been in a goat pen. Great Pyrenees have a natural desire to stay with a herd and be a protector but they still require a certain amount of training.

One of the hardest parts of her training has been not to give her much attention, so that she will bond only with her caprine (goat) herd and not to a human herd. She longs to be petted and that makes it very difficult. We do pet her and play with her inside the pen when we feed her but if she comes outside the pen, she is scolded and chased back into it. As she grows, she should get too big to be able to leave the pen at all.

We are also trying to teach her not to jump up on us, she will eventually be a very large dog and with my back problems, I don't think that I could handle her jumping on me. She is timid around us and doesn't come into our space unless she is invited but when we call her over and pet her she gets a little excited and wants to put her feet on us. She gets a stern "No!" and is pushed away. I hate being so cold to her but I got her to do a job and this is all a part of her training.

I did teach her to lead, which she hated but I got that job done in just two days, working with her for around 30 minutes per day. She has been spayed and that process was pretty stressful for her because she had to be separated from her herd for around 4 days. She was supposed to be kept up for 7 days but it just wasn't working, she was so unhappy that I finally went ahead and put her back in the pen. She healed up nicely with no problems.

I know that you should have two LGD's and not just one but my husband would barely let me have this one because of the cost of dog food.

The First Day Of 2008

Well, we have come to the end of the first day of the year, it snowed and the temperature dropped all day. Tomorrow is suppose to be even colder. The mud has all frozen and the ground is a lovely white. It was a nice day just to sit and look out the window.

My husband took care of all of the stock today, so I didn't have to go out. I really don't mind the cold, I actually prefer it but when it drops below 18 degrees, I am not so anxious to be out.

I worry that the animals don't have water and it will be difficult to get them water in the morning. Angel, my Great Pyrenees pup will be snuggled in with her goats tonight, she is well equipped for the weather and loves the cold but she is a heavy drinker, so we will have to get water for her very early in the morning or she will go looking for it herself and I don't want her wondering away from home.