Author Topic: Best farm dog type? (Read 20104 times)

macgro7 · « **Reply #30 on:** April 16, 2021, 05:41:24 pm »

Great thanks

I heard that foxes might be intimidated by any large animals - large breed sheep, cows.
They are certainly not bothered by the goats! They just walk right past them! Goats are not bothered either!
My stupid chickens, when they saw a fox, instead of making a racket and running away, they walked towards it...
This is how I lost my last cockerel

in the hills · « **Reply #31 on:** April 16, 2021, 08:01:36 pm »

We rarely see foxes here (think the gamekeepers keep them under control) but on one occasion something about our chickens behaviour made me take notice. They were all heading in one direction, all very alert with heads held high. Couldn't work out what they were doing but then noticed a fox in the next field. They were literally heading like an army across our field towards him!
I can only think that the behaviour is meant to intimidate a predator, macro7. Obviously it didn't work for your cockerel though!

sabrina · « **Reply #32 on:** April 18, 2021, 12:43:32 pm »

We have foxes but our main problem is the badgers. Our dogs, border collie, lab cross collie and a Jack Russell live in our house. They hear everything and bark like mad if anything moves near the house and barns.During the day they are outside when we are working. We are 350 yards of the road so they more or less spend the summer outside if they choose . Only once did a fox take a chicken and that was in the late morning. It had no fear and the farmer who shot it thought it had been hand reared then let go. It was starving. Badgers are all around us andcause so much damage. We lost our ducks to the badger but things improved when we put up outside lights which are on at night. They stear clear of the buildings now. We also have CCTV which makes it easy to check outside if the dogs go off barking. They way things are going these days you are just as likely to loose livestock to people stealing.

LeeHambone · « **Reply #33 on:** May 17, 2021, 09:07:12 pm »

I'm late to this thread party!
We have ducks, geese and chickens, miniature horse, and 100 fancy pigeons, the plot has a pair of miniature dachshunds and a young Spanish mastiff livestock guardian. The daxxies are great watchdogs, and are totally safe around the poultry, it didn't take long for them to accept each other, but they will eat eggs if they get chance. They are also good vermin control, mice, rats and squirrels.

The mastiff is my new baby, excellent around all the livestock so far. An amazing pet, great around our 16 month old, albeit a bit clumsy at this stage, she is a huge breed, but very good in the house, and an excellent guard dog.

We do need very sturdy fencing though, the daxxies would go under and the mastiff would go over or through.

The hope is for goats and sheep later this year/early next year, so time will tell. We have foxes and badgers around and so far so good.