Author Topic: Hi Everyone!! Another couple of newbies.... (Read 4416 times)

RaggyDoll · « **on:** December 05, 2008, 12:37:17 pm »

Hello All..

Well i've been reading these forums for a while now and as we are (hopefully) expanding early next year i thought i'd join up and say hi! Plus.. i think we might need all the advice we can get!!!

Bit about us.. we have 3 manic labradors (last year they managed to dig up and consume most of my carrots, gotta love em) who cause mayhem wherever they go. Not causing us so much mayhem are the chooks. We have a funny mixture including a light sussex, a welsummer, black rock and a few hybrids.. so far 6 hens and 2 cockerels... none of which have laid an egg. Obviously i am not expecting the cockerels to lay.. i am new to this but i at least know about the birds and the bees! I keep being told to be patient.... they are all this years birds except the black rock.. nothing, nada. Hurry up longer days!

So as the chickens are going so well (

) i thought we would expand my new-found love of animal keeping. Early part of next year we are hoping (find out soon!) to move to a house with a couple of acres. So whats next.... goats? cattle? who knows! All i know is that i want to try new things and if i fail, try again! And with experts like you guys here to give tips and pointers i am sure everything will go like clockwork.....

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #1 on:** December 05, 2008, 02:48:15 pm »

Hi and welcome, we have a manic part bred lab and a couch potato springer spaniel. Wonderful start with the carrots and hens. We tried goats but our roof couldnt stand the strain. As your veggie patch has already been done over by the labs you may find pigs are quite easy. On the plus side they dont tend to live indoors, so the mud stays outside. And they taste good. HM

doganjo · « **Reply #2 on:** December 05, 2008, 02:51:38 pm »

Welcome - what part of what country do you hail from. We have souls from a' the airts on here - A few of us are in the Scottish Central belt and some are members of the Forth Valley and West Fife Smallholders Association.(with a possible name change in the offing)
I'm quite lucky, my French Brittanys don't do much damage except when doing the 'wall of death' circuit, scattering all behind them. And I wouldn't trust them with the ducks & chickens loose

Rosemary · « **Reply #3 on:** December 05, 2008, 08:42:29 pm »

Hi and welcome.

Where are you from?

pigsatlesrues · « **Reply #4 on:** December 05, 2008, 10:52:53 pm »

Welcome from Normandy!! Dog city here with five of the critters including 2 manic labs. Don't you just love 'em!

Our chooks have given up laying totally, but with all of the rain we get here at the moment I can't blame them.

Keep us posted about your progress!

Kate

garden cottage · « **Reply #5 on:** December 06, 2008, 06:30:46 am »

welcome and good luck, 1 flat coat retriever, 1 springer spaniel thats nuts, and my totally loyal jack russell thinks its a guarddog.............neil

pigsatlesrues · « **Reply #6 on:** December 06, 2008, 08:42:19 am »

garden cottage - Neil - we have a four year old Jack called Daisy. Isn't it amazing just how loyal this breed is, and Daisy like yours is the self appointed - well everything actually! She has four big males in her life, Harvey our PBGV being her soul mate and the love of her life. She keeps everyone in check, including us! When the boys play, she is supervising and watching, and with one bark or growl she stops all activity immediately and they all totally obey her commands!! I wish they took the same notice of me!

Her little tongue goes around everyone on an evening, she insists on sprucing them all up at least once a day, and to see her tackling Leroy is a feat in itself!!

She watches the gate all the time, and if a car pulls up she is first to notice and alerts eveyone, which in turn sets the other four off so it becomes bedlum for a few minutes.

It is a breed I would never have touched with a barge pole before, but when we got Harvey as a puppy he was scared of every other dog we met, except Jacks. His breeder also bred Border Terriers so perhaps the first Jack he saw reminded him of them, but anyway, we bought Daisy for him really, and have never looked back. They are such characters, and I would recommend them to anyone who needs order in their home. Daisy must have been a sheep dog in her previous life, because she rounds up the sheep, goats and pigs on a single command, she is great!!

Sorry gone off the point a bit, didn't mean to railroad the thread!

Kate

RaggyDoll · « **Reply #7 on:** December 08, 2008, 10:22:36 am »

Its great hearing about all you guys who also have manic dogs! Sometimes feel its just us that live in a bubble of chaos and mud! We are in Norfolk, UK. Its now cold, windy and frosty in the mornings.. lovely! Past the worst of the rain at least! Still no eggs... i check every day, optimistic as ever. As manic as the labs are, they have never bothered the chooks... they love their food but leave them alone, so strange. The cockerel even often steals kibbles from their bowl (brave fella!) at breakfast time. When they first came home, my eldest black lab sat watching every move they made.. if one took a step towards him he wagged his tail faster and faster.. when they had the courage to get right up close we thought he was going to go bang! The excitement has now worn off but he happily sits in their run (whether they are there or not!) for hours!
My OH grew up on a pig farm and he very early on said "no pigs"... thanks for the suggestion though.. always welcome

Been browsing and goats are still looking like the winners.. Will keep you all updated!! Speak gain soon!

Rosemary · « **Reply #8 on:** December 08, 2008, 07:50:45 pm »

Our collie, Tess, watched "hen TV" - she sits by the run and completely obsesses about the hens. Once they are free ranging, she's pretty uninterested though.