Bruce's Journal

[NH homesteader]

Bahaha sorry that is hilarious.

I had to change the text alert noise on my phone because my husband always texts me when he's on our road... So I know he's coming and the dogs don't wake the child up. So now they think the text noise means someone is about to pull in the driveway. So the spaz out and bark anyway. Counterproductive.

Interesting to follow your new LGD adventures.. Maybe if I keep reading I'll feel more prepared when I get mine... Someday

 

[Latestarter]

He could be barking at a deer, or a rabbit, or some other nightly denizen... raccoon, skunk, porcupine, rat, mice, etc. Sometimes there's no telling. They can see, hear and smell better than we can.

ETA... Your wife might be hyper sensitive right now since he just arrived, and may be "hearing things"...

 

[Baymule]

Trip always lays in the middle of the driveway between the house and the road where he can better survey his kingdom. Recently he changed his position to the end of the house, close to the gas pipeline. I couldn't figure out why until my son said, that's where the threat is coming from. Bingo! The guy that owns the 8 acres next to us planted an oat patch and the deer are in it every night. Deer drive the dogs nuts.

Our other GP, Paris always barked at EVERYTHING. If an acorn fell, she went off. I'd open the door and tell her HUSH! Then I started tapping the glass window before I opened the door to fuss at her. It finally got to where I could tap the window and she'd shut up. And as time passed, she stopped barking so much. She still barks, but there is SOMETHING out there. Just because I can't see or smell it doesn't mean that it isn't there. Just recently she killed a large possum.

Your dog is new, everything is new to him. When he is barking, go outside and talk to him. Tell him he is a good dog, pet him and go back in. In time, he will settle down and know what is a threat and what is not.

 

[Bruce]

He started off again about half an hour ago. In my pajamas (thanks to the in-laws for the insulated Carhartt overalls they gave me 3 years ago!), I put on my boots, no socks, figured same old thing, it will be a couple of minutes. I went down to the gate in the east line. He was at the barn side edge of the pond looking west toward the woods. That bark really echos off the woods and back to the house. He didn't come to me. Teddy and Laddie were looking the same direction (best I could tell, total overcast, supposed to snow 3.5 inches by tomorrow night). Teddy was alerting.

CLEARLY something was out there, they weren't all worried about a firefly or something. I went through the gate and to Merlin at the edge of the pond. Still barking. I scratched his ears and talked to him, still barking. And some low growls as well. I went back through the opening in the old fence and started toward the area between the old and new fences. I finally saw something about halfway between the woods and the new fence. It headed toward the woods. Didn't run like a deer and I think too big for a fox. Dog or coyote?

He was still at the pond barking. I went out through the gate in the west fence and toward the woods (I guess I am the "patroller" half of the team ). I came across some footprints in the snow but not light enough to see them clearly. Merlin stopped barking and I went back to the gate. Merlin was there waiting for me. Gave him lots of praise and scratches and headed back through the east fence gate. Got about halfway up the side of the little barn and he set off again. So back I went out to the west fence gate and walked around more. Found several sets of tracks, some clearly a smaller animal based on the size of the print and spacing (definitely not rabbit), some larger. I went back to the woods and after a bit he stopped barking. Same scenario on the way back to the gate and this time I made it to the house to report.

So he is a watcher. He stayed where he had some elevation and if necessary could make it to the alpacas in no time even though they were about 100' away as he would have to travel to get around the old fence. Unless he decided to go over it. I'll have to take down the rest of the jury rigged "fence topper" DD1 and I put up to keep the chickens in the barnyard while we were going in September. Wouldn't want him to hit that and get hurt. He didn't leave his post until he decided the threat wasn't there, then came to meet me near the west fence gate.

Of course if the threat did make it to the fence when Merlin was in the barn and tried to go over, it wouldn't try again The fence works. I got zapped earlier today when I was moving a piece of old poly wire that went from wood post to wood post across the gate outside the north end of the barn. Mind you this was NOT connected to anything, it was just a visual deterrent I put on a couple of months ago so the chickens wouldn't try to go over the 4' high pipe gate. I still have NO idea what I touched but I turned the fence off after that to complete the job. The wires I was anywhere near were the leadout wires for the top hot and the ground below it.

Now I just have to explain all this to the wife in the morning.

ETA - what is the bestest most powerful handheld light I can get that can shine at least enough light to get reflection off an animal's eyes minimally 100', 200' would be better. Or do they not exist. I would love to know where the critter was in the woods when Merlin was barking both times during this incident.

 

[NH homesteader]

So much excitement!

Hey Bruce... I have a chicken question for you. I don't go on BYC so forgive my forum crossing

What do you use for water in winter? We had a heated waterer but it broke (and I didn't love it anyway) .. So we are currently using rubber dishes but with the snow on the ground they're not interested in going outside. I love nipper waterers but am not sure how one could keep them from freezing.

 

[Bruce]

No problem! I built a recirculating waterer. Coop is a converted stall in the barn so no exposure to the elements.

• Water is in a 5 gallon Igloo drink cooler. It is on the outside of the coop, enclosed in a makeshift plywood box with some rigid insulation on the sides and door.
• Nipple pipe is built into the bottom of the nest box on the other side of that wall. (*)
• Water is pumped (freezing weather and below only!) through clear tubing by a VERY small reptile waterfall pump to the pipe and returns
• Nipples are saddle and ONLY the pin sticks out below the plywood, rigid insulation around the pipe and most of the yellow part of the nipples and over the top, under the floor of the nest box.
• Down to about 15F the stock tank heater works and since it has a thermostat only heats the water to not much more than "not freezing"
• Below that the submersible aquarium heater is plugged in, works to about -20F.

There is a fair distance between the pipe and the nipple pin in saddle nipples, I think a regular nipple would work to a lower temp with the stock tank heater since there would be less distance between the circulating water and the pin.

I have read on BYC that horizontal nipples are less apt to freeze at a given temperature than vertical.

* I would build it as a separate unit were I to do it again. the night before Thanksgiving 3 years ago 3 of the 5 nipple failed, no idea why. Had to take apart the nest box to replace them. That had to wait until spring, too cold to do that in winter in Vermont!

 

[NH homesteader]

Cool thanks! My husband has a plan. I don't totally get it but he knows what he's talking about! Lol I am not technically/mechanically minded

 

[purplequeenvt]

I'm so happy he seems to be taking his job seriously! He's definitely going to be barking more right now as he's learning the all the new sights, sounds, and smells. As he gets more comfortable, the barking should go down. My dogs are, at least at home, not excessive barkers. They seem to be pretty smart about what's a threat and what's not.

If he's barking a lot, there's probably something out there that he's not happy about (even if it's just a bunny).

He takes after his mom in the obedience department. "Come" is always optional to her. His dad and most of his brothers are very obedient. Most of the time. He might get better about coming when called now that he's not competing with his brothers.

 

[Bruce]

Today's "excitement":
Went down for "animal chores". Merlin wasn't between the barns but by the time I got the door open he was there to follow me in. I put food in his dish - nothing doing, scrub my ears!! So I did.
Tossed BOSS on the floor of the coop. I left the smaller chicken door open halfway.
Scrubbed Merlin's ears some more.
Gave the alpacas their pellets.
Scrubbed Merlin's ears some more.

Went to the big grocery store. Got back in time to get DD1 for a day of errands. First stop, 25 miles away, the seamstress for her Theatre On Ice stuff, have lunch at the Nepalese restaurant a couple of doors down. Then to her Doctor's appointment, a stop at the health food store and finally a stop at my favorite family run market on the way home.

Only NOT! Halfway to stop #1 the "Problem!" triangle popped up and a thermometer. We were near the interstate exit I was going to take anyway. Got off, stopped at the gas station on the corner. Popped the hood, coolant reservoir empty. Bought some and filled the reservoir. Off we go. Not 3 miles later, Problem! Stop in the parking lot of a bar, check under the hood, fill the reservoir. Back the car up to see if there were any leaks, nope.

BTW, the manual says if there isn't steam coming out of the engine, pop the hood and see if the fan is running. It isn't so I am supposed to call Toyota. No time for that!! Off we go. Not a mile farther, same thing. Only this time reservoir still full. Off we go (the fact that the Prius runs on electric at times is most helpful "nursing" the car along) and another mile or so, same thing. Pull into a small used car lot to check the reservoir, still full. BTW, no heat coming out of the vents. Saleslady comes out, I explain my issue, she tells me they have a service center 2 doors down. OK! I pull in, talk to the guy. No lifts available then and the loaner car is already scheduled to go out.

Off we go. By this time Plan A is out the window. Nursed the car to the doctor's office about 10 miles away. Left DD1 there at 11:30 for her 1:30 appointment. Nursed the car to the Toyota dealer (not my preferred one!) 10 miles away. Of course with no appointment they aren't able to look at it right then. So they have the car which will cost I don't know how much to fix but their hourly rate is now up to about $97/hr
OK so I have to rent a car for I don't know how long. He says they have a Corolla. $33/day. OK, what choice do I have?? Called the optometrist in MA and cancelled my appointment for tomorrow.

Only the people at the other counter just rented it. She said she would give me a truck for the same price since they didn't have the Corolla.
(This is where you throw me out of the herd) Um, I REALLY don't want a truck.
Well we can give you a Highlander for that price.
Nothing smaller??
Nope. So now I'm driving a vehicle way bigger than I like. Stopped at the bagel place to pick up lunch (now 12:30) and went back to the medical center. Found DD1 in the waiting room about 1 PM. They had already done her vitals. She said maybe the Dr. will be early too. I told her Doctors are NEVER early, only on time if you are lucky. In comes the Doctor! Seems they had 14 cancellations due to the snow this morning. Whoo hoo!

Appointment finished, went to the Health Food store, went to the family market, came home. Told Merlin we would be out in a few minutes after putting the groceries away.

We went down through the gate between the barns and scrubbed Merlin's ears a lot. OK, now 3:45, kinda dark in the barn, turned the lights on. Got scratch for the girls and threw it in the coop. Start headcount. 9 inside, one on the wall of the feedroom against the wire of the coop. Um, 10 chickens is too few by 2. DD1 snagged the White Rock from the feed room (squawking like she was being killed, they are not handled). Figured out we were missing a Black Australorp and a Faverolles. Merlin would not tell me where they were. He did however squeeze into the coop through the half open little door while the WR was being put on the roost. I was told he wouldn't go through a pipe gate. May be true but it isn't because he couldn't if he wanted to!! Gave the alpacas their pellets

Missing girls NOT in the barn. No prints outside the alpacas' end and I hadn't seen any between the barns, but then were weren't careful not to step on any "evidence" when we went down. Looked through the barn again, not there.

DD1 finally found the BA behind some old plywood leaning against the little barn. It is one of the places they hang out in the summer. I had looked there but didn't get down on hands and knees and stuff my face in 3' like she did. We moved some of the plywood and she was able to snag the hen. Stuck her in the coop and went looking some more for the Faverolles. She found the "fluffy butt" with her head in a hole right behind the barn. I guess Ostriches have something because she had successfully hidden from the big hairy animal.

All accounted for, time for Merlin's apparent favorite activity, ear scrubbing. Went back to the house and shoveled part of the driveway and down to the gate. Wife came home as I was finishing. Not seeing my Prius she asked if DD1 had already left for her TOI practice (not sure what she was thinking about the unknown vehicle). Nope. I told her "I figure since we got this huge dog, we needed a bigger vehicle and traded the Prius .... either that or the car is in the shop". She and I then went down and ... scrubbed Merlin's ears some more.

 

[Baymule]

It sounds like Merlin is getting the best part of this day! I hate car problems. $orry that you are having to deal with thi$. Hopefully it won't cost a lot to get it fixed. DH's truck is a 2004, we pay for repairs and are happy that we aren't paying a monthly note. Repairs are way cheaper!