Bruce's Journal

[Bruce]

1. I can't see his posturing so don't know but no I do not think it is a position thing. I think Merlin is very gracious with you and he is patient with you. It almost sounds as if he is trying to show you how partnership works.
2. I think it is a great thing. Just keep in mind if one night he is not in agreement leave him do his thing.


Question- Is this the same coop the birds have been in for all the time you have had them?
Any significant change you made just prior to Merlin?

This really does have me curious.
I truly have never seen this. I have placed, or helped place many LGD's into new farms and have never seen this.
I haven't even see birds do this that were caught in a LGD's jowls. Some birds will go right back at the dog.
I've dealt with a lot of poultry issues (where people dogs are chasing poultry) and still not seen this.
It really is interesting and strange all at the same time!

None of these birds has ever seen another coop. All arrived as day olds. 6 of the current birds in 2012, raised in the house in a bathtub and heat lamp (never again, I know the MHP method now!), moved to the coop at 3-4 weeks. The other 6 in 2015 raised by Zorra in a hardware cloth enclosed brooder space in the coop. She was never a particularly vigilant "watch for danger" bird until she had those chicks. Then she was on high alert ALL the time.

No changes to the coop but the alpacas did arrive 2 months before Merlin and they wigged the birds out as well. But since they can't get to the chickens side of the barn, they were still acting normal other than not going in the barnyard/pond area very much. They used to go out there morning and evening, spending their days up by the house.

Merlin hasn't rejected nightly ear scrubs yet! But sometimes he is more insistent about "MORE!" if I stop scrubbing than he is at other times. Last night he was out barking at something when I went down. He came up when he heard me and had probably 10 minutes of scrubbing, brushing, etc. Tonight I think he was asleep in the barn because he was doing a lot of stretching when I opened the door. He didn't seem to need as much scrubbing tonight and left the "scrubbing (until today, dining) room" (there is a low seat in there that I use) after a bit so I got up and we went outside. He found something to bark at and I came back to the house.

I wish all of ya was closer to me, because I'd be Glad to give ya Fresh eggs....gave away 12dz the other day and have 8 full cartons in the Fridge right now!!

You can stick some in the package with that Black Walnut when you cut it I did find a bit of Pentacryl, I'll send that down and you can "paint" the ends soon as the piece is cut. Should help keep it from cracking before it gets here for repeated application.

 

[CntryBoy777]

The HomeDepot in Horn Lake is suppose to have some....at least that is what the website was showing....they sell a qt and isn't hi$ will be getting up that way probably next wk before the weather hits, and while up there was planning on cking it out....I'll let ya know what I find....there are a couple of WoodWorking suppliy places in Memphis too....gotta go up there and get some Red sakrete for some Posts....

 

[Bruce]

The quart bottles are ~$21 whereas a gallon is $63 but if you can get it at the store, the difference wouldn't be too great since the cheapest shipping on the gallon is $10.

BUT ... I don't see it on the HD website

 

[CntryBoy777]

While I'm there will check and if I have any questions will send ya a pic of the bottle...just to make sure.

 

[Bruce]

@CntryBoy777 , I need that special glass you have.

10:30 AM, the great chicken hunt chapter 4. Found a Fav in the "not room" to the right of the south barn door. Found 3 girls in the feed room BURIED behind or under something. Found Yue crammed tight behind the compressed pine shaving bales in the "ear scrubbing room". Only the Fav was not buried, she was sitting on a makeshift shelf about 4' off the ground.

About 1 PM, went to do something down in the barn. When I opened the upper gate to leave Merlin bolted through. Mind you he's not tried that on me before and I didn't do anything unusual, opened it just enough from me to get through. Called the reinforcements as he went running around the yard. DD1 snagged him by the collar, I went to get the leash.

Wife decides he just wants to go for a walk around the property. I told her I had been told that was a bad idea. They walked around the yard then out into the north field to the end and back. She chose not to let him take her into the wetland halfway back. Put him back in his area.

I had wired some 2x3 fencing to the south gate of the upper pair to keep the chickens out. Still needed to do the north gate. But ... oops, the gates are held shut with cane bolts. I don't know about your families but no one here has a hand that can fit through a 2"x3" space to reach the cane bolt from the inside. So first I had to put the gate latch on it. I hadn't done that before because whoever made these gates never considered someone might want a double gate and the latch part is supposed to go on a 2" metal post. The gate bars are only 1" so I needed to make a spacer block. On one of my trips from the workshop (N end of barn) to the gate (S end of barn) for test fitting there was Merlin outside the barn licking an aluminum plate of some sort. Must have come out of someone's trash can Thursday when the wind was blowing all the containers over. The gate was still closed but the 2/3 wire was pushed down so the gate was now only 4' high with the wire now making a "springing" 1' high step.

I GUESSED Merlin had gone over the gate and I removed the wire. Put Merlin in the back and figured I might as well finish the gate latch, didn't want to leave it half finished. Back to workshop to find a block of wood to make the spacer. On my way back to the door "Hi Merlin" OK so He wants company or something. I put his leash on, went to the gate to do some measurements and brought him back to the workshop. Closed the door, it is a barn door on rolling (only they don't roll so well) hinges on a top bar. Merlin checked things out and I went to work on the piece of wood. Needed something, turned around, no Merlin. He had pushed the door and it opened a large gap (no way to hold it shut from inside. So there he is outside trotting around. I brought him back in the workshop and attached his leash to the planar table. When I was done working on my spacer, he was still there.

Back into his area he goes, I finish putting on the gate latch while he hung out nearby. Then I rearranged the plywood leaning against the little barn near the gate since I figured the only place he could have gotten out was near there. Tried to make it so he couldn't get past it. Admittedly this was a week spot in the fencing since it only needed to keep chickens in the back. Merlin hadn't challenged the gate and I didn't think to deal with that weasley section between the gate post and the little barn. Definitely a failure on my part.

I went toward the workshop so I could watch when he got out again. No dice. Then I hear chickens squawking. Down to the barn I go and find Merlin on Penelope's tail in that first "not room". She crammed herself between the wall and the edge of the brooding box.I got past Merlin and picked her up. Back to the coop, count the chickens, still missing one. Yue, second time today. I KNEW she hadn't gone out by the upper gate because I was trying to catch Merlin escaping. I found her crammed into the corner of the Alpacas' stall below the loose mineral corner feeder. That would be the location specified by my wife as "She isn't in here unless she is in the corner I can't see

Back to the house, watch the gate from the bedroom window. Merlin was working away at the area I had rearranged, shoved himself between the plywood and under the mass of chicken wire and 2x3 wire. So now it is 4 PM, getting dark and I have to do something about a real piece of fencing in the 4' gap between the gate post and the little barn. Poor timing. I managed to get 1 T post in about 5" from the barn wall. Could NOT get one in closer to the gate post (@#$^%Y rocks). I had a ~11' piece of 48" sheep and goat fence left from when I put in the East fence line. I ran it (best described now as 4' wide and 10' tall ) up between the T-post and fence post. Used fence clips to connect it to the T-post and wire to connect it to the gate post. I ran one "row" out as a skirt into the area between the barns so he couldn't possibly squeeze under. I would have run more, to get buried in the spring but the plywood is in the way. So there it is, attached going up about 8' then looping back down to the "standing" part at the top of the 5'+ tall gate. ASSUMING he doesn't escape that, I'll need to tidy it up in the spring with more skirt so I can make a "dig resistant" bottom to the fence.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Wonder if he's kin to Cowboy?

 

[Baymule]

Or you could put up a hot wire.

 

[Southern by choice]

Merlin is bored. You may need to do some family time outside his area to help with boredom.
Poor Merlin. It must be tough on him.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Oh my, what an "Eventful" day. I do understand your frustration and I do "Laugh and Cry" right along with ya. It truly is amazing how animals can "Test your Mettle' and resolve too.
I had a similar event when we brought the goats home for the first time. I had read 4 books on goats, did some research, worked my tail off changing the old chicken house over to accommodate them, and should mention was "Proud" of my work. We were ready to Welcome our new members with open hearts, arms, and mind; I even vowed and promised them that they would be safe and I would protect them. We kept them in the pen and went in with them the next day to get aquainted, everything went well. That is until my sister called me....she was down staying with Dad a couple of days....and told me the goats were out. Well we jumped into action and went running with leads in our hands and pellets in our pockets. Comet has always been an easy one to catch cause he likes attention and rubbings. Lightning on the other hand is a runner and fast...thus his name. Well we finally got them and Star was still in the pen. Then it was time to find the escape route, in getting things ready I had missed securing the bottom portion of a section of fence, so they pushed out and under the fence. Although, now the bottom of the fence wouldn't reach, having been bent out of shape; so, I had to improvise with some wood I had. Needless to say my "Pride and Confidence" was as deflated as it could be.
I certainly don't want to give advice that would conflict with the developement in your relationship with Merlin; and don't want to be "Chastised" by SBC. I do agree that your situation seems to be due to the chicken's behavior. Latestarter has a wonderful suggestion about developing a new group, but that doesn't resolve the present situation and facing a daily routine of putting "Fires Out" can wear and tear on ya. Since, with any animals, there is an "Introduction Period" and the chickens have been left to "Accept and Deal" with it, I go back to my original suggestion of a temporary barrier that allows them both to see, smell, and hear each other before there is a full emersion; more for the benefit of the chickens and you. I appologize ahead of time if I am wrong and just showing my lack of experience and knowledge, but it would be an immediate solution. It may not be the best one, but that is my opinion....unless SBC changes my way of thinking with her post....she thinks much differently than me, so I learned from each of her posts.

 

[Bruce]

Merlin is bored. You may need to do some family time outside his area to help with boredom.
Poor Merlin. It must be tough on him.

So it IS OK to take him for walks outside his area? I understand his role is LG/farm Dog but I don't know the proper balance or how to achieve it. We could play with him if we knew how he wanted to play. I gather GPs aren't ball and stick chasers.

A funny I forgot to post. I got his green bucket for dinner, put his food in it and placed it outside in the general area he takes his buckets. He picked it up and trotted about halfway down the pond, then across the pond to the north side and came up on "land", then turned around, retraced his steps to about where I had put it and started eating. We really have no idea what to make of that. I wonder if he will figure out when it is no longer safe to walk on the pond come spring.

I would love to have had enough time to replace the dilapidated fence around the house yard so his area would include the house (at least the outside of it ). That would give him an additional half acre and the ability to be with us if we are outside. But the rails are rotting and falling off the wood posts. Prior owner didn't use PT and slapped latex paint on them. Latex seals in every bit of moisture that gets under it into the wood. I can't think of a better way to ensure rot. Like every other post here, they are all wiggly which suggests they aren't in very deep and wouldn't support a fence. As such they would all need to be replaced.

To be fair, we aren't normally out that much this time of year plus my wife is at work 6 days a week and the DDs hide in the house most of the time anyway. I've made a big effort to be outside IN his area a lot since he came. But if I'm working on something he's figured out there won't be any ear scrubbing and goes somewhere to lie down. "Somewhere" isn't near me most of the time.

@CntryBoy777 Even when the girls are in the coop they can see Merlin and he can see them through the wire that covers the openings. 3/4 of the walls are 4' high plywood with wire above that. The only wall that is wood all the way up is the back wall. Even the people door is a frame with wire over it. The problem only seems to occur if the girls come out of the coop. I would have to get the game camera out to see the start of the "chicken run and hide" game to see if there was any obvious trigger and how it starts. They seem to deal OK with him going in the coop as long as they are all up on the roosts. He doesn't even look at them (at least not when I'm there )