Hollow Update

We've been busy and will be busier yet to come.

I ordered tarps (used billboard tarps actually) to install on the front from of both shelters and the barn. The main idea is to keep the snow from blowing in but they should also help keep it a bit warmer as well. The tarps don't come with grommets so I am going to attempt laying them out in the back yard tomorrow and installing grommets with a kit we bought from Lowes. I'll let you know how that goes :o). As always, there are options in how to do so and I wrack my braining trying to decide which is the best way and worry it won't be done right. In some cases that's not such a big deal, you can fix it. In other cases, like a 10'x22' or a 12'x36' foot tarp, placing the grommets in the wrong location can kind of a big deal. It's supposed to pour tomorrow and I'd like to get 2 of these up. We bought some pretty expensive (for here) alfalfa rounds (1 ton each) and I'd prefer if it as not ruined thankyouverymuch. All the hay is barn (or south shelter), but if the wind kicked up, there's potential for ruin.

Second on the agenda: I've been worried about coyotes for a few weeks now. They sound numerous out there! While I think the neighbors (supper annoying yappity) dog(s) have possibly done a good job letting the coyotes know there are dogs around, long term the coyotes will figure out that baby goats may be an easy meal. Not only that, but with the hills and the trees, I cannot see the the entire property from the house, not to mention the fact the southern portion is about half as wide as the northern portion and so it juts behind the neighbors property a pretty fair bit and I cannot see much beyond the barn in a north-easterly direction from the kitchen window. The new fencing is supposed to just as good of a job at keeping things in that you want in as it is at keeping things out that you want out, but there still be cattle panel fencing around the pen area which is accessible to anything. Have I kept you in suspense for long enough as to our plan? Or did I not make it sound like there was a surprise?

Since we moved here I've been looking into an LGD (livestock guardian dog). I've researched donkeys (I don't want a donkey!) and llamas (after knowing what those were to like after living next door to 2 for  years I think I'd be better off sticking a stuffed owl out there to keep coyotes away). I've been set on an LGD for ages now. These aren't Collies or any of the herding type of animals. There are actual breeds who do best living amongst their herd (breeds such as Pyrenees, Akbash, Anatolian, etc.). I need eyes and ears for my night watch and after seeing what the dogs can and will do, I'm set. Too many nights Jeremiah or myself (or both) have run out with the gun when the coyotes seem to be upon us. I know their howls can sound close even if they are far off but I want to know the flock is safe.

I don't want a puppy. I wouldn't know how to train a puppy. I want an adult who has been proven safe around children. and knows his/her job.  These are LARGE dogs who take their guarding seriously. I'd prefer my human children not be run off. I kinda like them. And since I can't won't re-home my children :o), finding an LGD that I know the dog will be good with has been utmost priority. I've not had any success until just last night a message went out on my goat group about an Akbash who needs a new home. He's 2. I don't know if he's fixed although someday I wouldn't mind breeding so if he was "whole" I'd leave him and possibly look into getting a female some day. Apparently at his current home he's taken a liking to visiting the meat locker 1/2 mile away and stealing goodies. With whatever fencing they have, they cannot keep him in. In our case, this shouldn't be a problem come the end of the month with the high tensile going in.

He's a very big dog and the owner sent photos of "King" with young children hanging all over him. As a general rule, you do not want to make pets out of these dogs. Their job is to guard the herd (or flock), and the herd (or flock) is their family. Often times they will even go as far as barking at humans that don't know (including people who live there who don't see them often). But apparently this dog likes being around people and so I am lead to believe he knows friend and foe very well. We will go meet him on Saturday. I don't think they eat very much for their large size. They aren't extremely hyper dogs and don't expend a lot of energy needing to run and so therefore don't need as much food as a dog proportional to their size who moved a lot. They lay about a lot watching the herd, moving with them, from what I've told. Getting the goats to accept him may be a challenge as they are wary of a friendly cat that likes to visit me but with the new babies coming, now is the best time to get them accustomed to a dog being in their midst.

we'll be picking up some laying hens within the next couple of months. Jo has some Rhode Island Reds that we'll take home. I'd also like to get some Barred Rocks as both of these are dual purpose birds that are good for meat and eggs. I'd like to get a roving coop built, a trailer type that we can move about into the different pastures for rotational grazing purposes. It keeps the pasture healthier and the chickens healthier too, or so I've read. You're probably wondering why we don't just build a stationary coop and my answer is that we cannot put them exactly where we want them. And granted, you can open the door and they can go where the want but if the coop is in a pasture and there's enough to eat (approx. 3 days after the goats have left that pasture) they're more apt to stay somewhat near. If that doesn't work, we've still got the coop and can just park it in a centralized location near the barn.

Time to get going on chores.