Homestead Tip: Positive Behavior Modifications for the Chickens...

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3 things motivated us to build Oak Knoll Farm on a run down property in the middle of the great flyover...

Bees, check

Chickens, check

Sheep, check...

 

Getting all of them figured out makes every day interesting...Some more so than others...

Fake Eggs for Fooling the Chickens

One of the issues that we encountered with our small flock is that they all wanted to use the same nesting box and were breaking eggs as a result...
A couple of articles suggested using a fake eggs in each box to fool the chickens into using the ones that were not currently in use. One fake egg in each box...
It works!
One small thing fixed an issue that seemed intractable...

Homestead Eggs Taste Better

 

 

 

The Maremma Breed: Bear the Noble Protector

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The Maremma Dog: Bear the Protector:
http://www.maremmaclub.com/the-maremma.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maremma_Sheepdog

Hundreds of hours went into the research for a guardian animal for our flock of hand spinners sheep. We currently have 4 Shetlands, 3 Finnish Landrace and 1 Shetland, BL Cross Wether.


We settled on the Maremma breed and got a 4 month old mom trained working dog at the same time as our proto flock of Shetlands...
All of the research paid off and Bear is now 2 years old and owns Oak Knoll Farm and all of its creatures...

 

The little poster below is my way of communicating the qualities of this breed...Having a Maremma around is like having a permanent 6 year old without thumbs...They are perfect for their job though and Bear even chases hawks and buzzards when they fly over and he really hates the owls...The only command he knows is: Git UM!

These working Mastiff dogs have not been damaged by the 'Pet Market', and should never be made into pets...Known as the White Wolf Dog of the Alps, they are adapted to manage a flock on their own and not need or want any guidance in doing their job. I was skeptical when reading about these traits, but after 2 years, have determined that the Noble Maremma is a breed in a class by themselves and perfect for the task of small stock management...

Cautions:
They are by nature independent and require an Alpha pack leader...This is not an option with them. Bear weighs 150 pounds.
Firm, but gentle guidance is essential.
They know what you are saying and Bear hangs his head down when getting instructions.
'Bear Side Eye', is a good indicator that he does not agree!

The 10PM, 'I would like a Milk Bone bark', and the 'Something is wrong bark' are not the same...Never ignore the 'Something is Wrong Bark'

 ...

Benefits:
Best of all is their Sixth Sense when something is wrong or someone is not trustworthy...They will let you know.
Their unsullied multi thousand year genetic heritage of protecting sheep...
A willing partner in  your endeavors.
The Lights are On and Someone is home!
A Natural Warrior...They hate other predators, but are loving to their charges and family.

 

The Perfect Small Stock Guardian: The Noble Maremma