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sarahjane
Farmgirl at Heart
2 Posts
Sarah
New Gloucester
Maine
USA
2 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 27 2005 : 07:04:09 AM
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Hello,
Am writing from New Gloucester, maine where the temperature is -15. I am trying to chase away the winter blues with some inspring farm girl chat. Great to see a network of women out there from which to draw wisdom. I am new to the site and have a number of questions but will not bombard you all at once. My first question concerns Livestock Guard Dogs..specifically Pyrenees and Anatolians. Does anyone use them for their sheep? I have three young dogs and am dealing with some transient behaviors...any suggestions besides chains? I have found splitting them up works well but am often worried that they should work together for some of our predator packs can be quite aggressive. Keep up all the good work.
Sarah Hunt
Pineland Farms |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2005 : 10:17:49 AM
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Welcome, Sarah. I cannot give you advice on guard dogs, but just wanted to say hello and that I look forward to getting to know more about you and your farm in Maine! Keep warm!
jpbluesky
Love those big blue skies and wide open spaces. |
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TheSoapMaven
True Blue Farmgirl
691 Posts
Susan
LA
USA
691 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2005 : 11:33:22 AM
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Nice to meet you! Tell us more about your farm. You will like it here. Great folks!
Blessings & Bliss!.· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:-~Susan~
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Wife, Mother, Natural Woman, Savonnière, Writer, Baker, Gardener.
Soulmate to Jerry for 30 years
Mom to Zach, Gesikah, Nathan, Hannah, Rachel and Benjamin
Yetta to Sam
"It's no bad thing to celebrate a simple life" ~ Bilbo Baggins
If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you need to seriously re-examine your life. |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2005 : 2:12:22 PM
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Sarah,
Welcome aboard. Don't know about your breeds of dogs. I have sheep farming neighbors who use Llamas as gaurd dogs. I guess that they are really good because they are not afraid of anything and so curious that they intimidate the predatory coyotes that run in huge packs around here.
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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connio
True Blue Farmgirl
535 Posts
connie
springtown
texas
USA
535 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2005 : 6:49:31 PM
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Welcome Sarah Jane Can't give you advice on the guard dogs, but I wanted to say hello. One of my friends from college lives in Camden, Maine. I am from northern Illinois but must say that I love living in Texas where it stays reasonably warm. Tonight it is about 40 degrees, and we all think that it is freezing. Two days ago it was almost 80 degress. In Texas the saying goes that if you don't like the weather that day, just wait and you will get something else in a day or two!
Connie
cozycottage |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2005 : 05:31:46 AM
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Welcome SarahJane! Glad you found us! I had to pipe in here because of your question about guard dogs for your sheep... Two years ago our neighbors lost a few of their sheep to the Great Pyrenees breed you mentioned. My neighbor told me that it was two pyrenees dogs that got into the pen and mauled two ewes to death. My first thought was that perhaps the dogs were trying to herd them and the sheep dropped from exhaustion... She said the sheep had been attacked. The dogs were raised by a couple that did not use them for guarding sheep. Don't know much more about these kind of dogs. Good luck to you! Jenny
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
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marlyn
Farmgirl in Training
36 Posts
marlyn
Norwood
Ontario
Canada
36 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2005 : 06:31:19 AM
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Welcome Sarahjane
About the dogs. I have had a Great Pyrenees before because I was told they are great with sheep. I found them to be very moody and tempermental. I would never trust them ourside of a fenced in area. I found them to be awful towards my children. Wanting to play with the kids but when the playing began were all teeth. I had to get rid of them because it became that I couldn't trust them for anything.
At present I use-- get this! I German Shepard. He loves the kids, watches the house and heards the sheep. He even sleeps in the large sheep pen. He has been butted in the head by sheep to many times to question them, yet is quick enough and smart enough to outwit the flock.
That's my two cents worth.
Marlyn from Canada |
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sarahjane
Farmgirl at Heart
2 Posts
Sarah
New Gloucester
Maine
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2005 : 10:01:48 AM
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Dear Girls,
Thank you for all your welcomes and advice. I aleady have two llamas who failed at their duty which is why I got the dogs!! Have not had any trouble with losing sheep or having them around children in truth they are big mushes who absoutly adore people..perhaps that is my problem I spoiled them rotten. My farm is a large 3000 acre spread which is used for a myraid of activities. We have two dairy farms and milk about 60 holsteins, market the eggs of 550 organic chicken--yikes!!! I have a small herd of Icelandic Sheep which I adore for their temperment, heartiness and amazing fleece. As a knitter, spinner and aspiring felter you can't ask for a more interesting fiber. I have the guard dogs and two border collies which work and a rascally, spoiled belgian draft horse which I drive and am learning to ride. So needless to say a farm girl is a busy girl. I am so glad to hear there are warm places right now. I look forward to hearing from all of you. You can check ourt our website at www.pinelandfarms.org. Take Care and do good work
Sarah |
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terese
True Blue Farmgirl
63 Posts
terese
chagrinfalls
ohio
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2005 : 12:41:25 PM
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I have been asking about chickens and am in the process of purchasing some> could anyone suggest a
nice clean farm to purchase some from...i am in ohio and don't mind shipping them from further away.
Most the farms in ohio are factories. YUK
terese
beginnings |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2005 : 4:30:14 PM
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| Love the website, so beautiful! Then newsletter was neat too. Welcome aboard Sarah! |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2005 : 10:09:43 AM
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Good Morning Terese and all you wonderful girlfriends!
About the place to get chickens, I have a book called "The Chicken Tractor" by Andy Lee and Pat Foreman. It is a great resource guide of instruction on types of chickens , best suited to your personal use and area as well as a great section on endagered species of chickens with an address for;
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
Box 477
Pittsboro, NC
27312
1-919-542-5704
The book describes in detail a large variety of chickens as well as other poultry and gives their strengths and weaknesses.
It is a permaculture book and great instruction are included for using even your broilers for more than food.
I have a neighbor who hatches her own chicks from her own eggs and has great luck determining if an egg is a rooster or hen by the shape of the egg. She says if the egg is pointy and elongated it is a rooster and the more rounded eggs are the hens. I have never tried this but I might this year.
Also there is a video available from
www.chickenvideo.com that is great for getting started right with chickens. Mary Jane had an article in one of her Magalogs about this video.
Another thought is that you might talk to some of your local chicken raising neighbors and find out where they get their chicks.
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2005 : 11:17:45 AM
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Wow Sarah!!
What can I say? I have just visited the webb site and find that you are not a small potatoes farm but an enormous multifunctional center for all sorts of farming. We could probably all learn a lot from you. How long have you been donig this and has it been in the family for ever or is it a more recent thing.
I love the news letter and am forwarding your address to a girlfriend who is just in the first two years of beginning a journey for a working teaching farm that teaches all the skills about organic farming as well as permaculture and environmental building tecniques including cobb buildings. I am sure she will appreciate seeing how you have put together your webb site and the educational facilities. We have been discussing farm tours and christmas shows but never thought of the halloween thing which I am sure would go over really big in this rural place. The photo contest is a wonderful idea for promoting your business!!!
thankyou for joining into our group.
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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terese
True Blue Farmgirl
63 Posts
terese
chagrinfalls
ohio
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2005 : 11:26:29 AM
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I too have been concidering doing some educational classes on my farm. I think it is a great idea.
I had a christmas show..started out invitation only and it was a great success...Also, I am hosting a early summer tag sale with many of the local business woman and their wares. It is a way to clean house and to get the community to the farm.
Can't wait to see the website....
beginnings |
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