In the past when we have adopted a dog, we wanted one, but can't say we truly needed one. This time was different. We NEED Kwamba. It was a whole 8 months since we lost our old pal Heathcliff from our canine pack, and many of my close friends and family thought for sure I would get another soon after. We didn't simply because I wanted to wait until 12 1/2 yrs old Einstein passed away and then we'd be left with the three Aussies (two shepherds and one cattle dog)....but then all logic was thrown out when a pair of red fox started frequenting our chicken and duck flock like one would a grand buffet. I feel I am the smarter of the two mammals mentioned in this scenario, thus I should be creative enough to think of a way to protect my flock without killing a natural predator from our home area. I understand that they are only killing for food for themselves and possibly their kits, not out of meanness, but I don't want them taking my pets for their food.
We strung the flags back up in the chicken yard and left the dogs out more frequently but the fox were bold and we starting getting Coopers hawks and Red tail hawks roost on the trees right above the flock in the chicken yard. Long story short, we lost 7 birds total, 4 ducks and 3 of the chicks we purchased this spring to replenish layers into our old flock.then we started locking them up by day and only let them out when we were home..I don't like this since this limits their diet to only the chicken pellets we feed them...so we are working on one more strategy..a Great Pyrenees Dog, barnyard guard dog, not a herding dog like all our others.
We are housing Kwamba by day in a dog house and running freely in the chicken yard with the chickens and then coming n the house by night if he wants...they grow thick fur so he may want to stay outside guarding the flock. He is officially Ve's dog. He just turned 8 weeks old and is already as big as Einstein and half-size of DaVinci. He could reach a 100 lbs....I am hopeful that he will be the perfect deterrent for our neighborhood predators.