# Somebody has been letting my animals loose at night!



## Ariel301 (Oct 27, 2010)

A couple of weeks ago on a Saturday we were all away from home until late at night. When I got home at 11 or so, I did my nightly animal check, and the stall I have a bunch of chicks in was standing wide open! I usually keep a piece of plywood across the doorway diagonally wedged in with big rocks, so that I have a "safe" corner to stand in to feed the chicks so I don't step on them--that was dismantled and moved to the side, sitting nicely against the wall. Two really powerful heat lamps were laying tipped over in six inches of straw! Fortunately no birds were hurt or missing and nothing caught on fire!

This morning I heard a weird goat noise from a weird direction. I went out to check it out, and ALL of my pens plus the chick stall and the adult chicken coop were standing wide open, and 100+ chicks and chickens were running loose on our unfenced property, plus all the goats, including one very aggressive and dangerous horned buck! Some boards had been moved from next to my milk stand to in front of the bad buck's pen, so I'm thinking he may have taught them a little lesson and they had to fight him off. 

Nothing else was moved, gone through, or stolen, even though we have several unlocked vehicles and a storage shed. No animals are missing or obviously harmed, though the does were all extremely nervous when I found them, snorting and startled by anything and hard to catch. 

Scary. I'm going to be buying locks for every gate we have. I didn't think any of our neighbors even knew we had animals, none of our roosters are very loud, you can't even hear them in our house, much less the nearest house a half mile away!


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## lilhill (Oct 27, 2010)

Stuff like this is why I have locks on every gate, LGD, property completely fenced in with exception of driveway where the gate is kept open mostly because hubby hates to lock out the UPS man, and a driveway alarm.  The Judge I used to work for also didn't call me a pistol packing Assistant for nothin'.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 27, 2010)

I wonder if it is kids who think they are being funny or "freeing" the poor animals locked up. Hopefully the locks will take care of the problem. Too bad you don't have cameras to catch who is doing this.


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## jodief100 (Oct 27, 2010)

Locks, cameras and be viligant.  Motion sensor lights are also a good idea.  They may just be pranksters but they also may be testing your defenses.   Kids playing pranks can do some serious harm to an animal, even unintentionally. Your barn could have burned down! I would file a complaint with the police so they is a record of trouble should it come to something worse.  Perhaps it is time for a BIG LGD? Whatever you do, take this seriously, it may be nothing but it may be the start of something very bad....

I have a sign at the end of my drive:  

Warning:  Homeowner doesn't bother calling 911.  With a picture of my S&W in hand below.  

I have never had a problem on the actual property.  The neighbor kids smashed my mailbox that is out on the main road once. The second time they were hit with a pepper spray bomb that went off on impact.  I haven't had any trouble since.  

Good Luck


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## cmjust0 (Oct 27, 2010)

That's terrible!   

I hope your buck put a horn up somebody's butt!


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## elevan (Oct 27, 2010)

I had a neighbor that kept turning our dogs loose, so that he could complain about them.  That resulted in one of our beautiful doelings being killed.

The neighbor escalated until he was threatening us.  When he exposed (as in his privates - ahem) himself on our property in front of 4 witnesses, the sheriff's office charged him.

We now have locks on our gates and do regular patrols of the property.

Get some locks.  And maybe a motion activated camera.  You need to catch the perp before things get worse.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Oct 27, 2010)

lilhill said:
			
		

> Stuff like this is why I have locks on every gate, LGD, property completely fenced in with exception of driveway where the gate is kept open mostly because hubby hates to lock out the UPS man, and a driveway alarm.  The Judge I used to work for also didn't call me a pistol packing Assistant for nothin'.


aint that right

'ceptin' our UPS guy knows not to get past the fence. he just leaves stuff on the other side. 

dont rule out neighborhood/town teens who are 'freeing' your enslaved animals. you might want to call around the nearby parents. and file a report in case it gets worse.

sorry
:-(


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## freemotion (Oct 27, 2010)

When we lived in a two-family home we had trouble with kids messing with our cars (the usual annoying prank stuff involving vaseline or eggs or shaving cream.)  Our upstairs neighbor waited up quietly in the bushes with his well-trained Dalmation and a hose.  The kids got very wet and very scared and never bothered us again.

Locks make me nervous after experiencing a barn fire once.  You can't get the doors open fast enough with locks.  And locks won't keep kids from messing with things if they are visiting the animals and possibly feeding them.  They may be enjoying your animals in an ignorant (and illegal and dangerous) way.

Hose 'em down!


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## Ariel301 (Oct 27, 2010)

We don't have the money to get a camera right now, but I am going to put up signs that say we have one, and also "beware of dog" signs. We can't have a dog currently, due to lack of money to feed it, not owning our place, and my head doe has a bad habit of severely injuring dogs that get near her. When she passes on and we can move, a couple of big scary dogs are going to be moving in. 

The fences are too tall for kids to climb, but I do worry about them feeding the animals something poisonous through the chain link. The pens are 6 feet tall with another foot of barbed wire on top. If someone wanted in bad enough, they could take the gates off the hinges easily enough, but I think this must be just teenagers or young adults having some fun, since animals have not been stolen or harmed, they could have done either so easily, my does will walk off with anyone. 

I can file a report about them, but the police aren't really going to pursue anything even if it becomes a problem. Our city is passing laws to make it harder to keep animals, fortunately our livestock are not affected yet, but they just passed something allowing only two pets per acre without a special permit to run a kennel, and the rules for having a kennel are so complicated that it's impossible, animal shelters are being closed down and people are going to have to give up their pets, but now there are not enough shelters for them...and we already had a problem with pets and livestock being abandoned out in the desert. :/ They don't really care much about dealing with animals, my sister in law had a cat and a puppy poisoned in the spring and they wouldn't do anything.


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## mistee (Oct 27, 2010)

maybe you have a poultrygeist!!!


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## ChksontheRun (Oct 27, 2010)

Or a sleep walker   Really, a friend of mine has a husband that sleepwalks and let her dogs out of their pen one night


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## Beekissed (Oct 27, 2010)

Here's an idea....don't put up any signs or such.  Act like you aren't taking any precautions.  Then hot wire your gates with some juiced wire.....and sit back to listen for the screams.   

Not enough to damage, mind you, just enough to surprise and scare off.   They will think more than twice about coming back.  

 You might also get a simple motion alarm and set it on "alarm"....since you can't hear your roo, it won't keep you awake but it may just scare someone and make them think you _can_ hear the alarm.


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## freemotion (Oct 27, 2010)

Ooo, memories!  My brother hooked up the fencer to the door handle of the barn one day when I was working inside....boy, was I mad!!!

That is a great idea, Bee, in this situation!


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## dkluzier (Oct 27, 2010)

I always blame our unexplained on our ghost, "CLARENCE"
He was the builder and previous owner of our home.  We just put in a brand new barn and the milkroom door keeps getting locked from the inside.  All we have to do is go thru the workshop and goat feeding area to unlock it but it is unsettling to say the least.  

I don't know, maybe the goats are turning the lock counter clockwise with their teeth, EVERY single night.  I am taking the lock out of the knob tommorrow just for kicks.


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## Ariel301 (Oct 28, 2010)

Beekissed said:
			
		

> Here's an idea....don't put up any signs or such.  Act like you aren't taking any precautions.  Then hot wire your gates with some juiced wire.....and sit back to listen for the screams.
> 
> Not enough to damage, mind you, just enough to surprise and scare off.   They will think more than twice about coming back.
> 
> You might also get a simple motion alarm and set it on "alarm"....since you can't hear your roo, it won't keep you awake but it may just scare someone and make them think you _can_ hear the alarm.


It crossed my mind. My mother in law vetoed the hot wire though, and since it is her house, I havet to play by her rules. If it were my place, I'd have the stuff all over. But she has young grandkids and is super nervous and over protective, she even hacked up every cactus within sight of the house, and she bought a bunch of kids' benadryl when we brought our new beehive home. She won't let me use live traps or rat bait or a gun on the property either, or mention around the kids that we eat or sell any animals.  

I'm hoping someone did get a good horning from the buck. He was feeling feisty today, he got me when I went to feed him dinner.  

We decided also to start using my kidding season baby monitor year round, I can put it by the bed at night or carry it around the house, so I can hear if there is something going on, we can call the authorities and/or catch them/give them a good scare. Normally we'd hear the ducks get excited and noisy if someone was out there, but since the wind was blowing and making a lot of noise, we obviously missed that from across the yard.


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## churchx3 (Oct 28, 2010)

Someone sees this as a joke until they get hurt pulling their pranks then you will be the one in the hot seat....I would definitely install motion sensor lights, I know there are motion sensor sprinklers available, and I would definitely put up no trespassing signs, beware of dog(s) signs, and install locks. Since they are not damaging anything I would also agree that someone thinks they are being funny doing these things to you.


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## tiffanyh (Oct 28, 2010)

Im following this thread with interest, I really hope you find out what's up.


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## patandchickens (Oct 28, 2010)

If you think your animals will not have a heart attack from sudden loud noise at night, buy one or three of those cheapie window alarms you can get at Home Depot etc.  It is a little plastic unit where if the two halves are separated -- by someone opening a window, or in this case a *gate*, that they are affixed to -- it emits a piercing screamy noise.

Also get yourself something that will make a VERY LOUD BANG, ballistic-sounding. Experiment with things you can hit against each other around the house, you can find something.

Then rig the alarms to the doors/gates, keep the banging equipment handy in your bedroom, and when you hear the alarm go off, stick your head out the window/door and shout GET OUT OF HEAR and render several loud banging noises as if you are shooting at them.

That should make them reconsider their choices :>

Best of luck,

Pat


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## PattySh (Oct 28, 2010)

Do you have lights on?  We've had someone stealing gas out of our car tanks for the last month or so. I finally got locking gas caps and they broke one of those this week!! It's dark near the driveway and I assume it's a local kid. Luckily our barn (on the other side of the property) has not been messed with. I leave lights on in there. What types of gate latches do you have. Any way it's a goat opening them? My goats can open some latches. I use a horse stall bolt latch with a bolt snap as double protection on the inside goat pen. Started using the bolt snap after they figured out the horse stall latch. I have had to use bungee cords on my chicken pen in addition to the latch (A chainlink 6ft dog pen with kennel latch attached to their coop) as the goats can get in there without the bungee by jumping up on the gate and pushing it open.


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 28, 2010)

This makes me so mad and it's not even my animals!!    I really wish I lived closer so I could hide out in your yard and help you catch the bad guys.  

Please keep us updated!  I live pretty close to the main road and I always worry about people messing with the animals!!  In fact, I was thinking of starting a thread asking if a LGD would get bored with just a handful of animals on small acreage.  I would feel much better if I had a big dog out there protecting from people.  I don't worry too much about dogs and we very rarely have coyotes in this area.  

My hubby and I were just thinking about getting a cheap camera so we can monitor the driveway.


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## cmjust0 (Oct 28, 2010)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> In fact, I was thinking of starting a thread asking if a LGD would get bored with just a handful of animals on small acreage.  I would feel much better if I had a big dog out there protecting from people.


Depends on the dog.  When Ivan was younger, he'd get bored and decide to chase goats occasionally..  We could have opened up more acreage or gotten more goats, but I don't think it would have changed his attitude any because the goats have never been "his job," so far as he's concerned.  He just kinda hangs out and barks at stuff, and when he gets really mad, the goats know to come to him.  If there were no goats out there at all, I don't think he'd have been any more or less bored -- he just wouldn't have had anything to chase.  Now that he's older and has a companion LGD upon which to expend excess energy, he's not fooled with chasing any livestock in ages.  

Mischa, on the other hand, is very goat-oriented.  She follows them around everywhere..  I'm not sure she'd get bored with just a few goats either, though, because she just kinda hangs back and follows..  If it's two or twenty, she's just gonna find a good uphill vantage point, lay down, and let them do their thing..  When they move out of sight, she'll find a new vantage point and continue watching.  

If I had to choose one of the two for protecting small numbers of animals on small acreage against nefarious two-legged critters, I'd definitely pick Ivan...he's mostly OK with lounging around all day and he's *definitely* not a fan of strange people.


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## Ashmeade (Oct 28, 2010)

freemotion said:
			
		

> Ooo, memories!  My brother hooked up the fencer to the door handle of the barn one day when I was working inside....boy, was I mad!!!
> 
> That is a great idea, Bee, in this situation!


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## dianneS (Oct 28, 2010)

This make me mad too and its not my animals!  This type of thing infuriates me.

My LGD only has a herd of ten goats to watch and two horses on the other side of the fence.  He's usually on patrol when he's flat out on his side basking in the sun.  

Please keep us posted as to how this all progresses and if you catch the perpetrator!


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## miss_thenorth (Oct 28, 2010)

Do you have any hunting friends who might have a motion sensor camera you could borrow?  The baby monitor is a good idea too.  i am not a big fan of locks.  Also, I would be compelled to sleep in the barn with a paintball gun and shoot first ask questions later.


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## cmjust0 (Oct 28, 2010)

miss_thenorth said:
			
		

> Also, I would be compelled to sleep in the barn with a paintball gun and shoot first ask questions later.


Yeah!  I like that idea!


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## Ariel301 (Oct 28, 2010)

I'm not a big fan of sleeping in the barn for weeks at a time hoping they'll come back lol. The gates are chain link gates with the normal latch that goes with those, but we put a chain with a double ended snap around each one too because we do have a gate-opening doe. She would not be able to open the chick stall though, I don't think any animal short of a bear or a gorilla could open that, it's heavy and the latch sticks. And I don't know why she would open all the pens, not just hers. Thankfully the goats did not get into the chicken feed bin, it is just sitting outside the coop, they could have easily eaten themselves to death on that. The pens are all locked now when no one is home or at night, we got padlocks that all have the same key. I looked at a motion detector alarm today but couldn't figure out a way to set it up that it would not be constantly set off by wildlife or our own animals walking past it. 

No one else I know in the neighborhood has had problems, but they also have big dogs. I really wish I could get a dog, I know a lady who has two LGDs and said I could take either for free (Pyrenees females), it's just a matter of being able to pay for upkeep, plus managing the dog with a dog-hating goat...I think if it lives outside and doesn't cost them anything, my in-laws would be able to be convinced I should have one here. I'm home alone a few nights a week these days and I think I'd feel better with a big scary looking dog around. We do have guns in the house, but I am not comfortable enough with them to use them.


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## Emmetts Dairy (Oct 28, 2010)

That is just terrible....I would definately inform the police as well just so you have it on record.  In case you need it . God forbid something else happens.  Im glad none of your animals were hurt...and no fire occured.  That could of been disaterous   

I would be waiting...and not with a paintball gun....!!!  
That agressive buck would of been the least of their worries If I ran into the freaks messing around with my animals and property.   Some lines you just dont cross.  

Its not even a funny prank?  Hey I have an idea...put some liqud blue kote on the gate at night and if they come in and its still wet!! Busted.... then check all the kids within miles...it should be on em for days!!  Or something on the ground near the gates...like BEAR TRAPS!!!   They wont be running anywhere!!! 

That makes me soo upset... Im so sorry that happened to you guys!  I hope you get some answers soon...


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## Beekissed (Oct 28, 2010)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> This makes me so mad and it's not even my animals!!    I really wish I lived closer so I could hide out in your yard and help you catch the bad guys.
> 
> Please keep us updated!  I live pretty close to the main road and I always worry about people messing with the animals!!  *In fact, I was thinking of starting a thread asking if a LGD would get bored with just a handful of animals on small acreage.  I would feel much *better if I had a big dog out there protecting from people.  I don't worry too much about dogs and we very rarely have coyotes in this area.
> 
> My hubby and I were just thinking about getting a cheap camera so we can monitor the driveway.


Mine don't.  They get to patrol each night and sleep a lot in the day.  They are pretty vigilant and the Great Pyr/Lab mix does the barking at minor things while the Lab/ BC mix only barks at the really dangerous things.  

I've not had any four-legged predators that lived past the perimeter fence. 

The people who live around here do not know what cream puffs towards humans that they are and are very intimidated by their presence in my yard.  I had to call the electric guy and assure him that their electric boundary could not reach down by the meter...he was trying to read the meter by using binoculars from across the road!


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## savingdogs (Oct 28, 2010)

I would be highly annoyed if I had to unlock my goat gate or chicken gate doors with a key or such each and every time I went through, or the gate at the entrance to my property even. I hope that you find it was someone playing a halloween joke in poor taste....and I was wondering if something non human could have done this, meaning a goat or such? My goats are very good at opening gates themselves especially if they are not well latched. 
I would make a police report if you are positive some human did this. It might follow a weird pattern in your neighborhood, you never know, it could be a clue to catch the person for the police and you never would know if you don't report it. Also if something happens down the road you have a record of it. Perhaps there has been no harm so far, but that could just be lucky. 
It also seems that motion sensitive lights would be money well spent at the moment, if you can afford some. Ours tell us when to check outside, that something is prowling around our house, we love them.


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 29, 2010)

Beekissed said:
			
		

> aggieterpkatie said:
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Thanks for the input, Bee! You and I have about the same amount of acreage.  I really would love to get one.  I'll have to keep an eye out and then try to convince hubby we need a fourth dog.


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## Roll farms (Oct 29, 2010)

Feeding a pyr shouldn't cost even $10.00 per week...

(When I had 3, a 50# bag of feed (Purina Dog Chow) lasted a week or more.  Now that I'm down to 2, the bag lasts around 10 days....with one, I would guess a bag would last 3 weeks or so.)

They have a low metabolism, they don't eat nearly as much as it looks like they would.  
Ours get 2 (in summer)-3 (in winter) cups o' kibble per feeding, 2x a day...and whatever scraps we have that are dog appropriate...if there are no scraps, I'll give ea. one an egg or some goat milk every evening as a 'treat'.

But if the place where she's coming from is close, she would probably just 'go home' if not kept in...

As far as the goat hating her...has she met a pyr...?  It wouldn't hurt to TRY to introduce them and give them time and see if they can come to an understanding...or keep them close to eachother but not "in" the same pen.

Our LGD's seem to 'know' which goats won't truck w/ them...and avoid those does.

And even if the cops can't "do" anything....I'd still go on record...CYA in everything that goes on....


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## cmjust0 (Oct 29, 2010)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Ours get 2 (in summer)-3 (in winter) cups o' kibble per feeding, 2x a day...and whatever scraps we have that are dog appropriate...if there are no scraps, I'll give ea. one an egg or some goat milk every evening as a 'treat'.


That's almost exactly my experience, too..  They eat like HOGS when they're young, though -- Ivan ate up to **12 cups** of puppy chow a day like he was absolutely STARVED until he was about a year old..  Once they hit about a year, though, it seems like they suddenly get not-so-hungry anymore.

During the dog days of summer, we're *lucky* if we can get Ivan to eat 3 cups a day.  Now that it's getting cooler, he's getting his appetite back -- but it's still rare if he'll finish both of his 3-cup feedings in the same day.  He always gets an egg with his evening meal, just to encourage him to eat...and sometimes it still doesn't work.

Mischa's just turning one year old and -- like clockwork -- her appetite is decreasing.  She used to eat 4 cups of large-breed puppy chow twice a day AND finish Ivan's leftovers...now I'm lucky to get her to eat 4 cups, total.  She's not as big as he is, though.  And she's actually kinda fat anyway, sooo..  

They get the occasional table scrap of meat or something like that, but I'm 6'1"/250lbs myself so there isn't usually much left for the dogs when I'm finished..    Oh, but they do each get glucosamine/chondroitin and fish oil pills that I have to ball up in american cheese each night.  They like that.  

Anyway, just wanted to pop in right here to agree that LGDs are generally very, very thrifty with food..  People are always surprised when I talk about what a terrible time I have getting them to eat sometimes.


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 29, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> but I'm 6'1"/250lbs myself


Really?  I always pictured you smaller. You know, like a computer geek should be.     Just teasin' you!!


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## jodief100 (Oct 29, 2010)

My greyhounds at 68 and 82 pounds eat *more* than the Pyrs at 85 and 130 pounds.  

Metabolism is everything.  I was SHOCKED at how little the Pyrs ate.  I worried a lot at first.  Now I realize they eat what they want.  Sometimes they eat 1 cup at a serving, sometimes 3.  I always fill the bowls to the top and put away what the don't eat for the next meal.


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## cmjust0 (Oct 29, 2010)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> cmjust0 said:
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My hay guy loaded a 5x5 roundbale in the back of my pickup the other day..  It's a 1/2 ton pickup, but he stores them in the dry so they "only" weigh about 1200lbs and will just BARELY fit and not blow out the tires..    Well, election day's coming up soon and a magistrate candidate for this distict happened to be over there when I showed up for hay...I graduated with the candidate guy, Jeremy.

So we get the bale loaded up, strapped down, and Jeremy makes the mistake of asking me how I'm gonna get it outta the truck..  I said "Well, you're gonna come help me..._right?_"

Politicians get nervous when you do stuff like that, btw..  

Ol' Bob, my 73yo hay guy, looked at me, then the bale, then me again, then Jeremy, and said...Well *I'd* offer to come help you, but....well...you're a big ol' boy...I'm sure you'll be fine.

They both thought it was really funny.  :/ 

I did shove it outta the truck into the buckpen, though..  Unfortunately, it took a bit of a rough bounce, zigged where it shoulda zagged, flopped end-over-end once and crashed into a cattle panel...which flipped around and grounded out my electric fence.

Man, I love this job.  :/

 :lol


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 29, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> I did shove it outta the truck into the buckpen, though..  Unfortunately, it took a bit of a rough bounce, zigged where it shoulda zagged, flopped end-over-end once and crashed into a cattle panel...which flipped around and grounded out my electric fence.
> 
> Man, I love this job.  :/
> 
> :lol


Good grief. How hard did you shove it?


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 29, 2010)

jodief100 said:
			
		

> My greyhounds at 68 and 82 pounds eat *more* than the Pyrs at 85 and 130 pounds.
> 
> Metabolism is everything.  I was SHOCKED at how little the Pyrs ate.  I worried a lot at first.  Now I realize they eat what they want.  Sometimes they eat 1 cup at a serving, sometimes 3.  I always fill the bowls to the top and put away what the don't eat for the next meal.


You have greys?!!  My parents ran a greyhound rescue for years.  I love them.


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## cmjust0 (Oct 29, 2010)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> cmjust0 said:
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Last time I did this I had to scotch my feet against the front wall of the bed with my back against the bale and push for everything I was worth just to get it to kinda flop out..  I was pushing on a level to slightly-uphill angle, though.

I decided I wasn't going to do that again, so I found a different spot to unload it that's "slightly" downhill..  And by "slightly," I mean pretty dang downhill.

Came out like a cannonball that time..  

I think I'm going to drive some t-posts at angles...like spears, almost...just below where I'm planning to shove one out next time.  That way it'll hit, impale a bit on the posts, and there she'll be.  

I _think_.

Or, there will be a giant roundbale armed with t-posts rolling around the farm.


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## jodief100 (Oct 29, 2010)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> You have greys?!!  My parents ran a greyhound rescue for years.  I love them.


I am on the Board of Directors for Greyhound Adoption of Greater Cincinnati.  I also sew greyhound sized dog coats and sell them to raise funds for Greyhound Adoption.
These are my babies:  Grace the Fawn one and Jo Jo, the brindle.


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## cmjust0 (Oct 29, 2010)

So, are they retired racing dogs?

And...this probably sounds like a really stupid question, but...do they ever race each other for fun?  

I ask because a lot of folks wouldn't necessarily guess that Thoroughbreds race one another in the paddock all the time, totally of their own volition and just to see who's fastest...just kinda wonder if dogs bred to race have it "in their blood," so to speak, or if it's something they're more or less _forced_ to do?


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## dianneS (Oct 29, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> So, are they retired racing dogs?
> 
> And...this probably sounds like a really stupid question, but...do they ever race each other for fun?
> 
> I ask because a lot of folks wouldn't necessarily guess that Thoroughbreds race one another in the paddock all the time, totally of their own volition and just to see who's fastest...just kinda wonder if dogs bred to race have it "in their blood," so to speak, or if it's something they're more or less _forced_ to do?


Yeah, my mare races her mini-friend in the pasture all the time.  You can tell she's racing, and seriously trying to win.  She looks all proud of herself when she really digs in and passes him on the long stretch.  She had a pretty pitiful racing career herself, despite being from Native Dancer bloodlines.  But when she beats that mini horse at a race, you can see she's ready to prance into the winner's circle!   Its pretty comical.

I'd like to know that about the greyhounds too.  And I heard you can never let greyhounds off-leash, that they will just take off and you'll never catch them?  Is that true?  Do they actually _race _each other, or are they really just chasing after that lure?


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## jodief100 (Oct 29, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> So, are they retired racing dogs?
> 
> And...this probably sounds like a really stupid question, but...do they ever race each other for fun?
> 
> I ask because a lot of folks wouldn't necessarily guess that Thoroughbreds race one another in the paddock all the time, totally of their own volition and just to see who's fastest...just kinda wonder if dogs bred to race have it "in their blood," so to speak, or if it's something they're more or less _forced_ to do?


They are track rescues.  Grace flunked out of racing school and I got her straight off the training farm in KS when she was 18 months.  Jo Jo was a champion Class A racer and I got him from Wheeling Downs at the mandatory retirement age of 5.  

They do love to chase each other and other dogs around.  They will run around with any dog that will race them but they get *real* excited when another greyhound shows up.  When we are at the dog park and a greyhound is there they run up to each other and do the obligatory hiney sniffing.  Then they look at each other as if to say Lets Go!and take off.  They are sprinters, they can only run full out for a few minutes and then they want to sleep all day.

They are downright lazy.  They will lie on those beds all day long.  When we go outside, they do about 3 laps around the yard and then back to the couch.  The hounds tend to run along the edge of the yard in a circular track. My Malamutt then runs back and forth in a line across the center of the track trying to keep up with them.  

You cannot get them to run if they don't want to.


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## jodief100 (Oct 29, 2010)

dianneS said:
			
		

> I'd like to know that about the greyhounds too.  And I heard you can never let greyhounds off-leash, that they will just take off and you'll never catch them?  Is that true?  Do they actually _race _each other, or are they really just chasing after that lure?


Yours went up while I was answering CM..

You cannot let greyhounds off leash unless the area is fenced.  They are sight hounds and hunt visually.  They can see prey over  mile away.  90% of the time they wouldnt go anywhere (depends on the dog).  The one time they decide to take off and chase whatever it is they see it will be trouble.  They tend to fixated on what they are chasing and do not pay attention to their surroundings.  So they will run out in front of a car without even thinking.  They go up to 43 mph and can get to that speed in *THREE STEPS*.  So if they take off, you will not stop them and they could run out in front of a car too fast for the driver to see them until it is too late. They are also not territorial and have a poor sense of smell.   They can take off, be a mile from home in two minutes and then have difficulty finding their way home.  

Some chase each other, others chase the lure, depends on the individual dogs prey drive.  It is funny when I walk them.  Even on leashes at a walk they are always battling to get the front position.


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 29, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> So, are they retired racing dogs?
> 
> And...this probably sounds like a really stupid question, but...do they ever race each other for fun?
> 
> I ask because a lot of folks wouldn't necessarily guess that Thoroughbreds race one another in the paddock all the time, totally of their own volition and just to see who's fastest...just kinda wonder if dogs bred to race have it "in their blood," so to speak, or if it's something they're more or less _forced_ to do?


I am assuming hers are retired racers.  Greys LOVE to race!!  Ours loved to run all around the yard whenever they got the chance. Then they'd come in and race each other for the best spot on the couch.


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 29, 2010)

jodief100 said:
			
		

> They will run around with any dog that will race them but they get *real* excited when another greyhound shows up.  When we are at the dog park and a greyhound is there they run up to each other and do the obligatory hiney sniffing.  Then they look at each other as if to say Lets Go!and take off.


They really seem to know other greyhounds!  Ours would get so excited if we were out and we saw another grey.  My dog Scooter was raised with the greys, and he used to get so excited if he saw other greys too.


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## cmjust0 (Oct 29, 2010)

That's really cool to know!  

I love learning stuff...it's why I'm a dork, but I can't help it.  

A good friend of mine is a Thoroughbreds trainer.  He taught me a lot about the nature of a Thoroughbred, why the jockey uses "a whip" and so forth (apparently it's a crop, not a whip, and it's for steering  )..

I asked him once what would happen if they loaded a full field into the gates without jockeys, and sprung it.  He said they'd absolutely, positively run a race.  No question.  

My next thought was...soooo...next time people start onto TB owners, trainers, jockeys, and the horse racing industry in general for being cruel and "making" horses race against one another and so forth, perhaps some podunk racetrack somewhere should schedule a jockeyless race as a publicity stunt.

"Nonono!" he said..  I'm like...why?...would they hurt each other?...what would be the problem?

His answer surprised me..

He said "Because they wouldn't know when to stop!"

  WOW!!!  I HADN'T EVEN CONSIDERED THAT!!


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 29, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> My next thought was...soooo...next time people start onto TB owners, trainers, jockeys, and the horse racing industry in general for being cruel and "making" horses race against one another and so forth, perhaps some podunk racetrack somewhere should schedule a jockeyless race as a publicity stunt.


Well, I still dislike how early they start those horses.  Horses take several years to full mature, and it's just too much pressure on their still-growing joints.  Many of them break down WAY too early, and it's because they were started way too early.  But heck, what do I know?


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## freemotion (Oct 29, 2010)

To put it in perspective....a doeling can get pregnant at 4 or 5 months old, maybe earlier...but should she purposely be bred?  Why not?

Same thing with racehorses.  They are started WAY too young.  The reason is that it costs tens of thousands a year to keep a horse in training, so they can save a lot of money by starting them a couple of years before any self-respecting trainer in the performance world, where horses need to last into their teens or more, would ever consider putting someone on their backs.  Nevermind sending them off at a full gallop.

When they break down, they are thrown away.


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## jlbpooh (Oct 30, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> That's really cool to know!
> 
> I love learning stuff...it's why I'm a dork, but I can't help it.


I have the same "problem"!  I spend WAY too much time on the net learning.


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## savingdogs (Oct 31, 2010)

So whatever happened with Ariel's animals? Did anyone come let them out again? This thread seems to be about young animals being used early now......but we are all curious, I'm sure, regarding who and why is someone opening those gates. 

We need an update! 

I was thinking the other day that one of my gates is so tricky only someone who knows it can do it easily in the dark. That gave me an idea for Ariel....why not devise something like that? My husband likes to use series of hooks and latches and clip rings and you could do that, even put a BELL or something loud on it. That would be easier than locking your gates and having to have a key handy all the time. 
Ours is like that because our goats let themselves out and ate the whole baby apple tree orchard in one day........

I do agree those thoroughbreds running at their ultimate top speed at 2 years old with those long, slender legs looks a little hard on those legs.....just common sense. They have obviously been bred to run so they also were bred to enjoy it though. Look how our teenagers love to play football and nurse bad knees into their adult and senior years? Same thing!


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## Ariel301 (Nov 1, 2010)

I'm here, with an update!

I think I may be able to get the go-ahead on a dog if I get the job I am interviewing for this Friday.  $10 a week is cheap, but right now, I can barely afford to feed what I've already got, if I don't get a job in the meantime, my budget for my farm is $1000 that has to last until....who knows? I've been unemployed two years. My husband got a job a few months ago after a year of unemployment, only to have them cut his hours back to less than 20 a week now. 

We lock the pens all night and if everyone is going to be gone during the day. Is is a pain to open them in the morning for feeding, but I can live with it for security. The only unlocked area right now is the stall with the chicks in it, we are trying to figure out how to get a lock on it because it is a metal door with nowhere for a lock. It was opened again sometime during Halloween, I was away from home butchering a steer with friends, and my mother in law went out and found one of the chicks swimming in the water bucket in the doe pen, and then when she went to put it in the barn, she noticed they were all out. She thought I had let them out. She never heard any noise at all, but they are kind of far from the house. I'm going to move the chicks into their "Grown Up" coop tomorrow, so the one unsecured door won't be a problem. 

And by the way, I love Greyhounds.  Beautiful dogs, I almost adopted an ex-racer when I was in college.


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## FlipFlopFarmer (Nov 9, 2010)

rent the movie " the goonies", get inspired, and booby trap that barn!!!!!!!


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## doo dah (Nov 10, 2010)

How'd the interview go?


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