Going Organic on Table-eggs and Broilers

[Blue Tiger]

Getting setup for some fun this summer. We have an organic farm where we have about 10 acres to play with. There will be a significant free-range component. Just got two young dogs. Poultry fencing and housing will be next concerns. Lots of pictures to follow.

 

[Blue Tiger]

Pups, both male, currently 13 weeks. They are akbash / great pyrenees cross from a farm where they have been reared in the presence of chickens. Estimated adult weight 80 to 100 lbs. The akbash component makes for good speed and longevity. They may not be up to task for first production season even when supplementing an outer perimeter that contains them and inner perimeters that keep pups off chickens when not supervised. I think walking just outside outer perimeter with vetted dog may be needed to lay scent making scent oriented predators give situation more thought.

 

[Banditschickens]

There handsome pup's.

 

[Folly's place]

Very handsome puppies!
Mary

 

[aart]

Not sure of your experience with dogs, or LGD's....
....but there's good forum on HST about guardian animals.

 

[Blue Tiger]

Not sure of your experience with dogs, or LGD's....
....but there's good forum on HST about guardian animals.

Experience with chickens and dogs, which includes livestock guardian dogs, sufficient for task. I am not keen on starting with two pups, but will make adjustments as needed to make them work. The part that takes me outside of comfort zone is the operation will not be managed from a nearby. We live greater than 10 miles away. Four people at least will be taking care of things on what will be largely a rotating schedule. Dogs will get more oversight during the work day, but at night they will be entirely on their own. Experience even with livestock guardian dogs and chickens means problems can arise that need farmer intervention.

 

[aart]

The part that takes me outside of comfort zone is the operation will not be managed from a nearby. We live greater than 10 miles away. Four people at least will be taking care of things on what will be largely a rotating schedule.

Distance and multiple people training dogs raises a red flag.
Best of Luck to Y'all!

 

[Blue Tiger]

Distance and multiple people training dogs raises a red flag.
Best of Luck to Y'all!

We are not that far south. Two of us are very experienced, but we still have distance. We might be a able to setup for remote monitoring using cell phones. I do that already in another setting. Do we have a router with proper range?

 

[Blue Tiger]

Now to make so birds raised can be certified as organic. We are looking into starting either with hatching eggs or day old chicks. We will not be able to use chemotherapeutic to control fun things like coccidia. Vaccination is being considered but it must be consistent with coccidia strain the birds are likely to encounter. Some chicken strains are resistant to some strains of coccidia although risking a test not a basket I want all eggs in.

 

[aart]

We will not be able to use chemotherapeutic to control fun things like coccidia. Vaccination is being considered

Treatment is verboten, but vaccination is OK?