Currently we have all of the following on our back deck:
3 dogs
2 kittens
3 children
And all are playing relatively peacefully The only commotion is coming from my 2 year old :roll: .
Since finding a new home for the chicken killing pup (that chased anything that moved) things have been so much better all around. I don't have to keep worrying about them getting out, if any chickens had gotten out, etc. The one pup we kept (Star, my oldest's pick of the litter) is behaving much better without her psycho sidekick. My son is able to spend a lot more time with her, and she's responding well to the beginning steps of training (I have no idea how to train a dog, especially for squirrel hunting . Going to be looking into some more specifics for her and reaching out to some friends and family members for assistance). She's already doing much better about jumping up on people (ODS was encouraging it, which didn't help). Sitting on command (most of the time), etc. She fetches, too, which has me excited. I love playing fetch with dogs but neither of the other two we have show any interest at all - no idea why, just find it to be a nice, relaxing activity. ODS has spent a lot of today out with her since it's just the two of them. A huge level of stress left with the other pup. Whew! Star has been out with both kittens and chickens for over 48 hours and not an issue at all. She pays zero attention to either one.
The kittens I brought home (which is looking to be 1 male and 1 female... I guess Daisy is actually Duke :lol: ) are so tame and doing really well with the kids. YDS has claimed her, ummm, him as his own and totes him around... he just goes with it. He lets them push him around in the stroller. Perfect kitten for the kids. Not 1 scratch on anyone so far. Hopefully they'll be agressive enough to be decent mousers.
It's kind of crazy right now. Never would I have thought we would have 3 cats and 3 dogs, nearly 40 chickens, a number of rabbits, and now a good sized fish tank (my oldest has been asking for one for years and our neighbor/tenant mentioned wanting to get rid of her50/55 gal. one so he bought the whole set up plus the already established fish for $40). Oh, and possibly quail soon. DH is a bit wide eyed at it all, but when it's all said and done, he understands my reasoning for it all (and brags about it to others) - as long as he doesn't have to do much with them, he's OK with it. I know part of it, with him being the sole provider for the family, is that there are that many more mouths to feed, but since a number of what we have are actually feeding us I think it kind of cancels each other out.
We do want to add to the edible animal list so that is one thing more we have - for us as a family meat source, and also as a bartering option for other things. Also, one thing less we have to rely on other people for. It takes a bit to get things started, but hopefully we'll be settling down into a good routine with them.
So, the rabbits and chickens are for food (and some entertainment ).
Cats - mousers, which are very much needed living between a cow pasture and a hay field.
Dog - Dave Ramsey said they are the cheapest first line of defense - I can't imagine not having the dogs around because I am home alone with the kids all day, every day (out in the country)... I am comforted knowing when people are coming just based on the type of bark I hear. Or if there is another animal in the yard that shouldn't be there since we do raise prey animals.
Anyway, a long rambling sigh of contentment post. <br /><br /> __________ Mon Sep 07, 2015 7:16 pm __________ <br /><br /> This?
This makes my heart smile
DH even commented that he did not think things would end up this way... at all (as in, how ODS and Star are bonding after Scout leaving). It's what we hoped for, and what we think he really needs. She stays with him wherever he goes in the yard, runs beside him when he's on his bike.
(sorry for the sideways pic, photobucket's being a butt :roll: )
3 dogs
2 kittens
3 children
And all are playing relatively peacefully The only commotion is coming from my 2 year old :roll: .
Since finding a new home for the chicken killing pup (that chased anything that moved) things have been so much better all around. I don't have to keep worrying about them getting out, if any chickens had gotten out, etc. The one pup we kept (Star, my oldest's pick of the litter) is behaving much better without her psycho sidekick. My son is able to spend a lot more time with her, and she's responding well to the beginning steps of training (I have no idea how to train a dog, especially for squirrel hunting . Going to be looking into some more specifics for her and reaching out to some friends and family members for assistance). She's already doing much better about jumping up on people (ODS was encouraging it, which didn't help). Sitting on command (most of the time), etc. She fetches, too, which has me excited. I love playing fetch with dogs but neither of the other two we have show any interest at all - no idea why, just find it to be a nice, relaxing activity. ODS has spent a lot of today out with her since it's just the two of them. A huge level of stress left with the other pup. Whew! Star has been out with both kittens and chickens for over 48 hours and not an issue at all. She pays zero attention to either one.
The kittens I brought home (which is looking to be 1 male and 1 female... I guess Daisy is actually Duke :lol: ) are so tame and doing really well with the kids. YDS has claimed her, ummm, him as his own and totes him around... he just goes with it. He lets them push him around in the stroller. Perfect kitten for the kids. Not 1 scratch on anyone so far. Hopefully they'll be agressive enough to be decent mousers.
It's kind of crazy right now. Never would I have thought we would have 3 cats and 3 dogs, nearly 40 chickens, a number of rabbits, and now a good sized fish tank (my oldest has been asking for one for years and our neighbor/tenant mentioned wanting to get rid of her50/55 gal. one so he bought the whole set up plus the already established fish for $40). Oh, and possibly quail soon. DH is a bit wide eyed at it all, but when it's all said and done, he understands my reasoning for it all (and brags about it to others) - as long as he doesn't have to do much with them, he's OK with it. I know part of it, with him being the sole provider for the family, is that there are that many more mouths to feed, but since a number of what we have are actually feeding us I think it kind of cancels each other out.
We do want to add to the edible animal list so that is one thing more we have - for us as a family meat source, and also as a bartering option for other things. Also, one thing less we have to rely on other people for. It takes a bit to get things started, but hopefully we'll be settling down into a good routine with them.
So, the rabbits and chickens are for food (and some entertainment ).
Cats - mousers, which are very much needed living between a cow pasture and a hay field.
Dog - Dave Ramsey said they are the cheapest first line of defense - I can't imagine not having the dogs around because I am home alone with the kids all day, every day (out in the country)... I am comforted knowing when people are coming just based on the type of bark I hear. Or if there is another animal in the yard that shouldn't be there since we do raise prey animals.
Anyway, a long rambling sigh of contentment post. <br /><br /> __________ Mon Sep 07, 2015 7:16 pm __________ <br /><br /> This?
This makes my heart smile
DH even commented that he did not think things would end up this way... at all (as in, how ODS and Star are bonding after Scout leaving). It's what we hoped for, and what we think he really needs. She stays with him wherever he goes in the yard, runs beside him when he's on his bike.
(sorry for the sideways pic, photobucket's being a butt :roll: )