borderholic Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 Hi everyone, I am forced to retire from the government (disability) and I have always wanted to work with a border collie. I would love to start one on herding geese. It would be a nice way to supliment my income, but most importantly the relationship of working with one of these great dogs is a dream come true. I have researched a lot and found a dog that is trained and I have been working with her. She is great I just have to iron out a few details here and there. If anyone could give me any insight on this business venture I would greatly appreciate it. I look so forward to having a dog as a partner than a humane. I guess my biggest wuestion is , does anyone know what liability insurance costs? Happy Thanksgiving to all. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borderlicious Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 Craig, My dog and I did this over the summer, and it was fantastic. My dog loved it, and working with him all day was wonderful. We're going to get more involved with it once the snow melts up north. Sorry I can't help with the cost of liability insurance, I'm looking into that myself. I imagine calling several insurance companies would be the best way to go; I just haven't done that yet because I don't want the "hard sell". Good luck! Grace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borderholic Posted November 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 Iam looking for some ducks to be able to train with and I have been told to use Indian Runner Geese. We are moving to Western New York in the Spring and the area we are going to move to does have a few coyotes. I am afraid of atrracting them with the ducks. Anyone else have this problem or any ideas what to do. I know the ducks can't fly, just doesn't seem like they would stand a chance against coyotes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoku's mum Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 Hope someone has some input, as I have the same question as borderholic. We used to free range our chickens during the day, but have lost most of them to coyote, so the rest are 'cooped up'. We have a pond, and I'm thinking that if we got ducks, they may be safe there for the day, and in a coop at night. A friend had some Indian Runner Ducks, and he loved them, very interesting birds, yummy eggs. But he used them in a garden for pest management, and lost them to raccoons one night. Some one on the boards has Guinea Hens (sp?), and they flock together well, too, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Watch Debatable Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 A friend of mine used to keep Indian Runners for her dogs to work --- she kept the ducks in a chain link dog run, and never had a problem with coyotes or other predators. If it's just for keeping a few ducks safe overnight, a dinky kennel might be OK. (Just be sure yours has a sturdy chain link top.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebC Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 A friend of ours who lives not too far from us lost all her ducks and chickens this summer/fall to coyotes and foxes. I would definitely use some type of enclosure to keep predators out. It seems like the varmits have been more of a problem this year than before. We have been hearing coyotes at night - they have the wierdest voices! Where in western NY are you going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoku's mum Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Luisa - Did your friend keep the ducks in the dog run all the time, or just at night? And did she have coyote there? Deb - I feel for your friend, it really is hard when they just get picked off. We lost the most chickens during pup season, makes sense, they're just trying to make a living too. Kristin, Hoku and Gussy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borderholic Posted November 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 we will be moving to the Elma Marilla area. I have a cousin who lives in Genesse county. my concern about the coyete is they found a den in Marilla and had to destroy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb Scott Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Our BC's mom was killed by coyotes. Barb Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Watch Debatable Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Kristin, my friend had a chain link run that was about 6 x 12 feet, if I remember right, and the ducks were in there most of the time. (This was in eastern San Diego County, with a fair share of coyotes.) My friend's ducks did have their own little pool... but if I were going to keep ducks enclosed close to 24/7, I'd try to give them more room. After Barb's sad post this probably isn't the best place to say that I think coyotes are fascinating. (Check out this terrific book by J. Frank Dobie.) I love to listen to them and catch a glimpse of them as long as I know my sheep are safe and sound. The coyotes we manage to kill are the stupid ones --- we're helping to make Canis latrans smarter (and coyotes were plenty clever to begin with). They've been adapting, multiplying and expanding their range at an impressive rate --- thank God they don't have opposable thumbs (Another fave Dobie book: A Vaquero of the Brush Country. Irrelevant quote follows.) Sometimes when cattle stampede they stampede from a reclining position - one jump to their feet and the second jump to hell. But ours were up milling about, clacking horns, getting ready to run an hour before they broke. The lightning had begun to play and the rumbling thunder off in the distance was getting nearer and nearer. They started just as a flash of lighting made the whole world a blinding, blue white. It came from right over our heads and by the time the clap of thunder reached us the cattle were gone, the roar of their running mixed with the roar of the sky. No description of the stampede of a big herd of cattle at night under a Kansas storm can convey the reality of it. [From A Vaquero of the Brush Country.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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