Homestead mailing list

["Marie McHarry" <mmcharry AT gmail.com>]

 On Wed, May 21, 2008 at 8:59 AM, Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com> wrote:
>

> Roy, the issue is safety from predators. The door needs to be coon-
> proof. Which is why I have the outside of metal and the door enclosed
> in the wall sheathing.  The counter-weight is easily doable. I haven't
> the knowledge of how to do the mechanics. I guess some kind of gear?
> Chain driven?

Before you boys hurt yourselves with engineering a coon-proof door
(don't make me laugh), just get a dog. Any dog will do if it's well
trained. Dogs discourage coons, foxes, wolverines, even rats. This is
what people had before technology. It worked as witnessed by our
presence on the only Earth we have.

Sure, some dogs will kill chickens, but they can be dissuaded. At this
time I have an Anatolian spayed bitch who is fine with all creatures
great and small except my wee border collie who thinks she rules the
universe. I have, alas, a 100+ pound puppy who wants to chew on
whatever fits in his mouth (yesterday it was the seat of the Kubota --
what was he thinking?). Still, he manages to reduce critter
infiltration to zero, so far as I can tell. If I don't shoot him, I'm
sure he'll mature just like all my other livestock guardians have
done. It takes a strong will and intelligence to train a dog, but
anyone who can design a door that protects chickens undoubtedly has
the ability to train a dog.

Or so one would suppose.

Marie