Animal power

[digging]

Hello down under !

I'm writing you from the NWT of Northern Canada :D We are working towards building a new permaculture home and small farm. We have have our small home almost finished. I have been doing alot of thinking about useful animals. So far we are considering rabbits for food and the skins which can be rather easily cured for clothing. Also I've been researching Icelandic sheep, since they have much use, milked,wool,hides,meat. Now the next animal I've be considering is dogs. You see the native people here used dog sled teams and some still have them for trapping and fun. I've been thinking, well trained dogs could help protect the farm and sheep, but also could do helpful work. They can travel from 10 to 20 miles per hour depending on the trail and load carried. They can travel for many hours 6-8 per day. I would think they could also be used in other ways on the farm pulling carts or such? Also the housing needs would not be as great as larger animals such as horses. However their diet would be the largest challenge. The native people used fish as the primary feed. What I'm going to try researching is how much meat do dogs really need? perhaps they are like people and just like meat but could eat a higher vegtable diet? If other animals are raised the scrap from butchering could be used as feed for the dogs also. Something else is that people now use wheeled carts to training the dogs during the summer, also medium sized dogs are said to be best, a team of three dogs is very common, very large dogs hearts have to work to hard. Well let me know what you think?

from Canada
Digging

[Plumtree]

Our dogs get some meat on a bone once a day. About the size of a lamb chop. They get a handful of dry food each. They are not big dogs compared to a malmute but they are more active. The cold would increase the food requirement but dogs can live happily on a diet of veg and boiled rice.

Can you narrow down your location for me without giving any secrets away. I am very impressed by anyone trying to 'farm' in that region. Tell me more about it.

[mossbackfarm]

Dogs are a great homestead addition, but make sure you know what you want. Herding breeds, livestock guardian dogs, and sled/pack dogs all have vastly different, even opposing drives.

Our husky/shepherd mix loves to run, and if we were on it, we would have trained him to pull a cart. After 4 years with sheep, he's *mostly* reliable around them, if they're not spooked (Spooked sheep run, and they run more when chased....). He can't restrain himself around pigs, though, and will attack them if they are available. Bad dog.

Our red heeler was a great beast to have around when we raised large numbers of chickens....she would hold the flock in their old pen when we were moving them, then chase them all into the new one on command...it was really handy. She'd also chase any escapees back into the pen.

I've never raised livestock guardian dogs, but they are great at protecting sheep if they are raised with them. They are very defensive, though, so visitors will not be welcome around your flock.

Dogs are great scrap-handlers, esp. if you have a carnivorous household. We feed about 2/3 kibble and 1/3 scraps,bones, or organ meats. We'd feed more, and plan to, as the farm productivity grows.

woof woof

Rich