An
evil shadow has been spread over the tranquil fields of La Chaise.
Some errant dog, or dogs, have been stalking the flock in the early
morning hours and killing lambs..
 |
| The flock in early morning mist |
Apparently, according to a
sympathetic, official passing expert, they are likely to be domestic
dogs, not abandoned, not starving, for they do not eat their
trophies. They are hunting for that is in their doggy nature.. So
the blame lies with their humans.
For
us, although we know most of the lambs are destined for slaughter,
sacrifice is the more popular French word, the loss is
heart-breaking. We feel we have failed to keep them safe.
 |
| One that we failed to keep safe |
There
is nothing, and yet a lot, that can be done to protect the flock
during the hours of darkness. Firstly, they can be brought into the
sheep shed, fed and closed in. This is much resented by all. The
ewes have already spent more than 3 months closed in during the worst
of the cold and the best of the lambing. The lambs are bored in the
barn – and consequently get themselves into trouble. Also, since
the furthest pasture is a kilometre
trip, aller-retour,
this
is no fun for Alex either.
Were
it permitted we could put heavy duty electric cabling round the
outside of the property – all 4 kms of fencing. (Audrey
checked the fencing by walking all round it – wearing a 'fitbit'
thingie).
This would need to be
on the
top
and bottom of the fencing which already has two rows of barbed wire
at the top, one at the bottom. Never mind the trouble, or the cost –
we would be in serious
trouble if some child, or other illiterate, tried to get through and
got shocked, perhaps fatally.
A
more long term solution is to invest in a sheep defending dog – as
opposed to sheep-herding dog.
What
we are permitted to do is to shoot any unaccompanied dog seen in our
fields, an option as unpleasant as the killing of the lambs. But
then I have to remember where we put the shot gun, and the shot –
and none of us are shots of any kind. And I strongly suspect the dog,
or dogs will not stand still whilst we aim. One can only hope they
are trained enough to come to heel when called and so be caught.
Obviously
we all have extremely unfriendly, not to say evil, thoughts about the
humans involved with this dog or dogs. But we remember that, deep
down, dogs are dogs. Our dear Czeta, our first black Labrador, came
from an impeccable home, was extremely well trained. I even managed
to train her to close the front door after she had opened it to come
in. But, on arrival, she had to be discouraged from killing the
farm chickens – forcibly. A chicken carcasse dowsed in diesel, and
24 hrs with same attached to her neck in the dark and smelly chicken
house, subdued that instinct. So, until she had pups, the chickens
lived and happy, fear-free life.
We
kept one puppy with her, the future 'Edward, the Black Prince of La
Chaise'. (Not
so fondly remembered in Aquitaine, probably.)
As soon as Edward
was old enough, Czeta, as a good doggy mother, taught him to kill
chickens. So he too had to go through the diesel sodden dead chicken
in dark shed for 24 hours training.
It
worked. But it did not stop him running away, especially after he
was the father of nine pups with a female black Labrador, just over
the hill, not so far away. Not that he ever came back by himself.
He would plonk himself down at the neighbour's house – where he and
his mother had lodged for a few weeks – and wait for us and our car
to be summoned. But, to the best of our knowledge, he never killed
any animal whilst on the run.
He once brought a leveret home in his mouth - alive!
