Old Man Farm - Permaculture Pigs Preparing Pasture (Dog as traffic cop)

While taking a video clip of our pigs rooting in the pasture in early spring, the livestock guardian dog takes on the role of traffic cop as the cattle come into the same field and the bull makes a slight head toss at the boar. Great dogs. So far their presence has kept the coyotes, bears and other predators away from our livestock just by being here. No close encounters thankfully.

After the pigs a re done rooting an area like this, the turned over areas will be seeded with a diverse mix of grasses and clovers as well as turnip, sugar beet and kale. It will then be temporarily fenced off for the summer, and in the fall will be opened up for finishing of sheep. The following year this area will become part of the main pasture.

The diversity of this field had been in decline due hay being taken off it for over 30 years before we moved here, without anything put back. With careful mixed grazing of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry; as well as frost seeding of pasture mixes, legumes and some root crops we're gradually developing a healthy, rich pasture which eventually we will also use for hay. New pasture is being established in open cut areas through the woodlot and among areas of coppiced Red Maple and Speckled Alder. More on that later.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Permaculture
• pigs
• Berkshire
• highland
• cattle
• cows
• pasture
• livestock
• guardian
• protection
• dog
• dogs
• seeding
• sequestering
• mixed
• forage
• crops
• old
• man
• farm
• farming
• sustainable

[toddgack84]

Seaboojeej, where are you located in Canada? I like your dogs better than the purebreds I've seen. That male is very good looking and seems very good at his job too. Can he be used as stud dog? I'm also amazed at how strong that pig's nose is.

[Seaboojeej]

@toddgack84 We're in Cape Breton. All the dogs are still intact. We'll be breeding our female in the next couple of years.

[MrDavefi]

I asked this question in your other video, but I'm curious to know what breed of dogs these are? I rescued my dog and they said he's a pyrenees mix and looks like these dogs!

[Seaboojeej]

@MrDavefi Their mother Phoebe, is half Great Pyrenees. Her mother was a large mixed breed with no LGD blood lines likely. Probably some lab, G. shepherd, collie maybe; don't really know. Cape breton mix :-) We bred Pheobe to a working Maremma in the next valley over in Margaree. He was quite a good dog and there were six others there at the time keeping watch over a reduced flock of about 350 sheep and 60 or so cattle.

[Seaboojeej]

@MrDavefi She had 10 pups and we kept 2 males and a female. Each of the 10 pups had slightly different looks; some with shorter hair and some longer like the Maremma sire. Most of them turned out to be good LGDs. A few were more tending to human companions, as from early on they had little interest in the stock. All owners continue to say they are very pleased with their dogs, as are we. Have any pics of your dog? Where are you? Cheers!

[spiritshy]

heaven on earth....i want to live here

[DeadEyeRabbit]

im most impressed with that bull.....WOW!!

[Cuvac]

So natural, zo fucking Zen.. really love, life, God..

This vid. :)

[MrDavefi]

@Seaboojeej My dog Frankie is a Border Collie/Pyrenees mix that I rescued. He definitely has Border Collie in him, but I can't figure out what part of LGD he has! I've looked at all LGD's and it's really tough to say, but he has the face of your dogs in the videos! He is extremely alert and protective, he will bark at any noise he hears! If I had to bet on it, I would say he has Pyrenees or Maremma in him. Thanks and love your dogs!

[jfkike12]

I like this video. The dog is the overseer and the other creatures play their roles. The birds are tweeting and a quiet day is moving slowly along. In spite of forward thinking people, such as the ones who own this place, I fear factory farming, global warming, and pollution will ruin the planet in the long run.