Meet Our Maremmas: Hermes, Pan, Demeter - and the new puppies

***Plus Puppy News***

Really - what WOULD we do without our Maremmas? 

At Shakespeare Hills our hens are truly free-range and are roam in our pastures, scratching and pecking all day - happy, healthy hens laying the most nutritious eggs possible. BUT, this comes with a predator risk. And means our livestock guardian dogs have a super important job to do! They are absolutely ESSENTIAL in our predator protecting strategy. 

I (Matthew) first encountered Maremmas in 2017 during a trip to Italy, where I saw them high in the mountains, living among dairy sheep and keeping predators at bay to protect the flock producing milk for ricotta cheese. We had experienced some rather significant losses from eagles, hawks, and ground predators at Shakespeare Hills. Inspired, I knew these dogs would be the solution to our challenges. Indeed, so! 

Our three Maremmas - Hermes, Pan, and Demeter - were raised alongside groups of chicks from a young puppy. That way Hermes, Pan, and Demeter bonded naturally with the hens, requiring no formal training. Maremmas are natural protectors, possessing this gentle, yet fearless, nature that makes them perfect for guarding our hens. Their instinct to protect is truly extraordinary. Today, our Maremmas are the backbone of predator protection at Shakespeare Hills.  

Recently, Demeter welcomed a litter of pups sired by Hermes. So exciting! Keeping with our Greek gods naming theme, we’ve named the pups Zeus, Apollo, and Athena. At just one week of age, these little ones are already growing strong, and we’re excited to see them join in the farm protection - in due time.