Livestock Guardians

#1
Vol8188

Vol8188

revolUTion in the air!
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#1
I recently bought a small farm and am currently running 6 cattle on it. The other day we spotted a couple of coyotes.

What do you guys use or recommend to protect livestock? We were thinking a donkey may be best, but it's something idk a ton about.
 
#2
#2
Vol8188 said:
I recently bought a small farm and am currently running 6 cattle on it. The other day we spotted a couple of coyotes.

What do you guys use or recommend to protect livestock? We were thinking a donkey may be best, but it's something idk a ton about.
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Llama
 
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#3
#3
Donkey's for some reason work. Friend of mine was getting his goats eaten left and right, put a donkey in the field and hasn't lost one since.

Can't kill them all off, shoot 10 and 20 take their place.
 
#5
#5
hog88 said:
Donkey's for some reason work. Friend of mine was getting his goats eaten left and right, put a donkey in the field and hasn't lost one since.

Can't kill them all off, shoot 10 and 20 take their place.
Click to expand...

Do miniature donkeys work? I've seen a lot more of those sale than full size.
 
#6
#6
Vol8188 said:
Does the sex matter and can you run them by themselves or do they need to be in pairs?
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Doesn't matter. Either sex and can run them stand alone. Pairs are just better. ( more protection)

Donkeys are hit and miss on protecting live stock. The mini's are a waste of time.

Llama or Great Pyrenees dogs.
 
#8
#8
To be honest I never really thought 'yotes a particular threat to cattle. Goats and sheep for certain though. At any rate I found this interesting.

Sheep 201
 
#9
#9
Vol8188 said:
Does the sex matter and can you run them by themselves or do they need to be in pairs?
Click to expand...

Out West, they use either a donkey or a llama. Not sure why some use one and others use the other but they do use them specifically for guard work. I've never seen more than one donkey or one llama in a field.
 
#12
#12
Obsessed said:
How old are the cows? Are they breed?
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It varies. I have two young heifers I got at an auction in lee county virginia a few weeks ago that are bred (one angus 1 yr old, and 1 3 yr old jersey.

I have two heifers that are not old enough to be bred. And two young steers. The four young ones are all around 400-500lbs. The two heifers are 800 and 900.
 
#13
#13
Vol8188 said:
It varies. I have two young heifers I got at an auction in lee county virginia a few weeks ago that are bred (one angus 1 yr old, and 1 3 yr old jersey.

I have two heifers that are not old enough to be bred. And two young steers. The four young ones are all around 400-500lbs. The two heifers are 800 and 900.
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You have got time then to shop around. I've never really had issues with coyotes and cows. They will snipe around when the babies are born but most of the time the mama will handle it.

You might look at a border collie too. Smart dogs. Good with cows. Just don't let it work them too much.
 
#14
#14
The Haggard farm here has about 30 llamas. I believe they shear them but don't know if they sell the wool. I have heard they move them around to various spots where they have cattle for coyote defense.
 
#15
#15
I was wrong earlier when I stated llamas were more expensive. All three (donkeys, llamas, and dogs) appear to cost relatively the same.
 
#18
#18
My family has always used dogs simply because they are smarter than all other options. We have both guard and herding, but they are used for different purposes. If you prefer or choose dogs for protection purposes, know they are usually used with sheep and goats. A couple of properly trained guard dogs will do an excellent job with cattle too though. Once guard dogs are trained, they are discouraged from biting, chasing, and barking at livestock. They act independently from humans, and at night their instincts will take over. They will aggressively confront and protect what ever type of livestock a person has from all intruders. Some people may recommend herding dogs, but you need guard ones. Herding dogs work and respond to verbal and hand gestures. They will not act independently from humans, which basically makes them inept at protection. They generally aren't left alone with livestock at night for that sole reason.
 
#19
#19
Thanks for the info, any breeds you recommend and would 1 be fine or should I get a couple to fight off a pack of coyotes?
 
#20
#20
Vol8188 said:
Thanks for the info, any breeds you recommend and would 1 be fine or should I get a couple to fight off a pack of coyotes?
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With you just having 6 cows, one dog should be sufficient. However, you normally determine how many dogs you need by the amount of predators living in the area. If you have 6 cows, but 100 different predators of all types visiting your farm regularly, you may need more than just one dog. Does that make any sense? Most of the time one good dog is enough though. Usually people start off with one pup and train it they way they like. If you get two or more pups at once, it's important to not raise them together. Keep them separate while training. You don't want them to form a bond because they will ignore the livestock. You must establish a bond between the dog and livestock at an early age. As far as breeds go, you want a confident dog that is well known for it's protection instincts above all else. We use Mastiffs on the family farm, they are great at what they do. I personally would recommend them to anyone asking. You cant go wrong with a Great Pyrenees, plus any type of Shepherd or Sheepdog breeds though. I hope this has all helped, best of luck to you.
 
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#21
#21
Vol8188 said:
I recently bought a small farm and am currently running 6 cattle on it. The other day we spotted a couple of coyotes.

What do you guys use or recommend to protect livestock? We were thinking a donkey may be best, but it's something idk a ton about.
Click to expand...

We always use Winchester maybe Smith & Wesson!
 
#23
#23
CagleMtnVol said:
We always use Winchester maybe Smith & Wesson!
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Haha that also works if you don't mind numerous sleepless nights. Just sitting up and waiting for action would be boring though. If several coyotes are together when you attempt to shoot them, all that's needed is the death of just one. The pack learns to stay away after that. If they come back, it wont be for a very long time.
 
#24
#24
Just get an automated coyote turret.

ti-office-turret.jpg
 
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