Jim Mitchell - Livestock Guardian Animals: Donkeys, Llamas, and Livestock Guardian Dogs to Protect Your Property and Stock

Rural Living Media's Homestead Basics Series

Published by Rural Living Media at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 by Jim Mitchell

Cover design: Tugboat Design - Cover livestockguardian dog image: igahttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

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CHAPTER 1: LIVESTOCK GUARDIAN ANIMALS

Before we moved to our rural property, we knew we would needsome help protecting our future livestock from the local coyotes,black bears, and cougars. Smaller mammals and rodents would also bean issue around poultry.

We started to search for ways to keep our animals safe. We weresurprised to discover a group of animals categorized as livestockguardians. There are three main classes that have proven to beexcellent protectors of livestock in various situations.

Two species of guardians, donkeys and llamas, naturally dislikecanines and are effective against wolves, coyotes, and maraudingdogs.

The third livestock guardian class is composed of severalspecific breeds of large dogs with strong instincts to protecttheir charges and aggressively fend off many types of predators. Asa group they are called livestock guardian dogs, or LGDs.

Choosing a guardian animal must include consideration of severalfactors. Think about the predators that live in your area, thestock you want to protect, the size and fencing of your property,and the practical needs of guardian animals.

While there are exceptions to any generalization and manyvariations among individual animals, the following guidelines arebased on typical characteristics and capabilities of donkeys,llamas, and livestock guardian dogs.

Thoughts to consider:

Do you need a livestock guardian animal?

If you have no predator issues, you may not need a guardiananimal. Some nuisance animals can be eradicated by other means,such as electric fences and traps. Securely-built chicken coops candeter the entrance of raccoons and weasels. A good barking farm dogcan ward off some would-be intruders.

But if you have large predators in your area or regular visitsby animals seeking free meals, it might be time to put a livestockguardian animal in with your stock.

How many and what kind of predators do you have inyour vicinity?

Do you see signs of just the occasional predator now and then?Are they small mammals only? Is your property visited by packs ofcoyotes or wandering bears? Have wolves or cougars been seennearby?

-A donkey will fend off individual canines and oftensmall packs as well.

-A llama will fight one canine but is ineffectiveagainst a pack.

-Neither donkeys nor llamas are effective againstbears, wildcats, small mammals, snakes, or rodents.

-A livestock guardian dog will oppose anything that does notbelong in its territory, including individual canines, packs ofcanines, wildcats, bears, and most other aerial and groundpredators.

So if your predator problem is an occasional lone canine, any ofthe three types will do. For small packs of canines, a donkey orlivestock guardian dog will work. For larger canine packs andnon-canine predators, two or more livestock guardian dogs is thebest option.

What type of livestock do you want to guard?

-All three guardian types can be used with largelivestock (horses and cows) and medium sized livestock (goats,sheep, and pigs).

-While livestock guardian dogs can be trained to walkamong poultry without injuring them, donkeys and llamas mayaccidentally or intentionally kick or step on birds.

-Donkeys and llamas may bond to their pasture mates,but their defensive actions are more to protect their territorythan to safeguard the stock.

-Livestock guardian dogs bond to the stock or humans they are toprotect, and will fend off any perceived threat or anything thatdoes not belong in the area. More relational and interactive withtheir charges than are donkeys or llamas, livestock guardian dogswill assist with goat and sheep births and give special attentionto stock that is ill or injured.

Do you feel a need for personal protection as wellas livestock defense?

-Donkeys and llamas will not normally accompanypeople as they go about their chores and tasks.

-Guardian dogs will bond to and protect humans as well as stock.They will prevent entry of unwelcome people as well as animals.Home and yard can be included in the livestock guardian dogspatrol territory. Some of the livestock guardian dog breeds arewonderful with children.

How many guardian animals would be needed?

-Donkeys and llamas are often much more effectiveindividually than they are in pairs. Two donkeys or two llamas maybond to each other more strongly than to the stock they are toprotect, and therefore be less attentive guardians than a lonedonkey or llama would be. For best defensive support, individualdonkeys or llamas should be with small flocks and herds ofstock.

-Livestock guardian dogs, on the other hand, workbest in pairs and teams and will communicate among themselves asthey strategically oppose intruders. Multiple livestock guardiandogs can be penned with large flocks and herds of livestock.

-With donkeys, llamas, and livestock guardian dogs, evaluate thesize of the property to be guarded and the predator load. The moreproperty or predators, the more livestock guardians may beneeded.

What type of fencing do you have or are you willingto install?

-Donkeys and llamas can easily be added to mostlivestock pastures or paddocks. They require the same type offencing as medium to large livestock.

-A livestock guardian dog needs an effective fence to preventthe dog from disappearing in pursuit of a predator or expanding itsterritory to include neighbors far and wide.

Are you willing to provide separate feed andindividual attention?

-Donkeys and llamas will generally eat the same grassor feed as livestock they share pasture with.

-Livestock guardian dogs have different food needsfrom those of the stock and must be fed separately.

-Donkeys and llamas are raised as livestock, needingno guidance from humans to reject intruding canines.

-Dogs require more time and effort in training and maintenance.For the most successful operation, a livestock guardian dog musthave a working relationship with its human alpha figure(s)usuallyone or more family members or a farm manager.

Donkey, llama, or livestock guardian dog?

The choice of livestock guardian animal is a personal one thatdepends on the individual farm, surroundings, and livestockrequiring protection. Many people have their favorites and storiesof successful and ineffective guardian animals.