Livestock Predation Protection, part 2 --Toe Catch

Livestock Predation Protection, part 2 OK , we did the inner ring of defense. Let's move out to the next ring and talk about the pasture and areas outside of pens and buildings , but still inside the perimeter of your homestead. To some this will be obvious again and to others not as clear or understood. You might ask , "What can I do to protect livestock in the open from predation?" Many things can and should be done around the homestead to help control livestock predation from both domestic and wild predators alike again. Again for this article we'll discuss the smaller homesteads, but most of this will work on a larger scale as well. Guard animals add a great benefit to protection of livestock in the pasture and fields. Large Guard Dogs (LGD) , Donkeys , Llama have all been used for centuries to help protect and herd livestock. They bond with the herd and with herd mentality they take on the role as the protectors of "Their" herd. Each have pro's and con's to their use. Let's start with Llama. Pro's are they require no special feeding other than the same as the flock they are protecting. For years a gelding male was thought to be best for protection purposes, but recent studies show unbred females are better for this purpose , can be used singly and need no other Llama , may herd flock to safety , may attack a predator , many become very bonded to the flock , very alert to their surroundings. Con's are , intact males will try to breed with sheep , spit a lot , very aggressive at times (especially intact males) even towards humans , some will never bond and ignore the flock , if multiple Llama are together many times they will bond together and not bond with the flock and can sometimes harass livestock. Donkeys , very much like the Llama Pro's and Con's alike. I personally have several donkeys and love them as protection. They should not be fed feed and supplements only intended for ruminants. Donkeys also need trace mineral salt, not the white salt eaten by sheep or goat. Donkeys will also drink more water than sheep or goats. Intact males should be avoided for aggression issues towards other livestock. Never try to stop an attack from a donkey on Predators they can and often will turn that aggression towards you. Allow them time to calm down after a confrontation before going near them. Donkeys lack the undercoat of horses and need shelter in the fields to escape rain , wind , snow and ice. My donkeys are kept in separate pastures and not given access to each other , other than for breeding purposes. I have 1 intact male who is kept pretty much by himself and for breeding only. LGD , several breeds are out there who are bred specifically for this purpose. Dogs need feed for dogs , not feed for sheep , goats , horses and cattle. LGD may defend against multiple predators at once , several LGD's can be kept in with livestock without much ill effect like Llama and Donkeys. LGD can be very aggressive towards predators and many swear by using nothing but LGD for livestock protection. Cats , I personally am not a huge fan of cats , however they have a purpose on the homestead therefore I tolerate them. I keep a couple around the homestead to keep down on the rodent population. I personally will not keep them intact because I do not want to be overran with kittens. Cats themselves can be preyed upon by larger predators like Fox , Coyote and Bobcat , but I am willing to chance that to help keep down on rodents. I have seen them stalk and kill poultry and when they do they most go immediately in my opinion. Geese and Guineas are great alarms to alert you and the other protectors to the presence of anything out of the ordinary be it 2 legged , 4 legged or slithering on it's belly. More to come on predation protection and as always comments , suggestions and discussion are always welcome with me. Toe Catch.