Livestock guardians: pros and cons of different species

One of the biggest concerns people with livestock have is safety from predators. All it takes is one injury or loss to make someone very attuned to the potential dangers that predators can pose. However, there’s a lot of misinformation and misconceptions about livestock guardians as well. For the sake of simplicity, this blog focuses on North American predators and livestock guardians. There is no way to completely avoid predators; farms are more rural and therefore in the predator’s ecosystem, and even more suburban farms are still encroaching on historical predator land. Livestock also make for easy prey for predators, as they’re more confined and bred to be more docile than their wild cousins. So, it is important we learn to live with predators.

Getting to know your enemy

While predators are not the “enemy,” (after all, they keep the ecosystem balanced), it’s important to know what predators most people face. Remember, predators are not evil; their purpose in life is to survive and ensure their species survives. If that means snatching our easier-to-catch livestock over fawns or other wild prey, that’s what they’ll grab. Predators will also sometimes kill “for fun,” driven by nature to chase and make the thing they chased stop running and stop squeaking. That is also how they teach their young to hunt. It’s cute when that thing is a tennis ball or squeaky toy, like with our pets, but it’s not cute when it’s something we care for. However, predators generally want to put forth as little effort as possible to get food, so if they have to risk themselves or go to a lot of work to get to food, they’re much less likely to even try. They also prefer to have minimal attention drawn to themselves, as that can mean they are risking themselves for food.

Canids

There are several canines we have to watch for. The first is coyotes. Coyotes are probably the number one predator faced in the US. Smaller than their wolf cousins, they’re smart and opportunistic, regularly hunting smaller livestock (primarily sheep, goats, poultry, and pet cats and dogs) and occasionally running horses and causing injury. They are invasive to the East Coast, filling the vacuum left by the critically endangered (if not functionally extinct) red wolf, and they reproduce rapidly. This makes eradication an impossible task, so we have to learn to live with them. Coyotes are losing their fear of humans, which is leading to sightings in cities. Their natural prey is small rodents, like rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, and other similar creatures. However, if something like a pet cat is easier to snatch, they’ll grab that first.

A close second to coyotes is feral domestic dogs. These are not “natural” predators, and this makes them an enormous problem. While coyotes usually kill to eat, feral dogs will kill for fun (just as we bred many to do). We had four pups from a litter go to neighbors who each lost over a dozen goats and llamas in a week because of one pack feral dogs. Because they’re domestic dogs that have gone feral, they are unafraid of people and have no qualms attacking livestock in broad daylight. They’re driven by natural prey drives, but because we’ve bred dogs to let that drive go into overdrive, as soon as one animal is vanquished, they’re on to the next one. Some feral dogs are not truly feral but belong to irresponsible pet owners who do not contain their dogs. Domestic dogs can therefore be a very challenging problem.

Wolves are also a formidable problem in parts of the US and the rest of the world. Hunting in packs, they are very intelligent and brutally effective hunters. They are also larger than coyotes and many domestic dogs.  While they are less of a threat east of the Mississippi, they are still a formidable threat out West and in other countries. While small prey make the majority of their diet, larger prey feeds more of the pack longer for less effort than smaller prey, so they tend to go after cattle, horses, sheep, and goats more than smaller prey.

Foxes can also pose a problem with smaller livestock, but they’re not as likely to go after larger livestock. Because of their size, poultry is the prey of their choice. They are generally quite reclusive creatures and are less of a problem than their other canid relatives.

Bears

Bears are another formidable predator to watch for. East of the Mississippi, black bears are more the problem, and they’re limited more to the Appalachian Mountains. They rarely pursue large livestock, being the ultimate opportunists that prefer garbage over something that requires effort, but chickens in a coop, beehives, and other similar confined prey are quite an easy opportunity for most bears. Most bears are still skittish about people, though they do become roadkill occasionally and will appear during the day at times. Some are more persistent than others, but they are fairly easy to spook.

Grizzly bears, however, are a different story. They are large and defensive, and while a black bear may run, a grizzly is much more likely to stand its ground. They also cause much more damage, and they’re big and fast enough to go after larger livestock. They’re still opportunists and prefer easy prey like caged chickens and beehives, but they’re much bolder than their smaller eastern cousins.

Felines

Felines are more of an issue in certain parts of the country than others. East, we see more bobcats and lynxes. These, of course, are smaller and more elusive and prefer smaller prey like poultry or new kids/lambs. West (and anecdotally East), mountain lions are a formidable predator. While they are still relatively reclusive, they are intelligent and opportunistic. Big cats prefer young prey, like foals, calves, kids, and lambs. However, they are relatively spooky and tend to be easily deterred. There are a few that are not as easily deterred, but these are usually the exception and not the rule.

Raptors and other birds

Birds of prey are significant predators of poultry as well as young, small livestock (and pets). It’s not unheard of for an owl or eagle to snatch a small dog or cat, and hawks develop a taste for chickens quite easily. They are quite intelligent, and if hungry enough, they’ll wait for a human’s back to be turned to swoop in and snatch a meal. Ravens and crows are usually good deterrents to birds of prey, but they too will sometimes prey on young livestock, preferring the eyes and soft bits.

Other predators

Small predators can cause quite a bit of damage for their size. Weasels (including large fishers, which are particularly formidable), raccoons, and opossums also make for a significant predator presence. They primarily focus on small prey, such as poultry (notice a theme here?) and sometimes cats. They also tend to get into trash, feed bins, and other opportunities of food and can cause quite a bit of damage. They rarely pursue larger livestock, but they can carry diseases that affect them.

Wild boars, while not “predators” in the traditional sense, can be just as dangerous. Wild boars root up plants and have large tusks, which can destroy fences and pastures. They are omnivores, so eating livestock and pets is not out of the equation for wild boars. They are invasive in most parts of the US, and with few predators willing to take them on, they can reproduce and become an issue quickly.

Humans

Depending on where you are, human predators can be more of a problem than wild predators. Human predators can steal or even commit physical violence against livestock, and some well-intentioned but uneducated ones might let livestock out of their pens (leading to them being hit by cars or ending up in unsafe situations).

Guardian Options

Depending on what you have and where you live, there are a few guardian options. Poultry are basically a predator magnet, so you either need predator-proof fencing and containment options, or you need a livestock guardian that can protect against all predators in your area (and all that might be). If you just have horses and are concerned about canids, you need something that particularly is effective against that kind of predator.

Donkeys and Mules

Donkeys and mules are often favorites of people with horses, as they are similar to horses and have a general distaste for dogs and anything else that “invades” their space. The advantage is that they eat similar food to horses and require similar care. If you live in an area that is more populated, such as an equestrian community, donkeys and mules may be quieter than livestock guardian dogs (though some donkeys are quite vocal). They are also less “scary” if you have a number of guests, especially young guests, than livestock guardian dogs might be.

Disadvantages to donkeys and mules include that they are, themselves, prey animals. They are not strong enough to fend off a pack of feral dogs, and this can leave them vulnerable to an attack. They can be injured or killed by persistent canids or other larger predators. Another disadvantage is sometimes their territorial nature can apply toward other livestock, and they are sometimes known to injure smaller livestock or poultry. Donkeys really do tend to require other donkeys for companionship, while mules tend to bond to horses better than their donkey relatives. While donkeys are similar to horses, they are still quite different, and finding a farrier to trim donkeys can be very difficult. Donkeys can also decide they aren’t the biggest fans of people, which can make caring for them difficult.

Many people opt for miniature donkeys, which are an affordable solution. However, Mammoth Jack donkeys and other larger donkey breeds are perhaps more intimidating toward larger predators, and they tend to be endangered breeds.

Llamas

Because of the disadvantage to donkeys, many people turn to llamas for smaller livestock. They do often pasture well with other livestock and are low maintenance, requiring shearing once a year and toe trims every few months. They can be quite protective of their companions and therefore effective against many smaller predators.

However, sometimes llamas apply that territorial nature to people as well. When llamas “spit,” it’s actually more or less cud or vomit that they “spit.” Llamas that have been bottle-raised as crias sometimes get “berserker syndrome,” where they see humans as rivals to potential mates. They are also prey animals themselves, and persistent predators can injure or kill them easily. Being camelids, they may require a different veterinarian, and their body language is quite different than other species.

Dogs

Livestock guardian dogs are an ancient and popular choice. Being a predator species, they’re less likely to become prey, and more predators will think twice about attacking their charges than they might a flock guarded by another prey animal. Many breeds have been purpose-bred for guarding for centuries, including Great Pyrenees, Kangals, Central Asian Shepherds, Sarplaninac, and others. They require little training to guard; more of the training entails teaching them appropriate vs inappropriate behavior with livestock and people. Dogs are particularly effective against birds of prey and felines, while donkeys and llamas are less so.

There are disadvantages to LGDs. One is that they bark quite a bit. Some breeds are quieter than others; we have found Kangals to be quieter than Great Pyrenees. Some are also less amenable to strangers coming and going, and being 100lb dogs, this can be quite terrifying to guests. They also tend to roam if not appropriately contained with secure fencing. Some are also not as good with poultry as others, and this can be very individual.

We chose LGDs because they are simply more effective for more livestock than donkeys or llamas. It’s worth it to us to have secure fencing anyway, though we tend to secure our perimeter so the dogs can roam between pastures. If we have dogs that are more prone to testing the fence, they live with the livestock in secure pens. We have a wide range of predators, including raptors, bears, coyotes, small predators, and bobcats, and many old-timers swear they’ve also seen “catamounts” or mountain lions. We also have a wide range of livestock, including poultry, goats, and horses, and we often have babies. For us, that made going with an LGD the best option. We’d be open to having donkeys and llamas in the future, but those would serve more as fun than as primary guardians.

If you go with an LGD, be sure to research the breeds. Kangals are our choice because they’re friendlier to people and more heat tolerant. We also “click” well with their personalities and primitive nature, and they’re effective against the predators we deal with. We had Great Pyrenees originally and found them less friendly and not very heat tolerant, though they handled Indiana winters beautifully. For people who want that, a Pyr is great for that. Central Asian Shepherds tend to be the least people friendly of the LGD breeds, which is fantastic if you have a problem with human predators. There are many other qualities of different LGD breeds that can make them a better or less optimal match for different people, so it’s worth getting to know breeders of the different breeds and talk to experienced LGD owners. Remember, not every dog can be an LGD, as the low prey drive combined with guarding instincts is highly specialized in the dog world; most dogs have a much higher prey drive than LGDs. LGDs are also generally independent, stubborn, and sometimes difficult dogs. Obedience is not their strong suit, and they are often not treat-motivated. They want to be out at night, when predators are most active, and often sleep through the day. Therefore, managing an LGD is different than managing a pet dog, and this is a topic for another post altogether.

General Considerations

Having enough livestock guardians is vital. A solitary livestock guardian is often ineffective except on small acreage, as they have to work alone and cover a lot of territory. For us, we have four LGDs right now, and it’s really not enough for our 100+ acres. If you have several horse pastures and want a donkey, you’d be better off having more donkeys scattered in the different pastures than just one in one pasture. There’s no magic formula, but you generally develop a feel for how many guardians you need. If your livestock is more spread out, you’ll need more guardians than if everything is centralized.

How your stock is managed will also have bearing on what kinds of guardians and how many you need. If your animals are in a central location with a lot of activity, your needs will be a lot lower, more so if they are securely confined regularly. Therefore, a farm with chickens that are confined securely (like in a run) won’t need as much protection as a free-range farm. However, it is impossible to completely be predator-proof, so some guardians will be necessary.

You can make your property more predator-repelling by having motion-activated lights or alarms in livestock areas. If you can have your livestock close to where you live, that will also repel more predators than if the livestock is far from where you live. Other animals, such as geese, guineas, or even vocal dogs that tend to sound an alarm more (even if they’re not livestock guardians) can also help spook predators or tell guardians where something is amiss.

Many people think that eradication is the answer and will set traps or actively hunt predators. This instead throws off the ecosystem and lets other prey animals proliferate and overeat the plant life, ultimately causing starvation for other animals. Predators will also sometimes up their reproductive rate if the survival of their species is threatened. This is particularly true of coyotes, which will have more litters at younger ages if some of their pack is killed. Instead, it is important to learn to live with the predators while making our livestock a less appealing option than nature’s wild offerings. That’s not to say hunting isn’t sometimes necessary; some populations can get out of hand, and some individual predators become dangerous when they lose their fear of humans, not only to humans but also to themselves, for they lose the drive to hunt natural prey and teach their offspring to target human areas instead of their natural prey. While it’s sad and a man-made problem, those individuals often have to be removed. If you suspect there is a predator like this in your area, it is important to reach out to the game warden to let them know and ask their advice.

Conclusion

Generally, prey species of livestock guardians are great at mild deterrence for the occasional or skittish predator, but if you have a serious predator problem, you’ll be better off with a livestock guardian dog. A mixture of livestock guardians may also be a good fit, as they can work together to a certain extent. Other tools can help maximize your livestock protection, such as installing lights, changing how you manage your livestock, and many more options. It’s important to research options for your farm and set-up to find the optimal species and mix for your situation.

-Emily Wright