Wonderland Farm

I've been doing more and more research, and have become completely convinced that anyone with livestock needs a livestock guardian dog to protect them, especially if they are a smaller livestock species (goats, sheep, poultry, etc).

This is why you need an LGD, not a llama or a donkey:

1) I have now heard two accounts of donkeys injuring the livestock they were supposed to be guarding, from people I talk to on the various homesteading/livestock/farming forums I frequent. Both cases consisted of the donkey (both male, onewas gelded, one was intact) grabbing the sheep they were guarding by the neck and literally throwing them. Thankfully, both sheep lived. One donkey also turned on the human trying to save the sheep (that was the intact one.) Also, one of the people I have bought goats from has mini-donkeys, also, and one of his goat kids had been stomped and injured by one of his donkeys. I don't know the outcome of that (I hope it was good.) So, I will never own a donkey and allow it to live with smaller livestock. However, if you still choose to have a donkey as a LSG, at least get a female, and goodness forbid you use an intact male.

2) Llamas are very finicky, and from all the research I've done indicates that a llama that will do a good job guarding is rare. The other person I bought my goats from tried llamas as guardians, and they ended up being no good. They couldn't care less about a fox getting the chickens. If it wasn't bothering them, then they didn't care. If you still want a llama, at least get a proven one.

I would not really recommend either, because - aside from the above mentioned reasons - they also would not be of any help against a large predator, or a group of predators.

These are the reasons you need an Livestock Guardian:

1) Human threat. I read stories all the time about goatsor other livestock being stolen. I have also read about barns being set on fire by arsonist. Goats are often stolen for religious rituals. Other livestock and goats are stolen to sell for money, or for meat. It's something I don't understand, because goats are not worth near as much money without their papers. But maybe they forage the papers. Who knows. But, animals get stolen. A thief is something I will never beable to understand or respect. I hate a thief. You are not entitled to what I have worked and payed for. But, I'll get off my soapbox. Don't think that "well, it wouldn't happen here!" or that "well, there's no telling what obscure places she's read about them being stolen in," because not only have I read of this happening, I know someone it has happened to, right here in good ole Tipton county. A close family friend runs a petting zoo, and he had two goats and a sheep in a fence in his yard, and they were all stolen. So yes, it does happen here.

2) Threat from Predators. Don't think that because you live in a populated area, that you don't have to worry about predators. Bears are not the only animals that can injure or kill livestock. I'll make a sub-list of predators you need to worry about.

Predators in Western Tennessee:

Dogs. Stray dogs, wild dogs, and your neighbors dogs are all a danger to your livestock. Before I had my Nigerians I had a little pet whether that was just a scrub goat. He was attacked twice by our own dogs. They got out of their fence once, and he got in theirs once. Luckily, the dog attacking him was old and not a skilled huntress, so he lived to tell the tale. (His legs still bare scars, however. He has since moved to a new home.) We've also had stray dogs break into rabbit hutches and kill them. I know people who have had stray dogs kill their cats. Dogs are a threat to livestock, particularly small ones or babies of any kind.

Foxes, raccoons, opossums, etc. These mostly pose a threat to poultry, though I would not put it past a fox to take out a baby Nigerian Dwarf or Pygmy goat, or one of the small breeds of sheep's lambs, if they could get to it. The miniature breeds of goats and sheep have very small babies that a fox could probably kill. And yes, foxes do live here. Two types, in fact. The Gray Fox, which is native, and the Red Fox which was imported for hunting. I saw a gray fox in my backyard just the other day.

Bobcats. These are medium sized (anywhere from 10-40lbs) cats with, you guessed it, a bobbed tail. In the wild, these cats prey upon rabbits, small rodent-like animals, birds, and deer. Though I have not seen a bobcat in a more populate area, like I have other predators,that doesn't mean that they don't come to them, or that they aren't a threat.

Predatory birds. (Owls and Hawks, Eagles in some areas.) These are a threat to poultry.

Coyotes. Probably most people have seen coyotes. I saw one just the other day. Coyotes are roughly the size of a German Shepard. They also can carry many diseases. They live pretty much everywhere,including urban or populated areas. I personally don't want to see a coyote carry off one of my small goats. Coyotes also hunt in packs sometimes, though not always. If more than one Coyote is after your livestock, then a single LGD may not be able to completely protect them. Most people suggest that LGDs work in pairs, for this reason.

This one is debatable about whether or not they live in West Tennessee. Personally, I believe that the Cougar, or Mountain Lion is present in West Tennessee- including Shelby/Tipton county. Now whether or not they live here, I don't know. They could just roam through. because their territories are huge. But, there have been sightings of them here, including some by my own extended family.Mountain Lions prey upon deer, and we all know there are abundant deer here. Mountain Lions are not only dangerous to your livestock, but they also prey upon pets, and there have been people killed by Mountain Lions in areas where there are many of them. If it were up to me, I would rather come across a Bear than a Mountain Lion. So, whether or not you believe that they are here in West TN, they still deserve aspot on this list.

Predators not native to West Tennessee:

Bears; Grizzly, Black Bear, and Alaskan Brown Bear (this species is considered the same as the Grizzly, but is given a different Scientific name and is recognized as a different species. Don't ask me why, but they are.) There are eight species of bears in the world, but those are the three in North America. Black Bears inhabit Eastern Tennessee, and there have been supposed sightings of them down here in West TN. Recently a Shelby County Bus Driver has claimed to see a black bear and two cubs in Shelby County. Now, whether it was there or not,no one knows. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they migrated down here, but there's simply not enough evidence to definitively agree or disagree with them being down here. In any case, bears are very large predators, and pose a threat to even large livestock, and occasionally have killed people.

Wolves. Wolves are the largest canine animal, weighing from55-130lbs and standing 26- 32 inches at the shoulders. Wolves are another species that hunt in packs, meaning that a single LGD wouldn't stand a chance against them. The most common cause of death for wolves is conflict between them and people over people's livestock. Go figure,right? But perhaps if people had their own packs of LGDs, no wolf deaths would have to result. Just for some fun trivia, there are three kinds of wolves- Gray Wolves, Red Wolves, and Mexican Wolves.

I would also like to remind you all that any mammal can carry rabies. The TN Department of Health website says; "There were 129 cases of rabies in Tennessee in 2008, including 67 skunks, 28 raccoons,18 bats, 8 foxes, 3 dogs, 2 cats, and 1 horse."

So, that's my spiel, and I hope that if you have livestock of any kind,you will seriously consider getting a Livestock Guardian Dog. How many you need depends on your own personal situation. To learn more about LGD's, go here: http://www.lgd.org/index.htm

To learn more about the predators I mentioned, visit these sites:

http://www.tennessee.gov/twra/

http://www.tennessee.gov/twra/coyote.html

https://www.uu.edu/forms/cougars/sightings.cfm

http://www.state.tn.us/twra/bobcat.html

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/lion.html

http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/Mammals/MountainLion.htm

http://www.centerforwildlifeinformation.org/BeBearAware/Bears_of_North_America/bears_of_north_america.html

http://www.greatbear.org/bearspecies.htm

http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/wildlife_conservation/imperiled_species/wolves/wolf_facts/index.php

http://www.state.tn.us/twra/grayfox.html

http://www.state.tn.us/twra/redfox.html

Rabies info:

http://www.tennessee.gov/twra/rabies.html

http://health.state.tn.us/FactSheets/rabies.htm