UPDATE to lost cute baby, another goat killed!

o&itw · #21 05/31/13, 07:16 PM

What ever they are, and I would guess a pack of coyotes as I don't think anything else would eat that much two nights running, After two successful nights, I can almost bet they will be back again tonight. Cattle panels are rarely over 4 feet tall and some of them are only 42 inches. You need a thermos of coffee, a rifle, and a position to shoot in a safe line of fire. If you have a barn loft close where you could be shooting in a downward direction, that would be best.

A portable deer stand would be great.

Wonderland · #22 05/31/13, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wendle

You sure don't want a little pup to try and take on a pack of coyotes. Lights on at night are good, and of course hunting them.

This is a good point. If you do get a LGD, don't leave it unprotected at night. Until it's big it will just be prey, too.

hiddensprings · #23 05/31/13, 09:48 PM

If you can get your hands on one, a good motion-activated camera would help you determine what you are dealing with. Hubby uses them to figure out where he's going to hunt. I use them to figure out what is getting my chickens. I agree with the others on the dog. I've been very lucky to have an awesome LGD that keeps everything away from the goats. So sorry you are having to deal with this.

Grayson6711 · #24 05/31/13, 10:31 PM

I'm so sorry for your loss. Our neighbor recently put up scent tags dipped in wolf pee and the coyotes haven't been seen or heard since. I know it sounds silly (my husband got a good chuckle) but they purchased it at predatorpee.com just a thought

nathan104 · #25 06/01/13, 12:39 AM

Went ahead and gave the two with the real deep puncture wounds tetanus anti-toxin just to be safe. Will dose them with the la200 for a couple of days and keep the area clean with peroxide.

Ive got game cameras and plan on setting them up in the next few days. The guy who was coming over tonight couldnt make it unfortunately. I didn have someone else set up for doing it tues or wed night. They are actually a profession varmint team and have a tv show on pursuit. He said he'd be willing to set up a night orr two to help me out.

I did set up some more stuff. Borrowed some more leg traps from a buddy and used the goat carcass as bait. I dug in and hid three leg traps around the carcass each with a piece of bacon under them. I also set a couple leg traps along the fence with bacon under them. Had a buddy help me better set up my snares.

I guess the panels they are closed up in are actually hog panels instead of cattle panels. They are taller, have the smaller squares and are heavy duty. Im keeping an eye on the pen throughout the night.

The wolf urine strips are a good idea. I have the scent set up for deer, need to check around for wolf urine.

We dont have bear or wolves in the area. There used to be, but no one has seen any in this part of Texas in a long time.

I did find out this evening that a neighbors(1/4 mile away) adult great pyr was killed in their field a week ago by a large pitbull running with another dog. But like someone else stated, if it was dogs, I dont think they would clean the carcass.

Hopefully I have something in the morning and questions will be ans wered. Will update with pics if I catch anything.

LFRJ · #26 06/01/13, 01:40 AM

Sure it's not a big cat? I don't know your set up, but I'd weigh the amount of stealth involved to lift a grown goat out of it's housing and down the road. Again, don't know your set up, but it sounds like a big, noisy job unless done swiftly. The biggest clues in my mind - short of evaluating the above - is the distance it was carried, and the fact that the bones were picked near clean. Certainly would eliminate a pack of dogs - as another poster mentioned - a pack of dogs will kill for sport. Other predators, desperately in need of meat - will not waste - so there's that.

It's silly, but I've been known to bring the goats close, leave the light on and park a radio outside going full blast. (some of the shock jocks maybe?

Won't help for long, but may be confusing for a night or so.

Flour sprinkled around the killing area might help capture a print - weather conducive.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Backfourty,MI. · #27 06/01/13, 05:45 AM

I am so sorry for your losses & hope your injured animals heal up well.
Not sure what your predator is but sounds like either a Big Cat or Coyotes in packs or with babies. Sure hope the hunter catches them but keep them penned up as close to the house as you can & I'd be out there with a gun too!

I agree an LGD puppy would also be killed by a predator if left unprotected.

Pony · #28 06/01/13, 07:02 AM

Anxiously awaiting news of how it went last night. How are the surviving goats? How are YOU?

Minelson · #29 06/01/13, 08:48 AM

Peroxide can be helpful for initial cleaning .... but only use once. It is very damaging to tissue and slows down healing. If you can't get chlorhexidine, then regular soap and water would be better than peroxide. Be sure to rinse rinse and then rinse again.

Minelson · #30 06/01/13, 08:50 AM

I just stumbled across this....what a great price! I ordered a jug for myself. I can't get this cheap when I buy it through the vet clinic at cost!
http://www.amazon.com/Bimeda-Inc-Chl.../dp/B00061MU9W

nathan104 · #31 06/01/13, 10:54 AM

Unfortunately, didnt catch anything last night. But at least my suriviving goats were fine. I probably kept whatever it was away by checking thrroughout the night. I will keep putting the goats in the pen at night and hopefully, can catch something.

Thanks for the info on the peroxide. I had been told it would be betteer to use that to keep the wound clean than the iodine wash.

DaniR1968 · #32 06/01/13, 04:30 PM

Glad you suffered no more losses and I hope your injured make a quick recovery.

I don't think anyone expects you to get a pup and toss it out to fend off coyotes. But, pups grow fast. Pen him/her with the goats or next to the goats at night until s/he is big enough to defend them. The pup will bark if anything comes near so you at least will have some warning.

In the meantime, go ahead and have someone out to kill your current predators. Hopefully that will take care of them until the pup is older and can guard before any more find your goats.

Actually, get two pups. They will be better able to defend again coyotes and roaming dogs.

nathan104 · #33 06/01/13, 04:46 PM

Thanks. Im still looking on the LGD front but honestly would prefer to find a donkey who is good with goats. That way, it would eat the same stuff the goats do in the field.

One of the injured goats is one of the twin bottle babies we hand raised after their momma died after they were born. We moved them back across the street by the house to where we raised them and even though her wound on her leg is no where near as bad as the two boys wounds, she is staying in the dog house and refuses to come out unless we go out there. Poor thing is terrified of the boogey monster.

Minelson · #34 06/01/13, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nathan104

Thanks. Im still looking on the LGD front but honestly would prefer to find a donkey who is good with goats. That way, it would eat the same stuff the goats do in the field.

One of the injured goats is one of the twin bottle babies we hand raised after their momma died after they were born. We moved them back across the street by the house to where we raised them and even though her wound on her leg is no where near as bad as the two boys wounds, she is staying in the dog house and refuses to come out unless we go out there. Poor thing is terrified of the boogey monster.

Oh...that just breaks my heart that she is so scared

dozedotz · #35 06/01/13, 04:50 PM

Second what DaniR1968 said!! It is what I was trying to say earlier...this was much better! lol
Really glad all went well last night. Sorry you are having to stand guard and you are probably correct that whatever it is KNOWS you are standing guard! Wiley creatures.
We have a very small herd and two Pyrs. They work together. The oldest one is female (spayed). We got her trained from Emily Dixon (just cannot do better than that!). She is quite honestly the best purchase we ever made. The male (neutered) we got as a 10 week old pup and let the big girl do most of the training. They are amazing together. Could not live here with the goats without them.

Backfourty,MI. · #36 06/01/13, 05:18 PM

I hope you catch something soon. I also bet what ever it is knows you are watching & being more cautious but it will come back because it already knows the goats are there.
Hopefully you can find a donkey or a couple LGD's that are already trained & somewhat grown. A puppy doesn't stand a chance either i don't think against what ever it is getting in your pasture right now.

cwatkin · #37 06/02/13, 02:12 PM

I had some neighbors who apparently thought it was ok to adopt all the free pitbulls in this world that no one else wanted and let them free roam and do whatever they want since they live in the country. Complaints to the people did nothing. Calls to the Sheriff resulted in the situation being noted and an order for anyone being bothered to shoot the dogs in sight. Goat deaths resulted in total denial from the people that they were their dogs but they were always in their yard and following the people around....

I had it so got out the .300 and started vaporizing these dogs. I wanted to use something loud so they would understand why their dogs weren't coming home. Others had cattle attacked at about the same time and started doing the same... The people called the Sheriff about the neighbors shooting their dogs and they Sheriff told them that any dog attacking animals is fair game. The situation continued as the people just picked up more free unwanted pitbulls off Craigslist and similar free classified sites. A group of like 6 neighbors all met at the Sheriff Dept. and filed a combined report. Things have gotten better but not completely been solved.

I have also been upgrading my fencing as time and money allow. Everything is electrified with a POTENT shocker box which is keeping the goats in and the bad actors out. Electric fence has solved ALL of the issues you normally have with goats and fences. I also got an Anatolian LGD.

Sorry to hear you have had to go through this. Definitely consider electrifying your fence as this is a huge help. Your problem sounds more like natural predators than dogs. Dogs just kill for sport while yours are being eaten.

Conor

fishhead · #38 06/02/13, 08:49 PM

If the range was short enough I would go with buckshot. It's a lot easier to hit your target with a shotgun at night.

motdaugrnds · #39 06/03/13, 07:13 AM

Glad to hear you didn't lose any last night. Stands to reason whatever is killing your goats is real smart and knows when you are around.

One thing I did to deter anything going under my fencing was to tie cedar logs (small cedar tree trunks) to the bottom of my fencing all the way around my place. This keeps the animal from being able to lift the fencing. (I really like the electric fencing idea given above.)

The guard "donkey" sounds workable and you wouldn't need to buy extra feed for it. Also, you wouldn't need to start with a baby, just make sure it has been raised around goats and is fixed.

Sure hope you find out what it is doing all the harm. Can't the animal control unit in your area help?

AuntKitty · #40 06/03/13, 01:17 PM

I don't know how far you are willing to drive, but there is a female great pyrenees near Pensacola FL for $100 that is currently working goats but is not getting along with the people's other dog. The ad is on the Tallahassee craigslist but they are located in Milton FL which is just east of Pensacola. Might be a great price for an experienced dog...

Kitty