The war has started...

MatthewB · #1 10/09/11, 02:37 PM

I woke up this morning to my mom-in-law banging on the front door yelling "the coyotes are after the goats!". So here I go, full sprint in my pj's, barefoot and with no gun down to the barn. Don't know what I thought I'd accomplish that way.... The goats were fine, the coyotes took off, and the witch hunt has begun- four of us patrolling the woods all day trying to get a good shot at one. They've been getting braver and braver and now they come out in broad daylight. I have to go to work this evening, so I can't stake out the area, and now that they've discovered the hens and goats I have no doubt they'll be back and bring all their friends I've been hearing down in the woods every night. So I've set out a couple of steel leg traps. I have never been a fan of those, but I can't risk anything tonight. I baited them with bacon, so I'm hoping to snag a couple of them up while I'm at work... Anyone have any handy tricks or tips on coyote prevention? Someone told me to put a steel trap next to a pumpkin. Apparently their curiosity gets the better of them and they'll keep circling the pumpkin till they hit the trap. Didn't have a pumpkin handy, so hopefully bacon does the trick...

LFRJ · #2 10/09/11, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatthewB

Anyone have any handy tricks or tips on coyote prevention?

5 foot cattle panels and a couple of good farm collies/dogs. Works for us - (knock on wood). Haven't lost goats, geese or chickens in a year and half. Not as cheap as steel traps, but exponentially more humane!

horsepoor21 · #3 10/09/11, 02:44 PM

Livestock guardian dog !

When we moved to our place a year and a half ago , the first night I had FIVE coyotes in the pens with my horses and cows ! Thank God our goats were in the barn as well as our poultry !

I bought a donkey and put him in with the goats (and sheep we bought later) , I saw him beat the snot out of a coyote one night . But he can't get thru fences to go after them . We lost over 200 chickens last year as well as a few turkeys . Bought a Maremma puppy last winter , and then got a Turkish Kangal puppy in June . The coyotes don't dare come near our place now , I hear them yippin' acrossed the road in the nieghbor's field but that's as close as they come . I hate 'yotes.....

Gaby Rose · #4 10/09/11, 03:11 PM

This is very timely for me because my milker Rosebud disappeared on Thursday and we haven't seen her since. We've had multiple cougar sightings in my area recently and I'm afraid that's what got her. She was one of my first two goats and I only had three. I have been putting the remaining goats away at night. I probably should have done that before but hadn’t had a problem in the three years before this.

rootsandwings · #5 10/09/11, 03:32 PM

we have coyotes. I got an alpaca. because I don't want to train a dog. the alpaca isn't a big fan of dogs either. I think a cougar could take him though.

Creamers · #6 10/09/11, 03:50 PM

Quote:

good farm collies/dog

Quote:

I got an alpaca

Having owned all of the above, I can tell you. . . any alpaca breeder will say the same. . .they are far too small to really protect your livestock. They need protection,
and all the alpaca farms locally use Maremmas and / or Pyrs to guard their alpacas.
I've seen medium sized dogs take down Alpacas with no problem.

Collies are herd dogs, and a general farm dog may or may not also pose an issue to your goats. . .

Stick with a well trained livestock guard dog breed, which does not ever include Aussies or Cattledogs. . .

A pup or young dog will not do the trick, so invest in a quality adult dog.

Goat Servant · #7 10/09/11, 04:12 PM

A cougar came through once, LGD was only 8 mo old but cat kept going. Next spring added another LGD. Yotes a plenty but we sleep well at night.

ps You dont train an LGD to do their job

LFRJ · #8 10/09/11, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Creamers

Collies are herd dogs, and a general farm dog may or may not also pose an issue to your goats. . .

Stick with a well trained livestock guard dog breed, which does not ever include Aussies or Cattledogs. . .

Different dogs match different settings.

Nope. Our collies are not big enough to take on a coyote or a cat, and I'd never want them too. However, they bark, a lot when danger is near. It's enough to deter most predators and they will take on the smaller ones themselves. Neither herd. Both protect. Between them and the fences, we have it covered (i hope). I haven't been as impressed with the LGD's. From what i've seen, if we had them, I'd have to fence them in too. They wander, and take on things that aren't predators. OUr farm collies generally stay put. Just our experience - but I wouldn't trade them.

Creamers · #9 10/09/11, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Different dogs match different settings.

Nope. Our collies are not big enough to take on a coyote or a cat, and I'd never want them too. However, they bark, a lot when danger is near. It's enough to deter most predators and they will take on the smaller ones themselves. Neither herd. Both protect. Between them and the fences, we have it covered (i hope). I haven't been as impressed with the LGD's. From what i've seen, if we had them, I'd have to fence them in too. They wander, and take on things that aren't predators. OUr farm collies generally stay put. Just our experience - but I wouldn't trade them.

I agree a solid, good all around farm dog will deter predators, and sometimes very well, but sometimes those same dogs can turn when goats kid and kill the kids, etc. . . I've learned that the hard way.

shdybrady · #10 10/09/11, 05:25 PM

I have a few line of defenses on my property. My very first line is my alarm system....the crows. I listen very closely to when they go off. They have let me know so far when something is on the property. Then I have a catahoula cur and an american bulldog. These dogs are used to hunt coons to hogs to moutain lions. I would feel safe putting them against anything found here in georgia. But really I only want them to do the job when I am not around or just long enough for me or my wife to get a gun

jamjam · #11 10/09/11, 08:22 PM

I have a pair of LLamas. Best guard animals I have had . They will not tolerate anything that does not belong here. When a predator is scented one will round the goats up and send them running to the barn while the second will attack. Almost lost a Golden Retreiver pup I had just gotten when she wandered into their area. They had her cornered and were tryiny to stomp on her. An Alpaca breeder in my area wanted to trade me alpca for them to guard his herd.

HappyFarmer · #12 10/09/11, 08:48 PM

We've had collies & a doberman that were very good with the animals. I"m not recommending them, just saying we had them and they did fine, I think a lot has to do with trust & training.

However, those dog's, as good as they were, can't compare with our LGD's for livestock protection. Like JamJam said, one rounds em up, while the others head to the threat. Somehow they communicate, I swear! Herd queen snorts, dogs are on it, when the dogs bark danger bark, goats either gather around or head for shelter. It's truly amazing.
We sleep very sound knowing they are on duty.

rootsandwings · #13 10/09/11, 09:06 PM

he's a big alpaca (people who know the difference ask if he's a llama) and food isn't that scarce around here so I'm guessing the coyotes prefer easier game. I've seen him challenge dogs and coyotes, and so far nothing wants to be in the fence with him. If there wasn't a fence to jump/dig under it might be more of an issue.

Also, I have a smaller pen next to the barn which I leave open unless I'm working in it with someone. he brings the goats into that at night - about 20x30 and a higher fence.

magenta flame · #14 10/09/11, 09:57 PM

Since the tomatoe plants in the fields surrounding our house have been plowed under the smaller critters all ran for cover in the grasses and bushes surrounding the house, which is drawing the coyotes in. There's a male, female and 4 pups. So far the big dog has kept them at bay.

Creamers · #15 10/10/11, 01:07 AM

Gelded llamas can be good guards in areas without a major predator problem, as can a gelded donkey.

MatthewB · #16 10/10/11, 11:50 PM

Well guys, LGD isn't really an option at this point. I just have a small operation, two goats and a dozen hens. We have 15 acres, but only a small portion is fenced in and I feel like it would be more hassle than it's worth to have an LGD. I kind of halfway tried it out earlier in the year with a mutt I picked up. He was super smart but always wound up across the fence running the neighbor's horses. Anyway, just a little update- the coyotes managed to sneak all the bait and didn't even touch the trap. So, I'm repositioning and hoping for the best when I go check in the morning... I used bacon last night, tonight I'm using potted meat. I opened the can halfway and hung it above the trap, so my logic is that they'll keep trying to pull it down or lick inside the can and that will keep them working in that spot a little longer than just a strip of bacon would. We'll see....

farmmom · #17 10/11/11, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatthewB

Well guys, LGD isn't really an option at this point. I just have a small operation, two goats and a dozen hens. We have 15 acres, but only a small portion is fenced in and I feel like it would be more hassle than it's worth to have an LGD. I kind of halfway tried it out earlier in the year with a mutt I picked up. He was super smart but always wound up across the fence running the neighbor's horses. Anyway, just a little update- the coyotes managed to sneak all the bait and didn't even touch the trap. So, I'm repositioning and hoping for the best when I go check in the morning... I used bacon last night, tonight I'm using potted meat. I opened the can halfway and hung it above the trap, so my logic is that they'll keep trying to pull it down or lick inside the can and that will keep them working in that spot a little longer than just a strip of bacon would. We'll see....

The other thing you can do with bacon is wrap yarn or string around it and tie tightly to the trip.

Electric fencing may also be an option. It's not terribly expensive, but is very effective if placed correctly as a backup to your current fence.

hyamiranda · #18 10/11/11, 10:25 AM

Another thing you can try is asking around for locals that call coyotes and hunt them. I know a few people in different areas that are doing that. They can collect a bounty in some areas and some just do it for fun.

mpete · #19 10/11/11, 10:59 AM

Electric fence and motion-sensored sprinklers work well for me.

vpierce · #20 10/12/11, 08:49 PM

Great Pyrenees dog. I have been told that their urine smells of bear. I use my female at a friends house because wolfs are coming in eating her sheep, and when I take her over their to do her duty the wolfs don't come in as much. If I had her loose I am sure they would totally stop.