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Using

Guard Animalsto Protect Livestock

Missouri Department of Conservation

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Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from programs of the Missouri Depart-ment of Conservation is available to all individuals without regard to their race, color,national origin, sex, age or disability. Complaints of discrimination should be sent tothe Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102, or U.S. Fish& Wildlife Service, 18th and “C” Streets NW, Washington D.C. 20240, Missouri RelayCenter —1-800-735-2966 (TDD).

Copyright © 1996 by the Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri

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Introduction ................................................................................................4

Types of livestock predators ................................................................4

Coyotes ......................................................................................................4

Wild and free-running domestic dogs .............................................5

Types of guard animals ..........................................................................6

Guard dogs ...............................................................................................6

Training and care ...............................................................................6

Potential benefits with using guard dogs ...................................8

Potential problems with using guard dogs ................................8

Lambing ................................................................................................8

Calving ...................................................................................................9

When problems arise ........................................................................9

Guard donkeys and mules ..................................................................9

Training and care ...............................................................................9

Tips on using guard donkeys or mules ....................................10

Guard llamas .........................................................................................11

Training and care .............................................................................12

Potential benefits to using guard llamas .................................12

Potential problems with using guard llamas ..........................12

Multi-species grazing ..........................................................................12

Group reactions ................................................................................12

Feeding habits ..................................................................................12

For more information ...........................................................................14

CONTENTS

Writer: Jim BraithwaitIllustrator: Diana JarrellDesigner: Libby Block

Editors: Gene Kelly and Joan McKee

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INTRODUCTION

E ach year livestock producersacross the United States lose mil-

lions of dollars from predator attackson their cattle, sheep and goats.Coyotes are the main cause of live-stock deaths followed closely bywild and domestic dogs.

The best way to protect livestockfrom these canine predators is totake a preventative approach. Formany Missourians, using guard ani-mals, such as dogs, llamas and don-keys, have helped cut their losses.This booklet is designed to help live-stock producers decide if thisapproach will work for them.

Managing for predators, however,takes a variety of control methods.There is no one technique, nor willthere likely be one, that will solveevery producer’s problems.

Those who are successful use anintegrated approach, combininggood husbandry practices with elec-tric fences, guard animals, goodherders, trapping, shooting ormechanical scare devices. They alsomust be flexible enough to use what-ever combination of methods solvesthe problem. This has to be the casebecause predators always have andalways will be a part of the livestockproducers’ world.

TYPES OF LIVESTOCK PREDATORS

ne of the best ways to stop pred-ators from preying on livestock

is to understand the habits andbehavior of the animals that arecausing the problem. By under-standing their needs, it may be easierto control their behavior.

CoyotesFrom 1977 to 1987, the coyote pop-ulation increased rapidly in Mis-souri. These highly adaptable ani-mals are often viewed only aslivestock predators. They are, how-ever, important members of thewildlife community.

Coyotes feed mostly on wildlife,which includes rodents that oftencause damage to fields and crops.

Coyotes also prey on old, sick andinjured animals. As a scavenger ofboth wild and domestic animals,they are a major factor in main-taining healthy wildlife populationsand in cleaning up the environment.According to a study of Missouricoyotes by research biologistsCharles and Elizabeth Schwartz, live-stock accounts for less than 9 percentof the coyotes’ total diet, which indi-cates that these predators aren’tcausing as much trouble to farmersas many people believe. Still, coyotesdo occasionally kill livestock. Lambsare particularly vulnerable.

An Iowa study revealed that 46percent of all livestock losses arefrom nonpredator causes, such asdisease and starvation, while caninepredators, such as coyotes and dogs,

are responsible for 41 percent of live-stock loss. Thirteen percent of thelosses in the study were fromunknown causes.

When Columbus came ashore in1492, coyotes lived in about one fifthof the North American continent.Today their range has extended fromAlaska through all but the northeastportion of Canada, and throughoutthe continental United States andMexico. The coyote is found in themythology of most Indian tribes fromthe Athabasken and Cree of northernCanada to the Mixtec of southernMexico, which indicates its diversityand widespread distribution.

One of the reasons for its survivalis its ability to adapt to the changingenvironment. The coyote has provento be much more capable at sur-

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viving around people than some ofits past competitors, such as the tim-ber wolf. As the timber wolf wasextirpated from much of its formerdomain, the more adaptable coyotefilled the vacant niche. The red wolfalso wasn’t able to live in close prox-imity to people. As the red wolves’numbers decreased, the coyote tookover its range, too. Interbreedingwith coyotes also helped dilute thered wolves’ gene pool.

Timber wolves, which are nowextinct in Missouri, used to be thecoyotes’ main predator. Today thatrole has been taken over by man.Coyotes are trapped and huntedthroughout the state and are valuedfor the durability and beauty of theirlong fur. In the Ozarks, huntingcoyotes with dogs is a long standingtradition.

Wild and free-runningdomestic dogsWild and domestic free-runningdogs are the second leading livestockpredator. Feral dogs are a problem insome areas, but are far less commonand are less of a problem thandomestic dogs.

Both domestic and feral dogs tendto run in packs, and they can doextensive damage to livestock.Attacks by dogs can be distinguishedfrom those by coyotes. Dogs usuallyattack wherever they can get a holdon the animal. They often bite thehindquarters, causing severe tissuedamage. Coyotes, on the other hand,usually go for the throat.

Attacks by dogs may appear to bedone as a sport rather than as ameans of survival. Dogs often killseveral or all of the livestock in anarea or pen and may abandon theirkill without feeding on it.

Dogs will chew on legs, ears andtails and often mangle the animalsrather than killing them. Coyotesusually will kill only one animal andwill take it off to be eaten.

Most dogs that cause damagebelong to someone. Never dismissdogs as a potential predator just

because you haven’t observed feraldogs in the area. The attacker couldvery likely be a neighborhood dog oreven the family pet.

The coyote’s scientific nameis Canis latrans, which comesfrom canis, the Latin wordfor dog, and latrans, the Latinword for barker. The com-mon name is from the AztecIndian word coyotl.

Coyote dietA study of Missouri coyotesshowed that they eat a variety offood. Here is a list of what wasfound in the stomach of 770coyotes and the percentage byvolume:

Rabbits ............................53.7%Poultry .............................11.3%Livestock ...........................8.9%Mice and rats ...................8.7%Other wild animals ........7.5%Carrion ...............................5.8%Plants .................................2.0%Insects ................................0.8%Miscellaneous .................0.8%Wild birds ..........................0.5%— FROM The Wild Mammals of Missouri

BY CHARLES AND ELIZABETH SCHWARTZ

Coyotes help farmers by keeping downthe populations of mice and rats.

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any Missourians protect theirlivestock with the help of guard

animals. There are advantages anddisadvantages to using each type ofguard animal. The following infor-mation should help livestock pro-ducers decide if an animal would bea valuable asset to their operation.

Guard dogsTrained dogs have been used to pro-tect sheep and goats from predatorsfor many centuries in Europe andAsia. However, acquiring a dog usu-ally is not a quick solution to a pred-ator problem.

Training a puppy to become amature and effective guardianrequires considerable time, effortand good fortune. In spite of a lot oftime spent in training, some dogswill never be effective at stoppingpredators. In some cases, a dog maybe all that is necessary. In others,dogs may be used to supplementelectric fencing, trapping, hunting orother forms of control.

It is important to understand thedistinction between herding dogsand guard dogs. Herding dogs workaccording to verbal and hand signalsfrom a handler, and they are gener-ally not left alone with livestock.Guard dogs usually do not herd.They are discouraged from biting,

chasing and barking atlivestock, and they actindependently of people.

An ideal guard dog isintelligent,alert andconfident. Itmust act inde-pendently andinstinctivelywhile pro-tecting theflock or herd. Itshould inves-tigate and aggres-sively confrontintruders. Aboveall, the dog must beattentive to livestockand not harm them.

When selecting apuppy, look for one thatappears self-confident andalert. Also check the parents to see ifthey have the temperament of agood guard dog. Studies have shownthat a dog’s general temperamentcan be assessed at six to eight weeksof age.

Pups that make the best guarddogs bark as an expression of aggres-siveness and suspicion, but not fear.A dog that is shy around people mayshow appropriate aggression topredators and have a strong bondwith livestock, but the chances forsuccess are probably greater byselecting a self-confident pup.

Studies also indicate that there isno difference between the success ofmale and female pups. However, toavoid future problems, the sex of thedog might be a consideration if sev-eral dogs are to be used.

Neutering usually is beneficialand should be done at six months ofage for females and nine months formales. There is no indication thatneutering is detrimental to a dog’sability to guard. It does, however,eliminate problems, such as attract-ing free-running dogs to a guard dogin heat or a male guard dog runningoff when a nearby dog is in heat.

Removing a female to a kennelduring heat periods, pregnancy,whelping and nursing also dimin-ishes the time the dog is available toprotect livestock.

Training and careFirst-time guard dog owners shouldbegin with a single pup. If additionaldogs are needed because ofincreased predation, topography orpasture habitat, they can be addedlater. However, if more than one pupat a time is being trained, it is impor-tant to raise them separately so theydon’t bond with each other andignore the livestock.

To channel the pup’s naturalinstincts into the desired character-istics of a mature guard dog, a bondmust be established between the pupand the livestock. The optimum ageto begin a continuous associationwith the livestock is between sevenand eight weeks.

Socialization in dogs is a develop-mental phase during which perma-nent emotional attachments are eas-ily and quickly formed. Thesocialization process begins as earlyas three weeks, peaks at six to eightweeks, and often levels off at 12weeks. A dog left in a kennel beyondthis time may be permanently shyand have difficulty adjusting to laterchanges in its environment.

The ideal place to rear a guarddog pup is in a small, well-constructed pen or corral. If the pupcannot escape, the bond with the

TYPES OF GUARD ANIMALS

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A large guard dog often intimatesthe much smaller coyote. Popularbreeds of guard dogs include GreatPyrenees, Komondors, Anatoliansheperds and Akbashes.

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livestock develops more easily, andthe urge to return to the kennel or tobe around people diminishes.

The pup’s training pen should beabout 150 square feet and made toexpand as the dog grows. The penshould contain three to six animalsthat you want to protect, preferablyyoung ones. If young animals are notavailable, pick ones that will not beaggressive toward the young pup. Itis ideal to rotate a number of animalsthrough the pen to expose the dog tothe livestock it live with and guard.

The pen should contain a smallarea from which the livestock isrestricted. Wooden or wire panelsthat the dog can crawl through, butthe livestock cannot, should be usedto partition this area from the rest ofthe pen. The dog’s food and sheltershould be placed in this restrictedarea. It is desirable to have the waterin an area common to both the pupand the livestock to force some min-gling.

The pup should be checked sev-eral times a day for the first few daysand then at least daily thereafter toensure that it can find food andwater easily and that the livestockand dog are interacting properly.During these daily checks it is per-missible to pat the dog, but avoidexcessive handling. During thissocialization process, the emphasis ison the dog-to-livestockassociation.The dog-to-human asso-ciation shouldbe minimized.

Some dogbreeders allow four-week-old litters to bein the company ofyoung lambs withgood results.Body contactbetween thedog and sheepenhances theformation of astrong bond. Separ-ating litter mates after seven weeksis desirable because the lone pupseeks companionship from thesheep. After the pup is at least 16

weeks old and has been exposed tothe initial socialization period, it canbe put into a larger area or with therest of the flock in a pasture.

After training, some dogs displaya greater sense of responsibilitywhen they are moved from a smallbarn or pen to a large pasture withthe livestock, but others may need to

be closely monitored. Some pupsmay not stay in one pasture, but mayreadily stay in another. Other dogshave difficulty in adjusting to fre-quent moves to different pastures.Each dog is different, and there areno guarantees.

The level of human contact willvary with each dog according to itstemperament. A young dog shouldbe visited daily in the pasture. Thiswill provide the opportunity toobserve its health and briefly praiseit for remaining with the livestock.This also is the time to bring thedog’s food and fresh water. A dog

house or simple shelter shouldbe provided that will keep

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the dog and its food from beingexposed to the weather.

As the dog matures, less contact isrequired; but too little contact cancause a dog to be shy and fearful ofpeople. This will cause difficulties inhandling and controlling the dog. Inalmost all operations, handling andcontrolling the dog is essential.

First and foremost, a guard dog isa working animal and should betreated as such. The dog, however,should understand what “no”means. It should be taught to comewhen it is called or at least remainstill so it can be caught. Having con-trol over the dog allows the livestockproducer to care for the health of thedog and to have the dog come if it orthe livestock are in danger.

In some instances a verbal rep-rimand is not sufficient to get a dog’sattention. A light swat with a rolledup newspaper may be in order. Theintent is to get the dog’s attention,not hurt it. Once a correction isgiven, the dog should be shown thecorrect and desired behavior, thenpraised when it responds properly.The handler should follow a rep-rimand with a pleasurable expe-rience or reward. For punishment tobe effective, it must be given withinseconds of the undesired behavior.Reprimands given hours or evenminutes after a misdeed hasoccurred are meaningless to the dog.Training should continue as the dogmatures, but formal training needonly persist as long as it is necessary.

LambingBefore, during and immediately afterlambing, the playful behavior ofyoung dogs often upsets ewes, whoare more defensive and subject tostress during this time. It is best atthis time to keep young or immaturedogs from direct contact with theewes. If possible, keep the dogs in anadjacent area to maintain some con-tact with the sheep.

Once lambing is completed andthe ewes and lambs have beenturned into mixing pens and are“mothered up,” the dog can bebrought back into the pen for shortperiods of time. Lambs quickly

become accustomed to the dog, andthe ewes soon learn that the dogposes no threat. If the dog actscalmly, it can be left alone with thesheep for longer periods of time untilit remains with them permanently.

Once the dog experiences a lamb-ing season and proves it can behavecorrectly, it may be allowed freeaccess to the entire lambing opera-tion. Owners report that some guard-ing dogs take a great deal of interestin lambing, protecting lambs frominclement weather, and even assist-ing the ewe in cleaning newbornlambs.

Most dogs will eat sheep after-birth and tails. This does not seem tocause a dog to be more inclined tokill sheep, but it may result in somedogs becoming possessive of deadlivestock. It is best to remove deadsheep carcasses and not allow dogsto feed on them. There also are somepotential parasitic and bacterialhealth hazards associated with dogseating sheep carcasses. In addition,the presence of sheep carcasses mayattract predators.

CalvingWhile there is limited informationavailable on using guard dog during

Potential benefitswith using guard dogsA good guard dog that is wellsupervised can:➤ reduce predation.➤ reduce labor that was pre-

viously required to confine orcorral sheep at night.

➤ make more efficient use of pas-tures and improve the condi-tion of sheep if night confine-ment is no longer needed.

➤ increase the use of acres wherepredators used to make grazingprohibitive.

➤ provide the opportunity toincrease the size of the flock orherd if more acres are free ofpredators.

➤ alert owner to predator andother disturbances near thelivestock.

➤ increase the owner’s self-reliance in managing predatorproblem.

➤ provide protection for familymembers and farm property.

Potential problemswith using guard dogsGuard dogs require training andsupervision, but there are no guar-antees that their temperament willallow them to be a good guarddog. Even a trained dog must besupervised because they may:➤ harass livestock resulting in

injury or death.➤ be overly aggressive to people.➤ harass wildlife or other livestock.➤ destroy property.➤ be subject to illness, injury or

premature death.➤ roam beyond farm boundaries

causing problems with neigh-bors.

➤ interfere when livestock aremoved or interfere with herddog.

➤ affect the use of other predatormethods.

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calving, several Missouri cattle pro-ducers have reported good results.Guard dogs seem to cause no threatto cows or calves and have beenobserved warding off other dogs andpredators during the calving process.The isolation of cows from the herdduring calving, however, can dimin-ish the dog’s effectiveness to guardthe entire herd. Using more than onedog may be necessary during calvingseason.

When problems arisePredation may occur even with aguard dog at work. Wheneverthis happens, livestock pro-ducers should first determinewhether the dog was involvedin the killing. Check the dogfor blood around its face.Also check the carcass tosee if it has been chewedon. Suspect the dog untilit is clear that it was not atfault. Studies indicate that14 percent of all guard dogshave been known to injure or killsheep.

Research and practical experiencehave shown that a good guard dogeffectively reduces predation bycoyotes and domestic dogs. Coyotes

are about one-fourth the size of adultguard dogs and usually will avoid adirect encounter with the larger ani-mals. Encounters between guarddogs and intruding dogs are differ-ent. Whereas most coyotes will avoida confrontation, intruding dogs mayspend time smelling and posturingaround the guard dog. Fights mayoccur, but more likely the intrudingdog will leave after a brief period ofinvestigation. Occasionally, guarddogs join intruding dogs and attacktheir own herd.

Guard donkeysand mulesAnother method of protecting live-stock from predators is to introduceguard donkeys or mules. Their use isbased on two theories: Donkeys andmules naturally hate dogs, are notafraid of them and love to intimidatethem; and these sociable animals willassociate with other species in theabsence of their own kind.

Donkeys and mules are just likepeople when it comes to per-sonalities. Some will work hard,some will hardly work, and some

won’t work at all. Although there areno guarantees as to which ones willeffectively guard livestock, the oddsmay be improved by purchasing ani-mals that have been trained to asso-ciate with livestock. When buyingbonded donkeys, expect to pay from$200 to $400. Untrained stockyarddonkeys will cost from $35 to $75,and may have to be culled later.

Female donkeys, or jennies, arethe easiest to work with. Jennieshave shown to be gentler with sheepand more aggressive toward dogs,especially while they are nursingfoals. Mare mules, castrated jacks,intact jacks and horse mules also canbe used, but often times are moreaggressive toward the livestock.

Training and careFor best results, introduce one don-key to a group of sheep or livestockin a pasture smaller than 80 acres. Itis difficult for one donkey to patrollarger areas. Once livestock get usedto a particular donkey, they will seekits protection when something fright-ening enters the pasture.

Avoid placing donkeys in adjoin-ing pastures because they will visit

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across the fence instead of tending tothe flock or herd. Solid fences are amust. Donkeys will jump cattleguards and find any hole or weakspot in the fence to get to a nearbydonkey.

Low maintenance is a big advan-tage in owning a guard donkey.

These animals often live 20 to 25years with their most productiveyears between the ages of 3 and 12.Maintenance includes only occa-sional hoof trimming and perhapsfiling their teeth. Donkeys eat whatthe sheep eat and require no specialfoods.

To condition the donkey to feelmore like a part of the herd or flock,it is a good idea to feed it somethingeach time the animals it is guardingare fed. This causes a donkey to real-ize that if it stays close to the flock orherd, it will never miss a meal. Donot feed donkeys near barns, build-

In addition to routine veterinary careand husbandry practices, effectiveguard donkey performance guide-lines are as follows:

➤ Select donkeys from medium tolarge size stock. Do not useextremely small or miniature don-keys.

➤ Do not acquire a donkey that can-not be culled or sold if it fails toperform properly.

➤ Use jennies and geldings. Jacksare usually too aggressive.

➤ Test a new donkey’s guardingresponse by challenging the don-key with a dog in a corral or smallpasture.

➤ Use only one donkey or jenny andfoal per pasture.

➤ Isolate guard donkeys fromhorses, mules and other donkeys.

➤ To increase probability of bond-ing, donkeys should be raisedfrom birth or placed at weaningwith livestock.

➤ Raise guard donkeys away fromdogs. Avoid or limit the use of

herding dogs around donkeys.➤ Monitor the use of guard donkeys

at lambing, calving or kidding assome may be aggressive to new-borns or overly possessive.Remove the guard animals for aperiod of time if necessary.

➤ Use donkeys in open pastureswith no more than 200 head ofsheep, goats or cattle for bestresults. Large pastures, rough ter-rain, dense brush and too large aherd lessen the effectiveness ofguard donkeys.

Tips on using guard donkeys or mules

Good, solid fencing is important tokeep a guard donkey with its herdor flock.

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ings or corrals. You want the donkeyto feed and graze with the livestockall day.

Also, never overfeed a donkey.Excess weight results in decreasedefficiency and laziness. If kept ingood condition, donkeys are quiteagile and capable of chasing pred-ators. As with guard dogs, removedonkeys during lambing and calv-ing, particularly if the animals areconfined, as a precaution againstaccidental or intentional injuries tothe young or disruption of themother to offspring bond.

There is limited scientific lit-erature available on the use of don-keys as guardians of sheep, cattleand goats against predators. A largenumber of herd owners, however,are finding them extremely effectivein predator control. Low costs andcompatibility with other predatorcontrol methods contribute to thepopularity of the animal.

Many livestock owners have hadexcellent results and have been verypleased with guard donkeys, buttheir use does involve some man-

agement. It would not be fair to sim-ply place a donkey in with a flock ofsheep or herd of cattle and expectthings to just take their course.Common sense management isessential to succeed with guard don-keys.

Guard llamasLlamas are aggressive toward bothdogs and coyotes and are the mostrecent guard animal to be used forpredator control. After spotting anintruder, most llamas give an alarmcall, then walk or run toward the ani-mal chasing it, kicking and pawing,and at times killing it. Nearly 70 per-cent of guard llamas are geldingmales that cost from $300 to $800.Intact males cost around $100 less.Females are effective as guard ani-mals, too, but they usually cost more.

At these prices, guard llamas areexpensive initially, however, theirlongevity of 12 to 18 years and theirusefulness as a guard animal makethe price reasonable over time.

Additionally, llamas are easy tohandle and usually can be trained ina matter of a few days. A study atthe University of Iowa using llamasas a part of integrated sheep pro-tection, revealed that 95 percent ofall llamas are effective guard ani-mals.

Nearly all llamas in the Iowastudy had no experience with sheepbefore being introduced into theflock they were to protect. The lla-mas averaged 2 years of age whenintroduced to sheep, but most werebetween 6 and 11 months. Llamabreeders traditionally wean off-spring at 6 to 8 months of age andcastrate males at 6 to 24 months ofage.

Training and careLlamas can be introduced to small or

While the initial cost of llamas may be high, their long-term costis low, they require little care and they bond easily with a flock.

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large flocks. When first put in a pas-ture with sheep or goats, the llamawill be either curious or neutraltoward its new companions, whilethe sheep are either neutral or afraid.In the Iowa study the initial adjust-ment period usually lasted only afew hours for most llamas, andnearly 80 percent adjust within aweek. Many producers report thatguard llamas show intense interestand attachment to young lambs.

Once a llama becomes familiarwith an area and is attached to thesheep, the pasture becomes thellama’s territory and the flockbecomes the llama’s family group.Even for the gelded llama, theseinnate behaviors remain.

Guard llamas are not passivebystanders. They are active leadersand protectors of their flocks. Duringdaily movements of a flock, llamasmay take the front position to leadthe sheep, walk and graze in theirmidst, or trail at their heels.

Multiple guard llamas work insome cases, but overall, the Iowastudy showed that predation washigher in flocks with more than onellama. This group experienced 7 per-cent loss to predators compared with1 percent loss in flocks protected byone llama.

The study also showed that intro-ducing a llama to a flock in a corralresulted in less predation than thosethat were first placed in an openfield with their new flock. It doesn’tseem to make any difference in thebonding whether the sheep have

lambs or not. Llamas often play withlambs without harming them.

Llamas do not require much atten-tion. A 250-pound gelded llama typ-ically consumes 7 to 10 pounds ofgood grass hay per day. Granular orblock mineral supplement and accessto fresh water should be made avail-able. Grain is not necessary. Llamastypically don’t bloat, even with asudden change of pasture or hay.

Even though the Iowa studydidn’t involve the use of llamas asguard animals with cattle, many Mis-souri cattle producers use them withproductive results. The llamas seemto bond with the cattle just as easilyas they do with sheep or goats.

Multi-species grazingStocking pastures or ranges withmore than one animal species isanother method of protecting live-stock from predators. This multi-species grazing often contributes to amore uniform and complete use ofthe available forage, while providinga higher net return to the producer.Cattle prefer grass, sheep preferweeds, and goats prefer shrubs andtrees. However, when unbonded cat-tle, sheep and goats are placedtogether on the same pasture orrange, they seldom graze or browsetogether and often suffer losses topredators.

Nursing calves are seldom killedby predators unless they becomeseparated from their mothers. This is

probably due to the aggressivenessof mother cows toward canines.Therefore, if sheep and goats stayclose to cattle, they may receive pro-tection. A study conducted by theUSDA Research Service indicatedthat lambs penned in close confine-ment with five cattle for 60 daysbonded with the cattle.

When the lambs and cattle wereturned out to pasture, the lambs con-sistently followed the cattle; andnone were lost to predation in anarea with a history of losses to pred-ators. To verify the bonding process,nonbonded lambs also were turnedout into the same pasture. They werekilled by coyotes at the rate of oneevery five days. None of the bondedlambs were lost.

Group reactionsSubsequent studies have shown thatwhen a dog threatens bonded lambs,the lambs run and huddle among thecattle. Conversely, nonbonded sheeprun away from the protection of thecattle when threatened. Therefore,protection appears to be due to bothaffinity of sheep to cattle and intim-idation and aggression by cattletoward threatening canines. Aggres-sion by cattle also can cause negativeeffects. If the cattle are persistentlyaggressive toward the lambs duringclose confinement, bonding may bedelayed or even prevented.

Angora kid goats also have beenconfined with cattle in an attempt toproduce a goat-cattle bond. USDAstudies indicate that kid goats usu-ally follow cattle, but there were fre-quent separations.

When kid goats were confinedwith cattle for a short period of time,they formed an attachment to thecattle and consistently stayed withthem. The animals stayed together,forming a multi-species livestockgroup, which is called a flerd.

The researchers also compared theincidence of predation in the non-bonded group of kid goats and cattlewith the bonded group of kid goats,sheep and cattle. The results indi-cated that coyotes took several kidsin the cattle-goat herd. This wasattributed to the goats frequency sep-arating from the cattle.

Potential Benefits to using guard llamas➤ Most llamas require a few days or less to bond with livestock.➤ One gelded male llama often can protect 300 sheep on 300 acres.➤ Predator loss may be reduced to as low as 1 percent.➤ In spite of the initial cost, llamas may save livestock producers money

in the long run.➤ Llamas are very protective of livestock and are easy to maintain.

Potential problems with using guard llamas➤ Veterinarians with the expertise in treating llamas may be difficult to

find.➤ Initial cost is high.

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No animals were lost in the goat-sheep-cattle bonded group during anadditional 163 day test period. Whenguard dogs were added to the flerd,only one sick sheep that haddropped out of the flerd was lostover a two-year period. According tothe study, the best biological methodfor protecting livestock from pred-ators is to bond sheep and goats tocattle and to use a guard animal.

Feeding habitsAccording to the USDA study, sheepand goats that have bonded with cat-tle tend to eat slightly more grass,fewer forbs and fewer shrubs thanthe nonbonded sheep and goats.That doesn’t change the benefits ofmulti-species stocking, but empha-sizes the need for further research todetermine the effects of behavior innutrition on free-ranging livestock.

Several unsuccessful attemptshave been made to bond lambs tocattle in a pasture rather than in a

pen. The obvious advantages to thissystem would be labor- and feed-saving costs. This type of bondingdoesn’t work because the ewes tendto separate from the flerd, whichleads to predator losses.

The only successful alternative isto gather the ewes and lambs as soonas possible after birth and maintainthem in a safe environment forapproximately two weeks. Bondedewes can then be returned with theirlambs to the flerd. When the lambsreach an age of approximately five

months, the ewes can be removedfrom the flerd for one week to ter-minate lactation. When the ewesreturn to the flock, the lambs stillwill recognize and stay with theirmothers, but lactation will havestopped. After about one year, thelambs should function satisfactorilyas an integral part of the flerd. TheUSDA studies found that yearlingewes that had no previous associa-tion with cattle develop an attractionafter a period of confinement.

Multi-species grazing often contributes to amore uniform use of forage and provides ahigher net return to the producer. The bondedanimals also are less likely to be preyed uponby dogs and coyotes.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

issouri Department of Con-servation’s wildlife damage

control section has a team of expertsready to help with predator andother wildlife damage problems.Through this program, trained wild-life damage biologists and conserva-tion agents work with farmers,ranchers and landowners to controlor solve immediate problems, and toprevent future damage.

If a problem arises, first contactthe local conservation agent for assis-tance. If the agent cannot resolve theissue, a wildlife damage biologistwill be notified. These experts willdiscuss various nonlethal or lethalcontrol methods and advise the bestapproach to solving the problem.They also can show how to use spe-cialized equipment, such as traps.

For more information on usingguard animals, contact the following:

Guard dogs

The Komondor Club of America Inc.Sandra HansonW. 359 S10708 Nature RoadEagle, WI 53119

Great Pyrenees Club of AmericaJudy Brown3360 Jackson DriveJackson, WI 53037

Maremma Sheepdog Clubof America

George McClellanP.O. Box 546Lake Odessa, MI 48849

Polish Tatra Sheepdog Clubof America

Bill SchrangeP.O. Box 1265Spokane, WA 99210

Guard donkeys and mules

American Mule AssociationRoxy McIntosh, Secretary6725 Union RoadPaso Robles, CA 93446

American Donkey and Mule SocietyP.O. Box 1210Lewisville, TX 75067

American Council of Spotted AssesJohn Conter, President2126 Fairview PlaceBillings, MT 59102

Guard llamas

International Llama Association2755 S. Locust St. #114Denver, CO 80123303/756-9004

Rocky Mountain Llamaand Alpaca Association

P.O. Box 1189Lyons, CO 80540303/823-5409

Llama Association of North America1800 S. Obenchain RoadEagle Point, OR 97524541/826-5262

Greater Appalachian LlamaAssociation

P.O. Box 6992Harrisburg, PA 17112-0992410/592-7050

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