The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Hillview Farm on February 23, 2014, 09:46:05 am
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Ok so on the 13th Feb I had my sheep mauled by a dog that strayed into my field by jumping the fence (no footpaths)
Any suggestions as to how we can protect our sheep apart from getting a gun? will alpaca's chase off a dog? Anyone know of any cattle breeds that are aggressive towards dogs?
Thanks ;D
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my mule attacks all dogs with a passion. shes a sweetheart with humans but id thoroughly recommend a mule for actively seeking and trampling any unwanted dogs. its a common mule trait.
i mean the donkey type, not the sheep.
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Do you think they will live happily with sheep?
Any idea as to where I could find one? We are in surrey but will travel!
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I don't know if mules are like other equines but if so, then presumeably you'd need two ;) Plus, some ponies are pretty aggressive towards sheep, and I certainly wouldn't want teeny lambs in a field with those great hooved feet :o
People do use llamas and alpacas as guards against foxes and some do say they are very effective. I understand that they can be aggressive towards people too, which may be a good thing if your land is completely private, without rights of way etc. One would assume they'd chase dogs off too, but maybe best to go and have a trawl through the threads in the camelids board - I'm sure this will have been discussed before.
If we had larger areas, ring-fenced, I'd have been experimenting with Livestock Guardian dogs before now - Maremmas and the like. But where I am it's not feasible; it's relatively small fields, other people's ground all around (and in one or two cases, in between), public footpaths and two roads running through. It might work for you though?
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Top the fence with an electric wire.
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Oh, I meant to say - some cattle might be aggressive towards dogs, yes, but the kind of dogs who did that to your sheep :hug: would be likely to take the beasts on, I'd have thought. Actually, the same might apply with llamas :thinking: - maybe you do need equine hard hooves!
CF's idea of an electric fence may be your best plan. Good one, CF :thumbsup:
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Well we have top wire electric off the mains and the hunt's hounds still get into the field so not really protection...
In order to get a zap you/animal etc needs to be in contact with the earth, so a dog flying across will not really feel anything.
However I have seen Alpacas chase foxes, but not sure about dogs.
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i would say you would need a pair but mine is only 12hh so they dont need to be big. could maybe share with a pony as a companion?
try horse sales or the donkey sanctuary for rehoming? mine was very cheap so dont pay alot. (some donkeys go for alot of money)
i suppose grass for sheep may be too rich for little equines, depends on your farm i suppose.
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Found someone looking to regime a mule and speaking to someone about a pair of donkeys. I could always get a companion for the mule and will try the donkey sant!
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It seems that in the US guard donkeys are quite common, and very effective.
I have two donkeys, and while they happily graze with my sheep, they still do not like my dog...
Just did a quick search on info on guard donkeys:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/guard-donkey-zbcz1310.aspx (http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/guard-donkey-zbcz1310.aspx)
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/guard-donkeys.aspx (http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/guard-donkeys.aspx)
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A friend of ours had an alpaca to defend her Jacob sheep from dogs. It did, but it also did its best to kill my friends pet dogs too, one of which was a great dane, so not a matter of size. I think there can be other problems with alpacas too, of over exuberance and chasing the sheep around. Of course you need at least 2, they cost a fair old bit and unless you wanted them for themselves as well as to defend your sheep they wouldn't be a good bet. The same would go for donkeys and mules I would think, and they live for...er...donkeys years :D
It sounds as if between dogs attacking sheep and rustlers stealing them there are big problems in some areas. Have you checked over your fences for entry points and made sure they are extra tall? Check under gates too, and at the hinges, where there's often a gap big enough for a dog to squeeze through. We have double fencing with hedges in between, but gates are the weak point. Also very small dogs can get through sheep mesh, and bigger dogs can scrabble or jump over. As it's likely to be the same dog, a gun might well be the answer. If the attacking dog had fun then it will be back soon so keep your eyes skinned.
I hate barbed wire and have removed any which was here when we bought the place. It doesn't stop an excited dog from jumping over, just rips its belly which is plain cruel. I don't think such an injury would stop the dog from attacking your sheep. I can't think of anything which is stopped by barbed wire except me :o
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Llamas and Alpacas make great defendants. Not great if you have footpaths through though but they definitely work. Wouldn't go down the donkey route. For a small flock, on small fields they can work well, but if you run a large flock or have rich grass they will more than likely get laminitis, so will spend all summer on a bare paddock or in a stable which renders them useless for guard purposes. They also don't like the wet, so either need rugging or good shelter or both during prolonged wet/cold spells.
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The other thing I forgot to mention, about alpacas, is that they themselves can be a target for thieves. A farm not too far from us got alpacas to protect the sheep, then found the alpacas were going missing (the sheep graze on open ground - unfenced roads) so had to secure the alpacas in in-bye fields. Now they have alpacas grazing their best ground and still no defence for the sheep ::)
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On the Malvern Hills they use Galloway cattle for conservation grazing, as the Malvern Hills Conservator reckons they'll see off dogs. Are you in a bTB high risk area? That's a consideration for keeping cattle and, indeed, camelids. Since they're not a food chain animal they're not tested as cattle are but I know several very experienced keepers that reckon bTB is now rife in the UK herd, and they've stopped showing their alpacas because of it.
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Good point, MF. There's a woman died of bTB, contracted from her alpacas. :(