English Shepherd as Poultry Guardian

[WildCatRunWV]

He weighs 45-50lbs. He has no formal training but is learning to help with our goats and is good with the chickens. We've only had stock since beginning of summer so we are all still learning.

 

[scottcaddy]

Will you need a 3rd dog to help cover the home front while Ben is on road trips?
Scott

 

[centrarchid]

Currently we can get by with zero. Pens and fencing very tight.

 

[centrarchid]

He weighs 45-50lbs. He has no formal training but is learning to help with our goats and is good with the chickens. We've only had stock since beginning of summer so we are all still learning.

Are your dogs effective at repelling coyotes? My understanding is you are in the zone where coyotes are intergressed with gray wolf making for a bigger and more pack oriented animal. My shepherd is just now the size of a large male coyote and needs to be a good ten pounds heavier for good measure. I do not think that will be realized with him still being in good working trim. It is very clear this will require three English Shepherds where I could get away with two German Pointers.


My shepherd is being tasked with being an educational tool. He will be trained to do many things that do not directly involve stock animals for public display. If I can he will be trained to work a small number of sheep and goats by helping me rotate them between paddocks. This fall we will also do a little coon hunting off property.

 

[aart]

... It is very clear this will require three English Shepherds where I could get away with two German Pointers......

Isn't it a little early to come to this conclusion.....and it is really the breed, or more individuals?
Ben's still young....and even Lucy is relearning a role/duties.
Hard to fill Scoobs 'shoes'.

 

[WildCatRunWV]

We do have a very large coyote population around us. We hear them nightly.

I don't want to speak too soon but I haven't lost any of my stock to them yet. We free range our chickens and nigerian dwarf goats. I shut them up in the coop and barn each night. Our dogs are very territorial. They mark the perimeter every morning and I can tell by their barking when it's a deer vs a coyote causing the alarm. However, I live in an area with many types of wild prey available for the coyotes. We are over run with deer, rabbits, grouse and other forms of food for the coyotes. So this winter will be telling as to how well my English shepherds do at protecting the stock. But I do not intend to get another dog. I would get a donkey maybe. I'm not planning on it though, I think my dogs will do fine.

 

[enola]

I had a 3 legged, 45 pound Australian Shepherd that whooped a male Dalmation when he attempted to attack me. She met him head on, flipped him and went right for the throat. He was in good physical shape and probably out weighed her by 10 pounds. He was the neighborhood bully for about 3 years, until he met Star.

What he may appear to lack in braun, he will make up for in brains.

 

[centrarchid]

I very much do not want a fair fight between my dogs and coyotes. An outright stomping each and every time plus a very strong display before hand is a must. The coyotes are not likely to distracted by a soft target and will attempt to lure a dog out of position where not enough size in dog will make for dog having a tough time.

 

[enola]

What I attempted to illustrate was that a physically impaired 45 pound Australian Shepherd out maneuvered a dog that was used to fighting the neighborhood dogs and winning evey time. Australian Shepherds and English Sheherds are very similar dogs.

I agree, I wouldn't want a "fair" fight, either. The whole purpose of having guard dogs is to have the upper hand over predators. I agree with Aart, you may be under estimating what your dog will be capable of. Especially with Lucy to back him up.

But, only time will tell.

 

[centrarchid]

The attempt does not work for me as we had Dalmations and they won many more scraps than they lost, even against shepherds. It is those times you loose where when against a wild dog the stakes will be higher.