Any ideas on a guard animal?

[RoyalHillsLLC]

I started raising birds this spring. I have various bantams, 4 muscovies, and 1 guinea. We never hear the predator when they get one of our birds. I thought sure the guinea would be a great help in that department, but I even was watching a coon eat one of my ducks with the chickens and guinea standing a few feet away not saying a word (Of course I offed the coon next). I have a lot of cottontails that live in my yard and associate with the birds every day, and I don't want that to end that either so I don't want a dog.
I am losing a lot of birds to predation and can't seem to slow it down for more than a few weeks when I trap a lot. This week I have lost two ducks and another small bantam hen, all in the daytime while they are free ranging. I have a secure enough pen I have stopped the predation at night.
Now to figure out daytime help.
I live in a rural, wooded area with a lot of coyotes, bobcats, foxes, coons, etc. I seem to catch most of the marauding coons after they eat one or two birds, but I don't know what got several of the ones that disappeared into thin air (hawks?).
Any ideas on good guard animals that won't chase off the rabbits and deer?

 

[broncbuster07]

Geese are good guard birds! A great pyranese or comador are good watch dogs. Also, if you'll put up a fake hawk or owl somewhere around, it should deterr the real ones.

 

[RoyalHillsLLC]

Are goslings as messy to raise as ducklings?

 

[bayouchica]

HI so sorry you're having problems over there.
I believe some folks on here have donkeys or goats.
Miriam

 

[Frozen Feathers]

A female donkey will kick the heck out of any predator.

I know of one meat goat herder in Texas who uses them to protect their goats.

Goats are great for small predators, like hawks and skunks and coons, but they are lunch for a coyote. If you want the ultimate guard animal, a female standard size donkey. Hey, you could adopt a burro from the BLM

 

[prariechiken]

Birds "vanishing" into thin air...sounds alot like a fox, and they are tricky buggers to trap too..smart critters...GP dogs are good, and also heard alot of great things about Anatolian Shepherds, gotta neighbor who swears by them, they have not only detered his coyotes from his goats, but have even tangled with and killed a couple...