best guard animal for lynx?

[Cattle dog Mom]

Have you tried an electric fence? (Wouldn't help with birds of prey obviously) But if it were tall enough and stout enough, it would make believers out of coyotes, lynx, etc.. (Larger ground predators.)

 

[tielie135]

Have you tried an electric fence? (Wouldn't help with birds of prey obviously) But if it were tall enough and stout enough, it would make believers out of coyotes, lynx, etc.. (Larger ground predators.)

yeah. honestly that is what i was starting to think. went years only loosing a couple birds then 2020 and 2021 have been slaughter.
the electric fence might work but in all this snow it wouldn't work to well and i have seen lynx jump 6 feet straight up.

 

[tielie135]

just thinking, how well do livestock guardian dogs work?

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

However, the first time, a lynx isn't going to know it is going to get the crap zapped out of it. (Coyotes can jump pretty high too.)
Winder is the toughest. Less natural prey and why should they look for natural prey when ducks are SO easy to catch? I would figure out a way to pen them up. You CAN make a pen that is predator proof for the size and species of predators you are dealing with. Maybe not 3/4 of an acre, but big enough that they will get by until spring when you can try the electric fence. Not having an easy meal might also make some of the predators look elsewhere.

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

just thinking, how well do livestock guardian dogs work?

They really need to grow up with birds from the time they are tiny puppies. (Before they are even old enough to go to their new homes.) Because they are STILL dogs. And WILL "get" birds" if they don't know not to. This is why GOOD LGD breeders have their puppies and their mothers out with the animals EARLY. And even with a dog, you are STILL likely to have issues with birds of prey. A dog can only do so much. And if the birds are spread out over 3/4 of an acre, a hawk can get one and be gone before a dog could even get there. Dogs don't really pay much attention to birds (high flying birds,) that I have ever seen anyway. Though just the presence of a large dog may deter a hawk. A dog (puppy) would also need to be watched closely for a while, unless you were able to find an adult that has been used with birds. All LGD's are NOT created equal! You can't just get a dog of a LGD breed and plunk it out with any animal and expect it to go well. It doesn't work like that. (I know someone that though it was that easy. The LGD's killed all of their chickens.)

 

[tielie135]

However, the first time a lynx isn't going to know it is going to get the crap zapped out of it.
Winder is the toughest. Less natural prey and why should they look for natural prey when ducks are SO easy to catch? I would figure out a way to pen them up. You CAN make a pen that is predator proof for the size and species of predators you are dealing with. Maybe not 3/4 of an acre, but big enough that they will get by until spring when you can try the electric fence. Not having an easy meal might also make some of the predators look elsewhere.

that is a good idea. i will see what i can do, maybe i can figure something out.

 

[Geena]

I think a predator proof pen is probably your best option. A donkey, goat, llama or dog is probably going to spend most of their time trying to keep warm in the snow and -40, and not do a whole lot of guarding anyway. Wolves and coyotes might just kill them as well. Plus you'd then need to provide additional shelter, food and water for the guard animal, you might as well spend that time, effort and money on building a smaller solid run for the ducks instead.

 

[cmom]

http://www.plamondon.com/wp/faq-simple-electric-fences-chickens/