Have you ever had a guard animal for your poultry (etc)?

[The Funky Chicken Dunce]

What was it and how effective would you say it was?

thanks.

 

[AKsmama]

Plenty of people here have livestock guardian dogs (and lots of dogs that aren't necessarily known LGD breeds) for their flocks/herds/property. I myself have a 4 month old Great Pyrenees we got for that very purpose. LGDs are the most common, but apparently you can use llamas and donkeys to guard animals as well, although I think that is more common for bigger animals like sheep and goats.

 

[purelypoultry]

It might depend on what your set up is. Are you in city, out in the country? Often people use dogs, Great Pyrenese especially. Other people find llamas good guardians as well. And even other people still use geese. They are really great at alerting the rest of the flock that an "intruder is afoot".

 

[hennyannie]

Our pasture is right behind the chicken runs and I do believe the horses and donkeys help keep sneak attackers away. Also our lab is nearby at night as well. I think they deter wild animals from visiting.

 

[BlossomSilkies]

After some raccoon attacks, we had a dog guard our chickens. He stayed out in the barn and was so sweet with them. They would all just hang around him and never hurt them and the raccoons stayed away.

That was my flock in Indiana. Now, we have a fort knox coop, so far so good, but my chickens cannot freerange due to the coyotes, bobcats, and hawks around the desert.

 

[Erica]

Wouldn't be without my working dog -- she's safe with even tiny chicks, but actively hunts rats, feral pigeons, monitor lizards, foxes and anything else that shouldn't be there.

I will admit, she's not very good at keeping away aerial predators like goshawks, which tend to strike fast and out of forest cover. But that's the only weakness.

Ever since a pup she's shown no interest in chickens or tiny chicks, whether caged or free range.

She was such a contrast to other dogs I've had that I just had to post about her... She's not a known livestock breed, by the way — a sheepdog of a very soft type, and very motherly (she also lactates for other dogs' puppies).

 

[FlipFlopFarmer]

I have a pasture that surrounds the area where my chickens are cooped and free range, and i have a lil pony molly mule that i have the intention of training to pull a cart who hates dogs, cats, and anything else that comes into her pasture. she stomped a wild tom cat to death about 6 months ago. she is sweet and personable and never looks twice at my chickens, but she is hell on hooves with anything else. I watch her closely when my lil fat nugget rat terrier is out at the barn with me, but to date, she seems to understand the nugget is not for stomping.

 

[hennyannie]

Our donkey is the same, only problem is we got her from someone that apparently didn't have any goats because she will do the same to them. We have a rat terrier as well and he learned very early to give her plenty of space!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

2 Great Pyr and adding atleast 1 donkey to the pasture this summer.

 

[GallusGal]

Our dogs are property guard dogs, and they are not good with chickens. However, I do firmly believe that the reason we haven't had any issues with anything trying to get into the coop is that the dogs are in the yard keeping out any animal that has its wits about it. They even keep birds from sneaking into the coop and stealing feed because they raise such a racket if one lands on or near the coop. I have never found a LIVE mammal of any sort not a predator in general in our yard, and they are fantastic rodent control. So while they may not be physically guarding the flock, they keep our yard and thus coop pest free.