I'm thinking about a mule/donkey to protect my chickens...

[jeepgirl13]

Llamas are the way to go for predator butt kicking. I've seen them stomp snakes and all kinds of vermin to death.

 

[slippednfell]

One day, they were sitting at the top of the hill watching out when the little donkey grabbed one sitting next to him, slammed him down and broke his neck killing him instantly. No more of those lol.

Oh my gosh, we had a horse that we were boarding kill my 4-H goat the same way! It chased it down, picked it up in its teeth and shook it, breaking my goat's neck. What the heck?!

Sorry for your both your losses.

Llamas are the way to go for predator butt kicking. I've seen them stomp snakes and all kinds of vermin to death.

Check out the american mule and donkey association for answers to all questions about longears:

They won't protect your chickens.

Thank you for the info. I've heard that they go after stray dogs, coyote and people haven't had a loss of their chickens when they have a donkey around.

Do some more research first. They can be great, but come with their own set of concerns. They need feed, hoof trimming, teeth floated, worming, shots, and that's if they are/stay healthy. Not something you just turn out in the pasture and they fend for themselves. Not cheap either.

I planned to do a good deal of research but wanted to hear from people first hand so I came to the experts

X2. My mini mule has tried to stomp chickens, but hasn't been fast enough to catch them. Ducks, unfortunately, she did connect with occasionally. Donkeys and mules protect their territory, not necessarily the animals in it; they may accept the ones that have been living there, but attack new ones as "invaders."

All of this.

Thank you for all the great info and advice.

 

[Northern Flights]

The only animal you might find somewhat useful as protection for chickens is a dog. But any dog can and often will kill hens.

Border collies, Aussie shepherds and many other intelligent breeds are rumored to be best but our current mutt has been a chicken's best friend, by far.

Foxes routinely outsmart him. Foxes are pan-dimensional beings and probably capable of space flight when we are aren't looking.

We used to have donkeys and a mule. Not once did any of them lift a hoof to protect anybody but themselves. They aren't dumb.

Best animals for protecting chickens are human.

 

[Northern Flights]

Our old neighbour had a Burnese mountain dog, supposedly a protector breed. It killed cats, chickens, small dogs and eventually tried to kill one of their kids before he dispatched it.

Another friend had a great pyrenees, yet another "protector" that blazed a similar path, taking many with it to an early grave.

Fact is dogs are what you make them, regardless of breed. And domesticated dogs are nowhere near as crafty as a wild canine that has to hunt for food, and is also food itself.

 

[Uff Da]

Our old neighbour had a Burnese mountain dog, supposedly a protector breed. It killed cats, chickens, small dogs and eventually tried to kill one of their kids before he dispatched it.

Another friend had a great pyrenees, yet another "protector" that blazed a similar path, taking many with it to an early grave.

Fact is dogs are what you make them, regardless of breed. And domesticated dogs are nowhere near as crafty as a wild canine that has to hunt for food, and is also food itself.

That's too bad. We have a nearby sheep ranch that has 11 Great Pyrenees. They aren't pets, that's for sure. They train them by putting them in with the sheep, 24/7, as little puppies. Several times a day they are walked around the perimeter. They aren't given any human affection, like petting. They learn basic commands, but human contact is kept to a minimum, so they bond with the sheep. As adults, they are friendly to people, but don't seek them out. The biggest problem they have is that sometimes the younger dogs wander once they are out in the wild. It's supposed to help to pair up a new dog with an older, experienced one to keep them from going off too far.

A few people around here try to keep them as pets and run into lots of trouble.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have a small herding dog that does a great job keeping coyotes off the property. She is a Sheltie, a Shetland Sheepdog or what some people call a miniature Collie. Our property is not fenced, but we are pretty isolated. She does not wander. Nobody fences dogs around here. I have seen her chase three coyotes off the property at once. She is fearless when it comes to protecting her property. She is also a pet. When she isn't lying on the front porch surveying her domain, she is at my feet. She sleeps next to my bed.

 

[Northern Flights]

We had a litter of shelties dropped off at the farm back in 1992 when we first started fostering. They were amazing when something nasty came over looking for dinner.

They used to work as a pack, circling and taking turns to dart in for a nip. I watched them tree a very hungry cougar like that. Fearless and fast, but they also liked to do the same thing to people sometimes! Lol.

 

[perchie.girl]

I think the best thing to consider is what are you most comfortable with.... I will be doing LGD... or a cross of some sort. Donkeys and Mules take an educated hand in handling or they will out smart you every time... Bunny lady is spot on ....

Llamas here are good are a good choice... Alpacas are much smaller and Dogs or Coyotes will gang up on them. They take some handling education as well... Their feet need to be trimmed and their diet needs some education.

My best suggestion is to provide excellent fencing including hotwire for the predators. And Dont expect to free range without your supervision... I have lost four flocks to predation.... so i have learned the hard way.... I also lost my last hen to a Coyote that took her not fifty feet from me...

Coop your chickens up at night....
Provide good stout fencing not just chicken wire.....
Hot wire both bottom and top of the fence.... I have mountain lions and bobcats.

Good luck keeping your flock safe

deb

 

[slippednfell]

Thank you all for your input! I greatly appreciate it!

I think other than having an electric fence at the moment, everything else is secure.

We live on 55 acres of mostly wooded land. Some neighbors let their dogs run wild and we have coyote and bobcats. Wild hogs are also not uncommon. I could house a large animal but only reason I would want to is for flock protection. Since that isn't necessarily true, I am abandoning the idea of a mule/donkey.

I have two dogs (one is a wolf hybrid and the other a Brittany mix) and the next one we get is going to be a German Shepherd, so getting another dog to guard the flock is out.

I will look into hot wiring the perimeter of the run instead.

I appreciate all of you taking the time to provide me with your input.

 

[slippednfell]

I've had donkeys for decades. They have done a decent job keeping most predators at bay here for the past 20 years. We recently put down the old mom donkey due to age related problems. Her 2 boys haven't been as good at going after predators. Maybe they are still grieving their mom.

I would recommend a female for guarding. The males can sometimes go after critters. Mine have gone after the goats, and muscovy ducks in their younger days. I haven't had problems with them and the chickens. I sometimes see a chicken riding a donkey. One chicken would routinely roost on one during winter one year.

Donkeys will stomp any canines so if you have dogs you need to be careful.

Donkeys are a long term commitment, but are fairly easy to keep. They don't eat much, and don't require fancy stuff like grain or alfalfa. Good pasture and grass hay will keep them fat, maybe too fat. They do need regular hoof care. Otherwise they are pretty simple.

They aren't like horses. So working with them is different. They are intelligent critters, who need gentle handling. They will never forget cruel handling.

If your set up is right they could help with predators. Not every donkey does the job well or consistently, so be sure you actually want the donkeys, yes get 2 or they will horribly lonely.

Thank you very much for the insight.