Livestock guardian dogs

[centrarchid]

I, too, have a small property. I'm adopting a 4-yo what looks to be a collie/shepherd cross this weekend. The people she's coming from have 1.5 acres and have never had to put up a fence for her. I did research the cross, and they are supposedly quite amazing. I'll have to let everyone know how she is, because I can't afford fencing a property that I don't own, plus fences don't keep coons out.

Electrical poultry netting will keep raccoons out. I use that and dogs. It is not a one dimensional approach when it comes to predator management. It is not just dogs, dog breed, fence, poultry breed, forage base, or your husbandry / dog handling technique. It the combination of this.

 

[jtn42248]

ZAZOUSE I am not doing a direct quote of your post because I didn't want to duplicate all of your pictures...though they should be duplicated in many places.

You have a group of absolutely amazing dogs and it is evident that they more than earn their keep. Also you have some truly beautiful birds. Not to say the difference between where you are in SE Texas and where I am in West Central Texas. I am totally envious!!!

 

[MrsBachbach]

I have 1.7 acres in Florida, maybe about 1 acre fenced in the back where I keep chickens, ducks, rabbits and goats. 

I've lost 2 chickens to hawks and 4 ducks to raccoons ( I think ). 

I recently bought some guinea fowl to help with the hawks, but they are currently only a few days old.

I was looking at getting a dog.  My yard is fenced, but its not a great fence, they goats were always going into the neighbor's yard before I ran an electric wire on it, but it seems like that electric wire needs daily maintenance to make sure nothing fell on it to make it stop working.

I don't have a lot of money to spend, would a dog be a good way to protect my fowl and rabbits?  I was thinking a great Pyrenees, but maybe it would be too big and need too much food, so then I was thinking a border collie or Australian shepherd or Australian cattle dog.

suggestions?

Pyrenees don't eat alot of food. You do have to feed a growing pup more, but once grown, they don't eat much at all. Mine gets about a can and a half of a reg sized coffe can of kibble a day. An acre is plenty of room for a pyrenees and they do a great job of keeping those predators away. I would think a cattle dog or herding dog would get bored and possibly run your flock around. After all, they are herders.

 

[Phoenixxx]

Electrical poultry netting will keep raccoons out. I use that and dogs. It is not a one dimensional approach when it comes to predator management. It is not just dogs, dog breed, fence, poultry breed, forage base, or your husbandry / dog handling technique. It the combination of this.

I priced it out and it's like $500 for 100ft? (Can't remember the size, but nowhere near enough for an acre.) And I couldn't imagine trying to run the stuff through the wooded sections and the sections with uneven terrain... definitely not a viable solution for me. As for it keeping coons out, I doubt it - they're so darn clever I can't even trap them! They'd find a gap or a weak spot somewhere that they could exploit and go to town.

 

[jtn42248]

I priced it out and it's like $500 for 100ft? (Can't remember the size, but nowhere near enough for an acre.) And I couldn't imagine trying to run the stuff through the wooded sections and the sections with uneven terrain... definitely not a viable solution for me. As for it keeping coons out, I doubt it - they're so darn clever I can't even trap them! They'd find a gap or a weak spot somewhere that they could exploit and go to town.

I have found that the only solution for raccoons is one that has a loud explosion as part of it. Trap and release only resulted in the return of a hungry raccoon. I can be "green" in my solutions to flock protection as much as the next person. But, when the appropriate solution is a gun...so be it. Everything else is just a deterrent in my opinion and not a solution. But for raccoons and other predators just remember. Where there is one there are forty more. Getting rid of a predator often only creates a space to be filled by the next predator.

 

[Phoenixxx]

I have found that the only solution for raccoons is one that has a loud explosion as part of it. Trap and release only resulted in the return of a hungry raccoon. I can be "green" in my solutions to flock protection as much as the next person. But, when the appropriate solution is a gun...so be it. Everything else is just a deterrent in my opinion and not a solution. But for raccoons and other predators just remember. Where there is one there are forty more. Getting rid of a predator often only creates a space to be filled by the next predator.

Agreed. It took two years for my flock to be "discovered" by predators and this whole year has been a disaster since. The foxes have decided they don't like being hit with the pellet gun so I haven't seen them in a while. When I do finally manage to trap a coon, it's going to become a pair of slippers or gloves

 

[MrsBachbach]

I have 1.7 acres in Florida, maybe about 1 acre fenced in the back where I keep chickens, ducks, rabbits and goats. 

I've lost 2 chickens to hawks and 4 ducks to raccoons ( I think ). 

I recently bought some guinea fowl to help with the hawks, but they are currently only a few days old.

I was looking at getting a dog.  My yard is fenced, but its not a great fence, they goats were always going into the neighbor's yard before I ran an electric wire on it, but it seems like that electric wire needs daily maintenance to make sure nothing fell on it to make it stop working.

I don't have a lot of money to spend, would a dog be a good way to protect my fowl and rabbits?  I was thinking a great Pyrenees, but maybe it would be too big and need too much food, so then I was thinking a border collie or Australian shepherd or Australian cattle dog.

suggestions?

I see you live in Florida. That hot climate could be rough for a thick coated dog like the Pyrenees. Many times people will cross them with Anatolian shepards which are also LGDs but because they are a cross you can find them for less money. They may also have a shorter coat which would be a plus in your climate. Or you can just look for Anatolians.

 

[aart]

Quote: That was my point!

 

[centrarchid]

I priced it out and it's like $500 for 100ft? (Can't remember the size, but nowhere near enough for an acre.) And I couldn't imagine trying to run the stuff through the wooded sections and the sections with uneven terrain... definitely not a viable solution for me. As for it keeping coons out, I doubt it - they're so darn clever I can't even trap them! They'd find a gap or a weak spot somewhere that they could exploit and go to town.

Look for additional vendors. Cost for me is ~$135 per 164 foot length. My coons are every bit as tough as`yours and more numerous yet they do not defeat the netting. Limitation you will have is protecting an acre then it is recommended only four lengths per series to limit fire risk.

How many birds are you trying to protect.

 

[centrarchid]

Pyrenees don't eat alot of food. You do have to feed a growing pup more, but once grown, they don't eat much at all. Mine gets about a can and a half of a reg sized coffe can of kibble a day. An acre is plenty of room for a pyrenees and they do a great job of keeping those predators away. I would think a cattle dog or herding dog would get bored and possibly run your flock around. After all, they are herders.

For guarding a typical flock of chickens they eat a lot. After using dogs to protect sheep and goat herds of about 50 animals with one dog per herd, the dogs were deemed to expensive and swapped out for donkeys. Dogs are not cheap. You also have occasional vet bills with them as well. Herding dogs will also get tired of herding birds and ignore them looking for more stimulating activities. Bird dogs most certainly tire of molesting the birds.