lost a turkey, help before it gets worse?

[Bug n Flock]

We lost a turkey a couple of months back. Based on tracks, carcass, and predator activity, we think it was a coyote that got him. It was our biggest and best tom poult, too. We were planning to hold him back as a breeder. He got left out overnight and hopped over the pasture fence and got got. We live in a rural forested mountainy area, surrounded by 2 farms at a distance, and 3 forested hunting properties. The "main" road is probably 1/3 of a mile from our property line; we are pretty isolated here.

Coyotes have been up pretty close to our house and livestock lately. Making us real nervous.

We put the 2 adult ducks, the 7 mostly grown heritage bronze turkeys, and our goats(including wee babies) in the barn at night, and our 5 adult chickens get locked in their coop. During the day the goats free range, the ducks and turkeys are pastured, and the chickens free range. We also have a mini donkey jack. His pasture is on the other side of the barnyard though. His fence has 3 hot wires, but a coyote could slip under the fence probably. Fence doesn't stop our goats from going in to try and steal Butters' food.

We have thought about a LGD, but our farm is not fenced and we have heard they like to roam. Any thoughts on predator management? Maybe a breed of LGD who wouldnt roam? Motion activated outdoor lighting(we have no outdoor lighting, it is on the list but so is a lot, we are just starting our farm).

We have 49 chicks in the house in the brooder right now, and when they start going outside our property will start to be a whole lot more attractive to predators.

Maybe put a coop in the donkey pasture so he can help protect the birds? But I worry if a pack comes they could take him out maybe. 1 or 2 coyotes Butters could totally handle, but a pack would probably be too much for the little guy. We have been talking about getting another donkey, maybe that would help?

Any ideas would be great. Thankfully we have only lost 1 animal to predators so far, but 1 loss is 1 too many in our eyes.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I have no experience with donkeys, but I can say that a friend of mine had three llamas (one male and two females) and later the two crias. Coyotes still went around the pasture for a year after she sold Jeffrey and the other llamas. It's possible keeping the birds in with llamas might do the trick? And at least you can harvest their wool.

 

[Percheron chick]

I have 2 lgd. A 10 yo GP/lab who was raised with ducks and geese and a 3 yo Akbash who was raised with geese and milk goats. Both 100#. YES they roam. They have both been picked up miles from home. I am in a similar situation with no close neighbors and open space and coyotes all around. I have had packs of 5+ coyotes 25 yards from my front door so big dogs are a necessity.
I let the Akbash patrol at night until she bangs on the front door around 3 am. The male patrols during the day. One has to be penned or in the house or they split.
You do not need a special LGD. A good 75#+ lab mutt who can hold his own is worth his weight in gold. Not as eager to leave the property but keenly aware of what's going on and responds to animals in distress.

 

[Bug n Flock]

Think a well bred, working line Rottweiler would do it? We have been thinking about getting a rottie for a while.

 

[Percheron chick]

Absolutely. The quality I would demand most for a dog would be lack of prey drive towards livestock. Expose him to the turkeys and evaluate his response. Is he unimpressed or is he out of his mind where no amount of training makes him trustworthy ?

 

[TwistedSteel]

My rottweiler is great with the chickens and any other livestock.