# Types of Guardians



## KK1101 (Jul 12, 2021)

Dogs or donkeys for flock protector?  I've heard rumors that donkeys are good livestock guardians but I've never seen it.  Who has?


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## Kusanar (Jul 12, 2021)

Donkeys are hit or miss. Some donkeys are great and will fight and defend their flock, some will just run away if a predator shows up. Some donkeys are great with their flock and care for them and protect them, some will kill members of their flock or new animals introduced. Some donkeys are fine with the sheep / goats for years and then will snap and kill them all. Some are fine with just their flock and if you buy a new one they will kill the new one. A guy near me had to shoot his guard donkey because he went to the stockyard and bought new cows, the donkey was trying to kill the new cows and had chased them about half a mile before he got his gun and killed the donkey.


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## misfitmorgan (Jul 12, 2021)

Agreed on the above.

A quality experienced well bred LGD is worth their weight in gold. A donkey is as mentioned very hit or miss.


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## secuono (Jul 12, 2021)

Donkeys get fat on air, so you also need to worry about founder & morbid obesity.


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## Beekissed (Jul 12, 2021)

Too, too many donkeys kill lambs and kids to trust that donkeys, on the whole, are reliable guardians.  Maybe there are exceptions but it's much too risky to find out....can't really train a donkey off killing livestock like you can a young pup.   

I got one, sweet as could be with humans and ignored the adult ewes....but tried to kill the lambs and new LGD puppy by stomping them and would just get wild eyed crazy trying to do so.  It was scary.  Never again.  

Stick with dogs....the LGDs that actually kill lambs are truly the exception and come from bad lines and/or have had improper training and/or introduction to livestock.


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## Ridgetop (Jul 12, 2021)

We have 3 Anatolians (switched from Pyrenees after 25 years due to their roaming nature).  Also have a mule who seems to have assumed some guard duties with regard to the sheep as well.  I haven't seen her do anything except stand in the gather with the sheep while dogs check out dangers.  We don't allow very young lambs around her either since she used not to like them (also doesn't like small dogs, possibly not any dogs, just tolerates the LGDs).   LGD dogs are best. Buy from a recommended breeder check for x-rayed parents that WORK.  I mean_ work_ against real predators, not just in a small yard with a pet goat or two.  Don't try to get cheap or "free" LGDs - if you can't afford a good one, spend your money for better fencing and lock up the stock at night.  We lost $6000.00 in ewes and lambs before buying our Anatolian Rika for $2000.  She was 18 months old and trained.  Best money we ever spent.  She has trained our other 2 Anatolians.  We have found 2 dead coyotes that thought they could outsmart, outrun or otherwise come on the property.  No problems with stray dogs or cougars either.  We sleep sound at night.  Love our dogs!


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## Baymule (Jul 12, 2021)

Kusanar said:


> Donkeys are hit or miss. Some donkeys are great and will fight and defend their flock, some will just run away if a predator shows up. Some donkeys are great with their flock and care for them and protect them, some will kill members of their flock or new animals introduced. Some donkeys are fine with the sheep / goats for years and then will snap and kill them all. Some are fine with just their flock and if you buy a new one they will kill the new one. A guy near me had to shoot his guard donkey because he went to the stockyard and bought new cows, the donkey was trying to kill the new cows and had chased them about half a mile before he got his gun and killed the donkey.


You need to copy this and post it on EVERY donkey guard discussion. This sums it up, the best I have read.


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## Kusanar (Jul 13, 2021)

Baymule said:


> You need to copy this and post it on EVERY donkey guard discussion. This sums it up, the best I have read.


Lol, feel free to do that as well if you want. 

I also had a friend that had a donkey (a pet more than a guard animal) in with the goats. They had 1 Pygmy goat (Pepper) and several very stupid and inbred Nubians. Misty (the donkey) was fine with the goats until Pepper sheltered under a tree in a storm and got hit by lightning. When Pepper died, Misty snapped. Within about 6 months she was the only thing left alive on the property. The buck was found with his neck snapped, one of the does was actually under the round bale, several kids were found frozen to death without a mark on them but with donkey tracks all around them where she had clearly not let them get to shelter or the other goats.


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## Baymule (Jul 13, 2021)

I sold my mule because I was tired of her trying to stomp everything to death.


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## Simpleterrier (Jul 14, 2021)

For me horse and donkey or mule in a perimeter pasture goats on inside pasture. My dad use to ride a horse that killed to coyotes and shook a full grown gp like a rag doll. The gp lived cause it's hair have way


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## misfitmorgan (Jul 15, 2021)

Simpleterrier said:


> For me horse and donkey or mule in a perimeter pasture goats on inside pasture. My dad use to ride a horse that killed to coyotes and shook a full grown gp like a rag doll. The gp lived cause it's hair have way


Sounds like a reasonable arrangement but if the mule, horse or donkey ends up not guarding then you have your pastures set up that way for no reason because you will have to buy a LGD regardless. The only animal besides LGD I have ever personally see guard with my own eyeballs is a llama. Our llama used to chase off coyotes and other critters. He would literally jump the fence to chase them off, was a good llama.


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## Kusanar (Jul 15, 2021)

misfitmorgan said:


> Sounds like a reasonable arrangement but if the mule, horse or donkey ends up not guarding then you have your pastures set up that way for no reason because you will have to buy a LGD regardless. The only animal besides LGD I have ever personally see guard with my own eyeballs is a llama. Our llama used to chase off coyotes and other critters. He would literally jump the fence to chase them off, was a good llama.


I have seen my horses chase coyotes, but that's more that they don't like dogs in their fields than anything, they weren't protecting anything. I don't worry about my 200 lb Mini horse though because he has 2 big horses in with him that would likely stomp anything that was hurting him.


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