# This is why LGD's....



## Southern by choice (Jan 19, 2018)

Fences are important but the reality is it is just an obstacle for a coyote.
This is why Livestock Guardians are so important.
The LGD is the most valued animal on your farm!  




__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1287286491325170


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## rachels.haven (Jan 19, 2018)

Wow, that's one bored coyote. I'd hate to see what he'd do if someone slipped him some caffeine. I bet the wild ones can jump higher.


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## secuono (Jan 19, 2018)

Poor coyote.


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## TAH (Jan 19, 2018)

Wow, that is crazy. 

I remember when we had one jump into our goat pasture easily. Not cool. 

But now we have coyotes here in AK that are out of control... Just last week they were in town killing peoples pets... And no I hear them right above the hill behind my aunt and uncles house, which is only a half mile from our place.


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## babsbag (Jan 20, 2018)

Kinda sad. I remember one in a zoo near us that just paced...all.day.long. And probably all night long too. There are some animals that just need to be free or dead and they are one of them.


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## BoboFarm (Jan 20, 2018)

Both of those guys are beyond stressed and terrified of that person entering their enclosure. I wonder if that behavior was just during feeding time or all the time. Terribly sad


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## Bruce (Jan 20, 2018)

Yep, nothing healthy about that situation. And it seems neither of them were remotely interested in the food being thrown.


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## Rocky Girl (Jan 20, 2018)

That doesn’t seem healthy at all, poor thing.


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## mystang89 (Jan 22, 2018)

1.) That cayote just tired me or watching it! Time for a nap. 
2.) Thank you for posting that. It will go a long way towards convincing my wife we need another GP. 
Even though w have a fence which will soon have electric wire running the top of it I still don't think that will stop a determined cayote.


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## Nifty (Jan 22, 2018)

WOW!

That's pretty intense for lots of reasons!


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## Southern by choice (Jan 22, 2018)

Yeah, I don't like that they are penned... but the point was to show people that 4ft fences don't keep out coyotes. Good fencing is a deterrent... but not the end all be all.


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## mystang89 (Jan 22, 2018)

The point was well received by my wife so I appreciate it.  It went a long way towards a new GP. I might even name it southern.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 22, 2018)

I think sometimes we just need to go with or gut.. if you are feeling like you need another - do it!    "Southern"


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## Ridgetop (Feb 7, 2019)

This is a true story.  My neighbor stepped onto her back porch just in time to watch a small coyote (about 40 lbs.) jump straight over her 6' chicken yard fence, seize a chicken and jump straight out.  No running start, just a leap into the air and over!  She didn't have time to do more than shout before the coyote was out of her yard and own the road with that bird.

Coyotes are very smart.  After the fires we had 3 new packs move into our neighborhood and begin hunting. Our dog were overburdened even though we only have 5 fenced acres.  We lost 2 lambs in 3 months with 2 adult Anatolians working.  We left the sheep out to graze overnight like we had the previous year with no problems.  This year the coyotes would run to one side of our property and lure the dogs over there while another couple jumped into the yard and made the kill.  Our dogs were able to get to the dead lamb in time to protect the carcass, although Rika had a bad bite to her face.

We have 5 steep acres with seasonal heavy brush.  We are fenced with 5' welded oil pipe and no climb woven wire.  Over the years we have had coyotes and cougars in our yard, although not often since we have had our guardian dogs.  Our property is bisected by the ridge on top of which sit our house and barn.  The sheep can graze on both sides of the ridge line.  There are coyote trails along the outside of the fence in the front.  The deep brushy arroyo in the back continues into the hills on the one side, and into a neighborhood on the other.  Easy access and coverage for predators.  Our dogs are very good at their job, alert and watchful.  Bubba weighs about 150 lb., Rika about 125 lbs.  Both are very fast. 

We were under dogged with only 2 guardian dogs on our 5 acre piece.  We started locking up the sheep again at night. The dogs were exhausted.  For the first time in a week Rika stretched out and slept knowing that her sheep were secure.  Bubba too wore a look of relief.  For the first time in months, the dogs did not insist on being fed on the field with the sheep.  They were willing to come inside with the family for an hour at night. 

We have added an Anatolian bitch puppy.   Angel is related to both Rika and Bubba.  She is in training and looks to become as good as her elders.  Rika is still young enough to train her as she trained Bubba.  Bubba is still young enough to enjoy playing with Angel.  We have faced the probability that we will add another Anatolian in another 3 years.  Rika will be 9, Bubba will be 6, and Angel will be 3. 

Guardian dogs have allowed us to sleep well these last 30 years.   I know the tone of their barks, from basic warnings to hellos, let's play to hurry and bring your gun type warnings, although Anatolians always assume they can deal with any crisis.  I think they consider themselves a sort of canine swat team armed with bazookas.  LOL 

One dog might be enough in some cases, but there is security in numbers - two work well as a team.

































we lost 2 lambs to coyote kills in


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## mystang89 (Feb 7, 2019)

I think someone posted a video about coyotes in a zoo that we jumping the height of the enclosure.


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## Ridgetop (Feb 7, 2019)

I meant the story that I wrote about my neighbor watching the coyote jump a 6' chicken yard fence in and out from a standstill was true.  I was adding the testimony of a witness to how high they can jump.


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## greybeard (Feb 8, 2019)

Ridgetop said:


> This year the coyotes would run to one side of our property and lure the dogs over there while another couple jumped into the yard and made the kill.


Coyotes have been doing that to dogs and other pack members for centuries.
One coyote strolls out from a treeline, lure a dog out into the pasture, then  ever nearer the tree line and the whole pack springs out of the treeline and kills the dog.

I've killed several that were in the process of attempting to do the same thing.

Lots of uninformed people think coyotes are frightened. They aren't. They are just cautious and alert and with all the sensory abilities and most of the intelligence of domestic dogs.  The only thing they are usually lacking is bulk and muscle. They do have endurance tho..........listen to pack as it circles at night and you can get a good idea how far and fast they can travel.


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## Ridgetop (Feb 8, 2019)

Our old Weimie bitch learned the hard way not to follow the coyotes into the brush.  Before we had guardian dogs, she would chase off the coyotes.  One day she came home with slashes on her rear quarters where she had been able to turn and evade the lurking pack after they lured her out.  After that she would never go past the brush line.  Once we got LGDs we hardly even saw coyotes anymore.   I do love to hear them sing.  I would miss it if they were completely gone.

The coyotes surround our property and actually stroll up to the fence where our guardian dogs stand watching them.  As long as they don't try to enter the property, the dogs are fine, but if the coyotes decide to come over the fence, watch out.  In this case last year, with so many coyotes displaced by the fires, no prey, and available lambs, the temptation was too much.  Like I say, the coyotes made the kill but never got to eat a bite.  We should have been bringing the sheep in at night but things were green and tasty.  They didn't want to come in and be locked up in the barn instead of being able to graze.  We changed our routine and shut them in the night fold, an old round pen near the house on top of the ridge.  The sheep were safe in there, and the dogs didn't have to work as hard.  But it made me realize that Rika was 6 and I needed to get another dog before she was too old to train it.  Two planned litters with 2 different breeders failed to take, and I was happy to finally get this puppy from the bloodlines I trust.  I waited almost a year for this puppy.


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## babsbag (Feb 8, 2019)

People would say that I am over dogged with 4 on about 9 acres. But with the way our property lines run and the terrain I wanted enough dogs to cover all the areas . The can't see across the pastures, and neither can I, so I felt I needed more dogs. I do bring the goats into a much smaller area at night so the dogs have it pretty easy but during the day they earn their keep.  They also keep me safe when I have to visit the barn at night and that means a lot to me.


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## Ridgetop (Feb 9, 2019)

Absolutely!  Every property is different, and we all have different needs concerning predator populations, etc.  The more you tailor the number of guardians to your property and animals, the more effective they can be.


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## babsbag (Feb 9, 2019)

My old girl (Sigueme) is about 9 years old and I thought for sure she had retired herself to my house. I had each of my two young ones up at the house for about three weeks as they were both in heat one right after the other. After they went back to the barn Sigueme ran out the gate and headed to the house. She stayed about 4 days and then decided she would go back to the barn. I have always told her she was welcome here anytime, I thought she took me up on my offer. She sleeps a lot during the day but I sure do hear her on point at night. She was my first LGD and they broke the mold when God made her, she has me spoiled.


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