Baymule
Herd Master
This is a good explanation.
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- Thread starter LittleHomestead
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Baymule
Herd Master
I keep my ram separate, but next to the ewes, so he isn’t lonely. He gets 2-3 months with the girls. Sometimes I leave him in, but take him out before lambing.
SageHill
Herd Master
I've got dorper and dorper crosses - hair sheep. They graze with the dogs being fences. Though I'm in So Cal so it's brown most of the year. The green now is starting to change to brown. Sad. They are given alfalfa every day (grazing or not) and have access to a salt block, minerals, and an iodine/salt block. Ram is kept separate like @Baymule. Currently I have 15 ewes, 1 ram and a wether. They are all put up at night in the barn - ewes in a 12x24 stall and the ram and wether in a 12x12 stall. Coyotes are an issue here and sheep have to be put up at night.
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LittleHomestead
Chillin' with the herd
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I’m in southern Oregon so it’s dry here too. We have coyotes but not sure if bad enough to need in at night.
SageHill
Herd Master
If you can hear them howling, they will find your sheep. A small sky high pen with apron fencing for night will help. We did that before we moved here. Though one morning I got there to find half a sheep under the fence gate. Yeah - just half.
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LittleHomestead
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Oh dear. That sucks. Ya we can hear them. I’ve thought of getting a guardian dog but training one makes me nervous. I’ve trained other dogs but never for guardian.
If you can hear them howling, they will find your sheep. A small sky high pen with apron fencing for night will help. We did that before we moved here. Though one morning I got there to find half a sheep under the fence gate. Yeah - just half.
Baymule
Herd Master
Go to the livestock guardian forum and start reading. I started with Great Pyrenees, then Anatolians. Maremma are also good and aren’t supposed to roam like the Great Pyrenees do.
Yeah, if you hear coyotes, it’s just a matter of time before they strike. LGDs work by barking a warning, so expect barking at night. Snuggle down in the covers and sleep soundly because you know your sheep are safe.
It works like this; predators come looking for a meal. Dogs bark a warning, predators know there will be a fight. If a predator is injured, they can’t hunt, they don’t eat, they may possibly die if injuries are severe enough. So they go looking for an easier meal.
Once there was a cougar in the neighborhood, it killed a goat herd 3 miles from me. It circled my farm several nights, screaming. Dogs were going nuts, barking. Cougar didn’t cross the fence.
Yeah, if you hear coyotes, it’s just a matter of time before they strike. LGDs work by barking a warning, so expect barking at night. Snuggle down in the covers and sleep soundly because you know your sheep are safe.
It works like this; predators come looking for a meal. Dogs bark a warning, predators know there will be a fight. If a predator is injured, they can’t hunt, they don’t eat, they may possibly die if injuries are severe enough. So they go looking for an easier meal.
Once there was a cougar in the neighborhood, it killed a goat herd 3 miles from me. It circled my farm several nights, screaming. Dogs were going nuts, barking. Cougar didn’t cross the fence.
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LittleHomestead
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Ya
a couple years ago we had a coyote sitting right across the fence from our pig pen when we had babies.
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LittleHomestead
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Which breed would you recommend for a smaller space? The sheep would only be on like 1/4 acre.
SageHill
Herd Master
I've thought of an LGD, but have yet to take the leap. I've trained dogs for obedience, herding and detection -- I'm good at it - but I don't know if I've got an LGD mindset. For any work (herding, detection, and guardian) the dog needs training - I consider the training the handle on the tool. Without that one could have a loose canon. We've got great folks here with LGDs who do amazing work I'm sure they can also guide you in the right direction.
