LGD's chasing goats- Poll

[Southern by choice]

After fielding many calls in the past 6-8 months there seems to be a pattern with LGD's and their chasing of goats. It made me curious and would love to see some others experiences.
Overwhelmingly it is the "weakest link" in the herd that is chased, I would like to better understand this and look at how to resolve this issue more effectively.

 

[purplequeenvt]

Mira doesn't often chase any sheep, but I've noticed that the ones she does chase are most often sick. Over the summer, the lamb she bugged constantly was a lamb that had a heart defect and couldn't keep up.

In the last few days we've had a ram that has been spending a lot of time laying down in the barn. As far as I could tell, Mira didn't bother him if I wasn't there, but if I was in the barn, she'd go over and start pawing at him to get him to move. Took his temperature and it was almost 105.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I caught Toli chasing our littlest 6 months old baby goat the other morning. Fortunately it was screaming it's head off so I went out to look and caught her in the act. I scared the daylights out of her, I hope she doesn't do it again!

 

[treeclimber233]

I am a bit late on this poll but I just noticed it. Drift went thru a phase where he chased the babies--mouthing, pawing and slobbering on their necks/shoulders. He pawed their back legs like he was trying to trip them. As is common I was told to get a puppy ( he was weaned at 4 weeks and I got him at 6 weeks) and just put him in the pen. He would know what to do. At first the does butted him and kept him in line. Then they had babies and they protected the babies when they were little. Not sure how old he was when the chasing started. I got after him when I saw the behavior but I could not be at the barn all the time. Finally I resorted to putting hot sauce on the babies neck and shoulders. He never hurt one and they never seemed to be scared of him but I could not tolerate the babies being soaked all the time especially with winter coming on.

 

[babsbag]

I have been fortunate that my dogs never chased the goats, only the chickens. I honestly think though that it helps that I have 2 LGDs, they have a playmate other than the goats.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Just caught Diego chasing the smallest baby goat. Toli was in the adult goat pen so he must have been bored by himself. I removed him from the situation since I couldn't catch him in the act. =/

 

[babsbag]

WMR...tell him that his mom would be mad at him. I have a new male LGD, long story, but he is 3 weeks younger than Diego and his fetish is chickens. Just started about a month ago and this week I have lost one, at least, every day. I need to remove some chicks from the dog kennel and then lock him up during the day. He only does it when they go to roost. And then after he kills them with love Sigueme does the clean up. I hope he quits this soon, I will need a whole new flock in the spring at this rate.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I will tell him lol. I've found they really only do it real early in the morning or late evening, that must be when they have

the most energy. Mine have killed a couple chickens but I think maybe only 3 since I've had the puppies and that's because the chickens were out running around where they weren't supposed to be. They are pretty good with them and the turkeys now I just have to watch them a little bit.