KK1101
Exploring the pasture
Dogs or donkeys for flock protector? I've heard rumors that donkeys are good livestock guardians but I've never seen it. Who has?
Types of Guardians
- Thread starter KK1101
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Kusanar
Loving the herd life
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
Herd Master
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.
A quality experienced well bred LGD is worth their weight in gold. A donkey is as mentioned very hit or miss.
secuono
Herd Master
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Donkeys get fat on air, so you also need to worry about founder & morbid obesity.
Beekissed
Herd Master
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.
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.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
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!
Baymule
Herd Master
You need to copy this and post it on EVERY donkey guard discussion. This sums it up, the best I have read.
Kusanar
Loving the herd life
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.
Baymule
Herd Master
I sold my mule because I was tired of her trying to stomp everything to death.
Simpleterrier
True BYH Addict
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
