What predators will go after my goat?

[julieq]

Here in Southern Idaho we have wild dogs who run with the coyote packs and interbreed. And also the occasional wolf through. Thus far we haven't heard of any cougars or bears through our locale, but we've only lived here since Oct. 2011.

We have HOT hot wire fencing around our goat pens, motion sensor lights and two large dogs kenneled right by them. We talked to a tracker/hunter recently and he said that when we clean out the dog kennel to throw the 'cleanings' in a perimeter around the goat area. That has worked thus far.

We've actually had a few coyotes come through our back pasture mid day (not near the goat or chicken pens), and those are considered moving targets and shot on sight!

 

[BrownSheep]

I'm also from Southern Idaho. We do have the dogs but I've never actually seen them with the coyotes, and for the most part in my area its just starving wild strays. Those wolves do concern me...Every year they come farther and farther south. They seem to also be pushing other things south like bears and moose. Not kidding there has been two or three bears seen around in the past couple years....SUPER WEIRD

If you live north of Shoshone there is a good chance a cougar may wander by sometime, but for the most part the cougars in S. ID tend to just roam and are rarely seen.

 

[julieq]

I'm also from Southern Idaho. We do have the dogs but I've never actually seen them with the coyotes, and for the most part in my area its just starving wild strays. Those wolves do concern me...Every year they come farther and farther south. They seem to also be pushing other things south like bears and moose. Not kidding there has been two or three bears seen around in the past couple years....SUPER WEIRD

If you live north of Shoshone there is a good chance a cougar may wander by sometime, but for the most part the cougars in S. ID tend to just roam and are rarely seen.

We're about four miles north of the town of Shoshone. Our neighbor, who has lived here a long time, said he's never seen a rattlesnake, but we saw two last summer on our property. So wouldn't be surprised at all to see some other predators like a bear or cougar come through.

There is a small hillside, basically a ridge along the back of our ten acres, just outside our fence line. Early last summer I watched about three or four coyotes, one large black dog or mix and one large reddish hued dog or mix together on the hillside. Although usually during the day it's just one lone coyote through the property. Fortunately we're here full time so we can keep an eye on the goats.

 

[chicken pickin]

I see this thread is older but it never hurts to keep it going. I have a small property with chickens turkeys ducks goats and dogs(not LGD). This past week something has been here and killed 4 of my young roosters and early yesterday morn I swear it was a coyote I saw prowling the edge of my property near some chickens in quarantine. I ran out fast yelled and clapped my hands and it took off fast. Scary thought these animals in my yard since I have kids. Back to the goats, they have a 4 foot fence and a house that was doorless. I put a door covering on the house lastnight temporary until I can cut it to size and hinge it. Im nervous now because when I got goats I never thought to look into predators for goats. DH is going to go batty if I say one more time that something is going to get my animals. SO how does everyone get their goats to go in their house and stay in to shut the door. I had a struggle with them to stay in while I shut the door they won a few times. Will they just get used to it and finally go in and stay in?

 

[BlueMoonFarms]

I see this thread is older but it never hurts to keep it going. I have a small property with chickens turkeys ducks goats and dogs(not LGD). This past week something has been here and killed 4 of my young roosters and early yesterday morn I swear it was a coyote I saw prowling the edge of my property near some chickens in quarantine. I ran out fast yelled and clapped my hands and it took off fast. Scary thought these animals in my yard since I have kids. Back to the goats, they have a 4 foot fence and a house that was doorless. I put a door covering on the house lastnight temporary until I can cut it to size and hinge it. Im nervous now because when I got goats I never thought to look into predators for goats. DH is going to go batty if I say one more time that something is going to get my animals. SO how does everyone get their goats to go in their house and stay in to shut the door. I had a struggle with them to stay in while I shut the door they won a few times. Will they just get used to it and finally go in and stay in?

Grain or treats to lure them in, and then close the door behind you. Eventually they will come to expect the grain and will shoot in and wait for you.
Thats my thought anyway.

 

[AshleyFishy]

My biggest predator problem I've had was losing young goat kids to....hawks. They just swoop down and crush the poor things.

 

[goatboy1973]

We use guardian llamas. We have coyotes, foxes, coyote/ dog hybrids, domestic dogs, and turkey buzzards. Buzzards will attack a freshly born goat kid or a young kid that is a week or so old if the buzzard is hungry enough. We use 4x4 woven wire that's 5 ft. high with a strand of electric barbed wire at the top, one at about 3 ft. high, and one about 8 in. off the ground. We bury the first row of woven wire in the ground. We test the fence's integrity by putting the border collies in the new lot with food/ water and if they can't get out in a day or 2, the fence is predator resistant. Notice I said predator "resistant" and not "proof". No fence is predator proof, but that is why I have 2 huge llamas to take out any predator that is agile, smart, and persistent enough to breach our fencing. Llamas, especially 2 of them, can handle most any predator you throw at them and for the most part, they eat the same stuff and use the same meds as the goats. Win, win solution for us at Calfee Farms. www.calfeefarms.net