Herd Protector

Kasachie · 03-16-2008, 11:59 AM

So, im moving to a farm between mount forest and arthur...I am not very good with the whole coyote thing so i was wondering if anyone lived around that area and knew what the population was like.

Also...would a donkey help keep the coyotes away? I have a couple small dogs and cant afford to lose them(mothers and they are her "best friends")

iris_surreal_euphoria · 03-16-2008, 01:10 PM

Yes, I think a donk would do the job. It depends though upon how much area the donk is protecting. I would get a standard Jenny or Gelding. They have the proper size to take care of a pack of coyotes. My minis do a wonderful job but there are a lot of them.

I have found it is mainly the bray that scares predators away.

Good luck! Sorry but I dont know anything about the pop. there, but even if there is no predators--- get a donk anyway, they are all kinds of cute.

Kasachie · 03-16-2008, 07:09 PM

its only a couple of acres for the donkey to protect.

iris_surreal_euphoria · 03-16-2008, 10:42 PM

With only a couple acres I'd get 2, a single donkey is a lonley donkey. Two donkeys are better than one anyway!

snickers · 03-16-2008, 10:56 PM

A donkey is just as apt to get attacked as a horse.
My friend who raises mules has lost two to coyotes this year.
One Jack and one mule.

I was always told they would protect, but they are just like a horse when threated. They will flee as well, and get killed just the same.

Coyotes here are hugh and many.
If they are hungry enough, they will attack anything that they can eat.

Dogs that are bred as herd protectors are what I am seeing more people going to than just donkeys.

paso_lover · 03-17-2008, 02:58 AM

We had a great pyr take care of it for us. If you don't mind the constant barking that might be a possibilty. Our coyotee got too bold so we had him shot.

Mule Fool · 03-17-2008, 08:17 AM

How about 2 donkeys, a llama and a couple Great Pyrenees? That should cover it!

You could also try some electric scare wires on the outside of your fence, too. I think coyotes are pretty smart and if you make it hard enough they'll go somewhere where the pickins are easier. a friend of mine was having cougar trouble and they suggested motion detector lights pointed out of the corrals. Might be a problem on a big acreage, but more possible on a small one.

AlbertaGirl · 03-29-2008, 03:02 PM

Coyotes run the back of our pasture, just on the opposite side of our fenceline, and my donkey likes to stand at high alert and guard the fence line. He also chases strange dogs away, but is okay with ours - sometimes he chases them a little for sport, but they generally leave each other alone.

Sort of off topic, but I had a big Mastiff/Rottie cross here for a while that I was fostering for some people who turned out to be liars, and users

, who wouldn't come get the dog later

. Anyhow, I brought him out in the pasture with me one day, and one of my horses came over and sniffed him, then promptly bit his stub of a tail. The dog yelped, and the donkey came over and gave him a boot in the ribs

, so my donkey is definetly a good protector! (turns out the dog deserved far more than that though, he later attacked my cat and she had to be put down

, and then attacked my dog

, and I had to fight him off my dog with a pitchfork. Unfortunately we weren't in my pasture, or else I'm sure my donkey would've "helped". Anyhow, the dog went to the pound after that...)

Jewel · 04-02-2008, 08:18 PM

A standard donkey should do the job. Mine not only chases away dogs and coyotes, but also cats and coons. A donkey might chase the dogs at first, till he learns that they belong there. Good luck!

Clippity-Clop · 04-07-2008, 05:09 PM

I have been told by more than one person that if you put more than one donkey together, they will herd with each other and not protect your cows etc.. I don't know if it's true but it kept me from buying another donkey as I had planned.

We have a large pack of coyotes that roam over our land. They get really close sometimes but once the donkey brays they do not stay around. I'm not sure he would fight them off but nothing around this farm (except me) likes to hear that bray of his and I swear, once the coyotes heard it, I did not hear them anymore that night. We have a live and let live policy as much as we can and so far have not had to shoot any of the coyotes.

We have also not lost any new calves to predation since we got the donkey but we have him with the horses now because we had been feeding medicated feed to the cows. One last thing I would be careful with the doggies. Even though we have the donkey, and 3 dogs, we have had coyotes come within 10 feet of my husband and the barn to grab and take off with one of my ranging hens. So they will get close to grab a meal if they get hungry enough. And a small dog would be just perfect size for them. I worry about my outside cats all the time. Good luck!

rm185western · 04-07-2008, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mule Fool

How about 2 donkeys, a llama and a couple Great Pyrenees? That should cover it!

You could also try some electric scare wires on the outside of your fence, too. I think coyotes are pretty smart and if you make it hard enough they'll go somewhere where the pickins are easier. a friend of mine was having cougar trouble and they suggested motion detector lights pointed out of the corrals. Might be a problem on a big acreage, but more possible on a small one.

Good call, add one Doberman and a rifle or shotgun, and you'll be getting there.

We have lots of coyotes around here, the doberman patrols the yard for us at night, and if you can put up with the barking, he has been really effective. Last year he was in the house at night and the coyotes used to com ein, but not any more

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03-16-2008, 11:59 AM
Kasachie Halter broke Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 69	Herd Protector So, im moving to a farm between mount forest and arthur...I am not very good with the whole coyote thing so i was wondering if anyone lived around that area and knew what the population was like. Also...would a donkey help keep the coyotes away? I have a couple small dogs and cant afford to lose them(mothers and they are her "best friends") __________________ He knows when you're happy He knows when you're comfortable He knows when you're confident And he always knows when you have carrots

03-16-2008, 01:10 PM
iris_surreal_euphoria Long Yearling Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Somerset, Kentucky Posts: 1,051	Yes, I think a donk would do the job. It depends though upon how much area the donk is protecting. I would get a standard Jenny or Gelding. They have the proper size to take care of a pack of coyotes. My minis do a wonderful job but there are a lot of them. I have found it is mainly the bray that scares predators away. Good luck! Sorry but I dont know anything about the pop. there, but even if there is no predators--- get a donk anyway, they are all kinds of cute. __________________ If wishes were horses this room would need a good mucking! Visit our website: http://www.freewebs.com/lazziassacres/

03-16-2008, 07:09 PM
Kasachie Halter broke Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 69	its only a couple of acres for the donkey to protect. __________________ He knows when you're happy He knows when you're comfortable He knows when you're confident And he always knows when you have carrots

03-16-2008, 10:42 PM
iris_surreal_euphoria Long Yearling Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Somerset, Kentucky Posts: 1,051	With only a couple acres I'd get 2, a single donkey is a lonley donkey. Two donkeys are better than one anyway! __________________ If wishes were horses this room would need a good mucking! Visit our website: http://www.freewebs.com/lazziassacres/

03-16-2008, 10:56 PM
snickers Bombproof Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Twilight Zone Posts: 8,842	A donkey is just as apt to get attacked as a horse. My friend who raises mules has lost two to coyotes this year. One Jack and one mule. I was always told they would protect, but they are just like a horse when threated. They will flee as well, and get killed just the same. Coyotes here are hugh and many. If they are hungry enough, they will attack anything that they can eat. Dogs that are bred as herd protectors are what I am seeing more people going to than just donkeys. __________________ " You cant fix stupid " Ron White Life is to short to argue with ignorant people.

03-17-2008, 02:58 AM
paso_lover Seasoned Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sudbury Ontario Canada Posts: 4,439	We had a great pyr take care of it for us. If you don't mind the constant barking that might be a possibilty. Our coyotee got too bold so we had him shot. __________________ "I wish I was half the rider she thinks she is" \"Some people feel compelled to cut off the heads of others in order to make themselves appear taller\" ---Paramahansa Yoginanda

03-17-2008, 08:17 AM
Mule Fool Started Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Washington State Posts: 2,283	How about 2 donkeys, a llama and a couple Great Pyrenees? That should cover it! You could also try some electric scare wires on the outside of your fence, too. I think coyotes are pretty smart and if you make it hard enough they'll go somewhere where the pickins are easier. a friend of mine was having cougar trouble and they suggested motion detector lights pointed out of the corrals. Might be a problem on a big acreage, but more possible on a small one.

03-29-2008, 03:02 PM
AlbertaGirl Greenbroke Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Alberta Posts: 3,259	Coyotes run the back of our pasture, just on the opposite side of our fenceline, and my donkey likes to stand at high alert and guard the fence line. He also chases strange dogs away, but is okay with ours - sometimes he chases them a little for sport, but they generally leave each other alone. Sort of off topic, but I had a big Mastiff/Rottie cross here for a while that I was fostering for some people who turned out to be liars, and users , who wouldn't come get the dog later . Anyhow, I brought him out in the pasture with me one day, and one of my horses came over and sniffed him, then promptly bit his stub of a tail. The dog yelped, and the donkey came over and gave him a boot in the ribs , so my donkey is definetly a good protector! (turns out the dog deserved far more than that though, he later attacked my cat and she had to be put down , and then attacked my dog , and I had to fight him off my dog with a pitchfork. Unfortunately we weren't in my pasture, or else I'm sure my donkey would've "helped". Anyhow, the dog went to the pound after that...) __________________ Some people say horses don't have a sense of humor... they obviously haven't met mine yet ;o)

04-02-2008, 08:18 PM
Jewel Halter broke Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 103	A standard donkey should do the job. Mine not only chases away dogs and coyotes, but also cats and coons. A donkey might chase the dogs at first, till he learns that they belong there. Good luck! __________________ The Horse: Friendship without envy, beauty without vanity, nobility without conceit, a willing partner, yet no slave. -Unknown

04-07-2008, 05:09 PM
Clippity-Clop Long Yearling Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Whitesburg, Tennessee Posts: 1,025	I have been told by more than one person that if you put more than one donkey together, they will herd with each other and not protect your cows etc.. I don't know if it's true but it kept me from buying another donkey as I had planned. We have a large pack of coyotes that roam over our land. They get really close sometimes but once the donkey brays they do not stay around. I'm not sure he would fight them off but nothing around this farm (except me) likes to hear that bray of his and I swear, once the coyotes heard it, I did not hear them anymore that night. We have a live and let live policy as much as we can and so far have not had to shoot any of the coyotes. We have also not lost any new calves to predation since we got the donkey but we have him with the horses now because we had been feeding medicated feed to the cows. One last thing I would be careful with the doggies. Even though we have the donkey, and 3 dogs, we have had coyotes come within 10 feet of my husband and the barn to grab and take off with one of my ranging hens. So they will get close to grab a meal if they get hungry enough. And a small dog would be just perfect size for them. I worry about my outside cats all the time. Good luck! __________________ Crooked Creek Ranch & Cattle Company http://www.crookedcreekrcc.com/