LGD, chickens pastured w/cows issue...

[Snowhunter]

So we've had theft issues lately. Someone has stolen most of my breeding poultry from our pastures. Its been mentioned to get an LGD, but the cows would tromp and stomp the poor dog in a heartbeat. I have no intention of locking up the chickens in coops, permanently (Everyones on temp lockdown for now) as they're part of our pasture improvement plan as well as that being part of our breeding criteria.


But I can't seem to figure out how I can pasture chickens in pastures where cows will be present w/o a guardian dog getting stomped. My two dogs have a hard enough time not getting tromped just following me on the 4wheeler. Am I pretty much screwed, as far as an LGD goes? (Kinda what I'm figuring!)

 

[elevan]

I would say get a llama...but if your thief is a 2-legged one that won't help...

Are you sure they weren't lost to predation?

eta: My llama does a good job looking out for the chickens.

 

[Snowhunter]

Its definetly not a 4 legged predator. 1 chicken stolen from 100yds from the house, 4 from a tractor in the middle of a pasture, and 1 stolen from a tractor 600yds from that one. This was just this past Friday night.

4 legged predator would almost make me feel better... :/

 

[elevan]

What about electronet for the chickens with an LGD in with them?...you'd probably need to use a solar charger - but then your 2-legged thief would have to deal with electric and a dog...

You can make the electronet area as large as you want it and I wouldn't think the cows would try to go through it to get to the dog...

Plus the electronet is easily moved

 

[Snowhunter]

My problem lies in the free ranging. Breeding criteria requires chickens to be active foragers throughout the pastures. Pasture management for them is keeping things fertilized and spreading out all the cow poop...which rules out electronetting... I know you're makin good suggestions Em, this has got me pretty well frustrated. Either my plans get shot to heck and back or I take my losses w/the thief... I can't realistically do either! This has already cost me a fortune.

 

[elevan]

Ok, then my next suggestion is to get your shot gun...hide yourself in the field and wait... Frankly, I'd make that 2-legged thief start hopping!


eta: I hope someone can give you suggestions for integrating a dog with your cattle.

 

[Snowhunter]

Ok, then my next suggestion is to get your shot gun...hide yourself in the field and wait... Frankly, I'd make that 2-legged thief start hopping!


eta: I hope someone can give you suggestions for integrating a dog with your cattle.

Good suggestion We'd planned on it, just gotta figure out which birds to use for bait We left the tractors where they were, so maybe we'll get a chance to figure this out

Thank you for tryin to help

 

[watchdogps]

We are talking a two legged thief?

 

[Snowhunter]

We are talking a two legged thief?

Yes...

 

[watchdogps]

A good LGD is suppoosed to be "as aggressive as the threat warrants" so, if a human was really nice and sweet, they might well be able to get in and steal stuff anyway. Granted, the dog would bark to begin with, so you'd have an alert and it might be enough to scare people off. But, to have an LGD dog who is really persistant and aggressive to thieves, you would have to have a not so well socialized dog who had a somewhat sharp temperament. That's not going to be appropriate if you have visitors to your farm that the dog should not bite, kids who have friends over etc. if the liability isnt an issue, you could look into that, but consider that first. Personally, I'd rather put up hot wire or barbed wire.