Monday, May 13, 2013

Animals to Guard Livestock

For a few years, I've yearned to move where we could have enough land to keep goats and a
whole flock of chickens.  One thing I've wondered about is how to protect those animals from the natural predators in this area, which include coyotes, foxes, and even mountain lions if we were to move close to the nearby beautiful mountains. 


In Jim Mitchell's ebook Livestock Guardian Animals, there is a great amount of information on how to use guardian animals to protect livestock and property.  I was surprised to learn from this book that:
"Two species of guardians, donkeys and llamas, naturally dislike canines and are effective against wolves, coyotes, and marauding dogs."
The majority of this book focuses on livestock guardian dogs, which are distinctly different from herding dogs, companion dogs, and all-around farm dogs: 



"Many breeds of dogs will bark at intruders and chase them away. But only the livestock guardian dog breeds are instinctively wired to bond with stock, relentlessly deter intrusion, and fight to the death if necessary to defend their stock. Just as hunting breeds are bred to hunt and herding breeds are bred to herd, guardian breeds are bred to guard.
The livestock guardian breeds have evolved over centuries with a deep drive to protect and defend their stock no matter what...The goal of a livestock guardian dog is to keep its stock safe from harm."
The ebook Livestock Guardian Animals is just one of the five books being offered in a
Homesteading Bundle from my affiliate partner, the Nourished Living Network.  The Homesteading Bundle includes 7 eBooks for only $12.97, and is available for one week only, from May 13, 2013 until May 20, 2013. The complete list of titles in the bundle is:
  • Pioneering Today: Faith and Home the Old-Fashioned Way by Melissa Norris
    • Whether you live in the middle of the asphalt jungle or on the side of a mountain, you can experience the pioneer lifestyle and start your own homesteading journey. This book explains practical and easy methods to cook from scratch, garden, and preserve your own food. 
  • Making Hand Milled Soap for Fun and Profit by Susan Godfrey
    • This book includes instructions and 52 recipes to teach you how to make your own designer soaps at home! It also includes many tips and resources for making a profit selling them!
  • Livestock Guardian Animals by Jim Mitchell
    • Learn how donkeys, llamas, and livestock guardian dogs deal with threatening predators. Read about the instincts, abilities, and limitations of each type of livestock guardian. Then evaluate your needs and make the right livestock guardian decision for your farm, ranch, or homestead.
  • The Urban Chicken by Heather Harris
    • This book will walk you through each step of the way to raising your own chickens, from choosing a breed, to where it will live, all the way to processing. This is an easy to read guide that will quickly expand your knowledge on how to produce fresh eggs and meat from your own backyard.
  • Drawing Blood From Your Goats by Starlene Stewart
    • This full instructional guide will walk you through the process of drawing blood from your goats, complete with photos, labeling instructions, how and where to send the blood for testing. Instead of calling out your local veterinarian and shelling out $, learn to draw blood yourself and save money on your homestead!

Click Here to Purchase the Homesteading Bundle!

And the bundle comes with a bonus of two free eBooks as well:
  • Adventures with Kids! On the Farm from Stitching Hearts Together 
  • Beneficial Garden Wildlife: Attracting Helpful Small Animals to Your Yard and Garden from the Homestead Gardens Series

Click Here to Purchase the Homesteading Bundle!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I know someone who uses donkeys this way, but she didn't know it was actually a thing, discovered once she had a couple. There are four of them now, and they even protect the livestock against the family cat, ha ha!