Unsung Hero

 

Unsung hero
Louise Liebenberg
Written for The Shepherds Magazine

This past week all my social media feeds were about a young livestock guardian dog (LGD) that battled some coyotes to save his sheep. The story was shared far and wide and it made me realise that for many of us full time shepherds this is “normal” for our dogs, we keep these dogs with our flocks to do this exact job. Many of our dogs, although very much appreciated and loved, never will get the media attention that this dog did. We all have “unsung hero’s” in our back pastures, in this article I am going to share the story of one of mine.

I lost one of my most favorite livestock guardian dogs (LGD) last week to old age, normally I am not one to really express publicly, the sadness I feel when one of the team passes on. This time it is a little different and I would like to share some of the lessons I have learnt from this dog. His name was Vuk, which is the Serbian word for wolf. Vuk, has challenged many of my previously held ideas on what LGD should be and do. He forced me to reassess my thoughts on how LGD work, and to not limit their working ability because of how I expected them to be.
Vuk came to me as a 12-week-old puppy from his breeder in Pennsylvania. The first year with him was a struggle.  He was high energy and was rather difficult to form a relationship with as he was fiercely independent and although being friendly enough, simply had no time for anyone.  As a pup he was always on the go, I used to joke that he should have been a sled dog rather than an LGD. He could not relax and seemed “hyper” all the time. With the sheep, his energy and activity level was certainly not something the sheep were used to. The found him disruptive and I was irritated by him. I always felt the energy level of the LGD should match that of the sheep. I liked the slow and steady types. This young dog was so energetic, that I sincerely questioned if he would make the grade as an LGD.  Whenever he moved, the sheep became startled. When he was about a year old, I mentioned to his breeder, that I may consider rehoming him, he was just not "my kind" of dog.

He was everything I thought was wrong with a LGD, he was high energy and did not really want to be a “close” type of guardian dog. I questioned if he was bonded with the sheep as he never really “snuggled” with the sheep.  He was never far away, but never chose to be close to the sheep, or huddle up against the sheep during the frigid winters here in Canada. However, as he was never inappropriate toward the livestock, and he never set a foot wrong towards the sheep. He never showed any predatory behaviour towards them; never played with them, was not rough, he never pulled wool, nipped, or chased them, and it was this, that made me decide to keep working with him.   I learnt not to try and shape Vuk into being the dog I wanted, instead to learn to work with him and his unique character.

Once I had that mind shift, things changed. When he was old enough to go and work on the larger bush pastures where the predator pressure was high, he settled into his job. He would patrol hundreds of acres of bush and pasture, and his energy level became an asset. He was tireless in checking out regular predator trails and chasing off predators. He would come and check in with the sheep and be off actively patrolling again. By the time he was three years old he was had fully settled into his job, he was calm and controlled around the sheep as he had enough work to keep his mind and body busy. He was always checking in with the flock, laying in an area he could watch over them, and was highly protective of them. I have seen him battle coyotes, tree bears and be on the watch for cougars. I have even seen Vuk fearlessly chase away a large bison bull from our cows. Wolves are part of our environment, and I am sure his presence and determination helped keep wolves away from the livestock. We could see tracks in the snow where confrontations have taken place and we would find dead coyotes in the pastures, He was powerful, fast, and smart and never backed down from a confrontation.

Vuk understood his job and that was evident in all his interactions with the livestock. He was the guardian of the livestock and left the mothering of lambs to the ewes themselves. He was adamant about chasing ravens and eagles out of the pastures and would guard a dead sheep’s body from scavengers until I removed it.  He was more a warrior than the nursemaid type.  Although he was never the type of dog that would allow lambs to jump up on him, or lay down close to him, he was super reliable with lambs.  He valued his personal space and when a lamb or calf would come and lay near him, he would get up and move to another spot. In many ways he was like this with us too. He would come for some petting but would after a few minutes, trot off back to the livestock. He would watch over lambs and calves with vigilance and dedication.

He could often be found watching over a bunch of calves, while the cows went to eat or drink. He read the body language of any animal perfectly. If he got to close to a cow with a newborn calf and she gave him “the look”, he would quietly move further away and gave her space, enough so, that the cow did not feel the need to run him off. He was very in tune with the reactions of the livestock, he would back away from an ewe that might feel nervous around him yet would stand his ground around the big bulls.  He was probably the dog with the best ability to “read” the livestock I have ever worked with. The sheep and cows soon grew a bond with this dog and trusted him.

He was a true leader when it came to the other dogs, he was respectful of the older females and would work well within the team. Most of the other dogs really liked to work with him. He was an excellent mentor to other young dogs. He was fair when it came to young males, he did not go looking for a fight, but if the fight came to him, he would deal with it. He was adaptable and could be moved around with other dogs and situations where he was needed, from the calving corrals one day to large, forested sheep grazing pastures the next.

He taught me that patrolling or perimeter type dogs are as valuable at their job of protecting the sheep as close guardians. He proved to me that high energy is not a bad trait to have. Having a strong lupine build, that could move,  was more advantageous than big slow cumbersome dogs when dealing with predators. Despite not being a dog that liked to be physically close to the sheep, it did not mean he was not bonded to them.  Having the space to work, the challenges of his job and ability to utilise his energy made him into a fine working dog. His ability to read the livestock become so finely tuned, that it really took my breath away to watch him work around an ornery cow, or a young ewe.

As he grew older, I made some attempts at retiring him, fearing he might be killed by predators. He wanted nothing to do with that and would take every opportunity to escape back to the livestock. During the harsh winter months, I would put him in the heated shop and then back in the pastures when the weather was milder, this is where he was happiest. This winter his health declined, and a few weeks back he passed away.

I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to work with such a fine dog, and that I had the right environment for him to be the best he could. I grew to admire and respect this dog deeply, and as he aged, he was more accepting of me cuddling him and I think he actually started to enjoy it!  He changed my perceptions of what a good working dog could be.  Over the years we bonded to each other, and I adored this dog, and he will forever be one of the great ones in my life, perhaps the greatest.

Vuk, no sheep or calves were ever lost under your watch! Thank you.

 

 

Other Guard animals: Llamas

 

This llama is displaying its unhappiness with our presences close to the fence of the sheep paddock. It is highly territorial and likes to stay between the perceived danger and the sheep.

 

Other Guard animals: Llamas|
Louise Liebenberg 2022, written for The Shepherds Magazine

This is the second part of a small mini-series on other animals that can be used to protect sheep from predators. The two most common “go to” guard animals, other than livestock guardian dogs (LGD) are donkeys and llamas.  This article will take a closer look at llamas. There have been very few studies done on the use and effectiveness of guard llamas, most of the articles and stories are anecdotal rather than hardcore scientific research. In the 1990’s, Iowa State University did a telephone survey to try and look a little closer at the effectiveness of using guard llamas to protect sheep from predation.

For those who do not know llamas are camelids that originate in South America and were domesticated for meat, fibre and utilised as pack animals. Llamas should not be confused with their smaller counterpart the alpaca. Alpacas should not really be used as guard animals due to their small size, in areas with apex predators. Alpaca’s might be a good option for smaller animals such as racoons, or foxes and for guarding smaller livestock but will not be able to contend with grizzly bears or wolves.
Llama’s can weigh in the region of 250 lbs making them a fairly large sized animal, while alpacas are in the 120-140 lbs range.

Due to their height, they certainly have an advantage that they can see further than sheep can. They behave like sentry animals, and due to their alertness are quick to warn for any dangers, they can make a variation of vocalizations, which the sheep soon learn to respond to. Llamas can run, stomp, strike, kick, and spit at predators. Often it is also the larger size that can dissuade predators.  Llamas can be quite territorial about their pasture even occasionally being aggressive towards people who approach the pasture.

Llamas are generally quite effective against smaller predators such as coyotes, foxes, skunks, and racoons. They do however prefer open, flatter spaces than wooded hilly areas, it has been reported that llamas will not really enter forested or bushy areas. Llamas seem to perform best on pastures smaller than 250-300 acres and up to about 300 ewes.

Llamas who are well bonded to the sheep are the most effective at their job. Similarly with livestock guardian dogs and donkeys, it is imperative that the sheep and the guard animal form a bond. Without this bond, no other species will feel the need to protect the sheep from predators. It is also generally advised that just a single llama should be placed with the ewes, so that it remains bonded to the sheep rather than forming an attachment to another llama and forgetting about the sheep.  There is a bit of an adjustment time for the sheep and llamas to get to know each other but when raised from a young age with sheep, this period can be a matter of a few weeks before both species are comfortable with each other. As intact male llamas can become quite aggressive towards the sheep and might try to breed/mount the ewes, it is always advisable to geld the male llamas. Female llama are also used successfully. In the 1990 study, most producers preferred using gelded males.

Keeping llamas requires similar management to sheep. They graze alongside the sheep and when the flock needs deworming, hoof trimming and shearing, so does the llama. It is advisable to halter break the llama so that it can be easily removed from the flock when routine work gets done, or for ease at shearing time.

Here are some  interesting  results from the Iowa State university study regarding the use and effectiveness if guard llamas:
Most guard llama’s were gelded males.
80% of llamas were rated as “effective or effective at reducing losses to predators”.
88%  of owners were  either “satisfied or very satisfied” with their llama program.
Over half the producers felt that llamas provided some savings by reducing predation.
75% of the llamas were reported not to negatively affect the sheep they were protecting.
Predation fell  from 21% to 7% after a guard llama was introduced to the flock.
Sheep losses before llamas were noted to be around 11% and after the llama was introduced losses declined to about 1%. One does need to bear in mind that all producers continued to use alternate methods to reduce predation in conjunction with the llama (fencing, shooting, trapping, poison etc.)
predation increased when multiple llamas were introduced to the flock.

Llamas have been observed in South America aggressively chasing away foxes but did run away when mountain lions appeared.
llamas are found to be less effective when it comes to packs of coyotes or dogs. One llama is not able to contend with multiple predators at the same time. One should remember that llamas are also prey animals to large predators, and this could put the llama in serious jeopardy.

As with all guard animals there are always pros and cons, here are a few considerations:

Due to the innate aggression towards smaller canine, it may be difficult to use herding and guard dogs with a llama in the pasture.
Although easy keepers, they do require some specific management, it can be hard to find someone who will come and shear a llama, they require more copper than sheep do and often do not utilise hard salt or mineral blocks and require these in a “loose” form.
Llamas vocalise fairly softly when there is danger, usually if a guardian dog barks the shepherd or rancher can hear by the barking that predators may be close by.
A barking dog can also provide some protection to the farm, something that a llama does not do.

I think on small homesteads, or farms with neighbours close by, a guard llama might be a better option than a guard dogs, particularly on homesteads where the predators are smaller and the number of animals requiring protection are less. Llamas will not keep the neighbours awake from barking, they integrate rapidly in a small sheep or goat herd, they can provide more fiber options on fiber-based homesteads, they can become well socialised and tame and can be trained as pack animals and in some areas even hiking companions.  Llamas do not dig out or actively try to escape fences like guard dogs sometimes do. Llamas can live for 20-25 years providing many years of protection to the sheep flock. In some cattle operations guard llamas are used to help protect newborn calves from coyotes.

Recognizing that llamas are also prey animals and understanding their limitations, I do think llamas are a good option for many smaller pasture-based operations. The provide another layer of protection to the flock. Llamas can become very devoted to their flock and the sheep really seek out the companionship of the taller and bigger animal.

 This alpaca was added to a group of young ram lambs to provide an additional layer of protection for the flock. This operation also uses guard donkeys with their ewes.

Other Guard Animals: Donkeys

A pair of standard donkeys hanging out with a flock of ewes in Northern Alberta.

Other Guard Animals: Donkeys
Louise Liebenberg (2022)
Written for The Shepherds Magazine

This month’s article is going to deviate from my regular column on livestock guardian dogs (LGD) and I am going to look at other guard animals to protect livestock. Typically, donkeys and llamas are the other “go to” animals used to guard livestock.  Very little research has been done regarding the effectiveness of these other guard animals and any that I can find, was done almost 30 years ago.  A lot of the information available is anecdotal and quite subjective, where owners “feel or think” that the guard animals are being either effective or not.
In this article I am going to focus on using donkeys as guard animals.

Donkeys that stay close to the flock can add a layer of protection to the flock against predators.

There is a tradition of shepherds using donkeys, going back to Biblical times. Many shepherds used donkeys to help transport products, shelters and fencing into grazing areas.  Donkeys carried supplies into the high mountain summer pastures and grazed alongside the sheep. In more nomadic tribes, donkeys, along with camels, were commonly found in their caravans. As donkeys lived near to the sheep flocks and their shepherds, it can be assumed that the donkeys might have started to display protective behaviours around the flocks. I have met shepherds in Europe who still use donkeys to help transport electric fencing, milking items and food supplies for the grazing period and they feel having a donkey in the flock is a positive addition as the sheep will follow the donkey on a flock move.

Donkeys are often found around sheep camps as they can be used to transport goods and supplies to high mountain pastures.

The effectiveness of using donkeys is a strongly debated topic.   As with LGD, some are great, and others simply do not work out. A study done in Ontario, Canada in 1995, reported that “about 70% of the donkeys being used were rated as either excellent or good in terms of providing flock protection. However, the donkeys’ effectiveness ranged from total elimination of predation, to having absolutely no impact on predation, while simultaneously causing other problems within the flock. In many instances, poor management practices and unrealistic expectations (too many sheep, scattered sheep, or pastures) are as much or more to blame for many failures as any shortcoming of the donkey(s).” (1995 Ontario Predator Study, Study 6: Donkeys as Mobile Flock Protectors, by Fytche Enterprises)

Although success is a difficult metric to define, I will define success as; the donkey has been reliable around the sheep and does not harm the sheep, the sheep are comfortable around the donkey and no/little predation has taken place. Donkeys seem to be the most successful on smaller groups of sheep and on open terrain, some research suggests a hundred ewes or less is the optimum number of ewes for a donkey to watch over.  This is logical because large bands of sheep spread out and it is hard for the donkey to be able to watch over this expansive area. As donkeys are taller than sheep, they do act more like a sentry and can spot predators further away. Ranchers have found donkeys to be less effective in bushy and hilly areas, where sight lines are obscured, and predators can do sneak attacks from a wooded area.

Some research suggests that donkeys are more successful if they are kept alone with the sheep. As soon as they have other donkey companions, they tend to buddy up with them and the sheep become less important. The donkeys will form their own little “herd” and the donkey may no longer feel protective over the sheep when danger approaches.  This could happen also when horses or even cattle are included in the mix. The donkey might feel more herd affinity towards these species, than to the sheep.

The most functional guarding donkeys are those that are bonded to the sheep, similarly to livestock guardian dogs. The donkeys that are raised with sheep from a young age and are bonded to the flock will tend to be more protective, in this way very similar to how LGD are bonded to the sheep as puppies.  The sheep intuitively will tend to congregate around the largest animal in their pasture, in this case it would be the donkey. Donkeys are regarded as more effective against predators than cattle or horses as they seem to have a more inherent hatred toward canines. Unlike LGD, donkeys tend not to be purposefully protective of the sheep, instead they react aggressively towards a predator in their territory, or a jenny might be protective of her own young that is within the sheep pasture.  

As with all guardian animals, they all have their “pros and cons”. One advantage to utilizing donkeys are that they do not require specialized feed, they eat what the sheep eat. They can be contained in similar fencing as the sheep and are not prone to roaming like some LGD.
Overall, donkeys are also cheaper to purchase, often live longer and are less expensive to maintain in comparison to LGD.

Problems that people have with donkeys are comparable to some of the issues people have with LGD. Some donkeys are not bonded to the sheep and do not feel protective toward them. It is also well documented that they can be very aggressive towards the sheep and lambs, stomping on them, picking them up and shaking them. Intact males can be aggressive toward the sheep and people, if not gelded.  Occasionally the guard donkeys will chase the rams away from the ewes in breeding season, which would require them to be separated during this time. Perhaps, the biggest downfall could be that they can be aggressive towards your own farm dogs, making it hard to use herding or guardian dogs around them.

As donkeys are prey animals, it is not fair to choose a mini donkey be used as a guard animal, they need to be at least standard or large size. While I was in Portugal, many of the shepherds were quite horrified to hear that sheep keepers in North America purposefully use donkeys to guard the livestock. Stories were told to me how donkeys were the favoured animal for wolves to eat, how sheep were passed by, and the donkey was killed. They all asked how a prey animal could be effective in guarding against large predators?

I personally believe that there is no one solution to reducing predation. Predation management involves layering of different forms of deterrents.  If you are not able to utilize LGD, then adding a large donkey might be a good alternative. Having the donkey, might not prevent predation but it might still work as a deterrent, particularly if you are in open areas, with a smaller flock and where coyotes or stray dogs are the main predators. Having at least one form of predation mitigation strategy in place is always better than none.
Combining the donkey with deterrents such as foxlights or electric fencing, all add additional layers of protection around the sheep. In certain circumstances, a standard or large size donkey may be the only way to provide some form protection to the flock, however one does need to remember that using prey animals to guard against predators may not be the most effective strategy and in some areas, where large predators are in abundance, the donkey might become food to these predators.

Some people suggest that having just one donkey with the flock might be more effective, however donkeys that have been raised with, and bonded to the flock, might be more important than  the number of donkeys. A jenny and her baby would certainly capitalise on her protective instincts to keep her own baby safe from predators.