Shepherds have been trying, with varying degrees of success, to protect their flocks from predators for, as long as there have been domesticated animals. For the most part these efforts have used two main techniques; guard the livestock and/or kill the predators. In the sheep and goat country of the western U.S. an intense program of predator eradication was undertaken beginning in the late 1940's. Trapping and poison had been used for many years in this area but nothing like the widespread use of long lasting systemic poisons that virtually eliminated the larger predators such as coyotes, wolves, bears, cougars, bobcats, eagles and foxes over a large area. The program also greatly reduced the numbers of the smaller predators like skunks, raccoons, hawks and owls as well as those of carrion eaters such as opossums, vultures and crows. The program made the sheep and goats in the area safe from predators but at a tremendous cost; the removal of predators allowed the populations of prey animals to explode and consume the vegetation needed by the livestock. In the early 1950's there were areas in west Texas where jackrabbits consumed all of the grass and forbs as fast as it grew leaving nothing for livestock. In these same areas, packrats were so numerous that they stripped the bark off of and killed the valuable browse plant species relied upon by goats and deer. Many in the livestock industry did not wish to recognize it but the value of predators in natures' scheme had been forcefully demonstrated. Though somewhat harder to recognize, also demonstrated was the danger we incur when we manage against what we don't want instead of for what we do what. If our management focus is on producing healthy soil, healthy plants and healthy animals many of our problems with disease, parasites, predators and weeds will automatically be greatly reduced.
Predators in sheep country are like cold viruses in a schoolyard; they are always around and always ready for a victim. Holding predator losses to a reasonable level requires a multiple facet approach that addresses a number of factors including: the type and concentration of predators, the experience of predators as stock killers, the availability of prey species other than sheep and goats and the attractiveness of the livestock to the predators. If there are experienced stock killers present that have been accustomed to making their living by killing sheep; very little can be done except to remove the killers be they coyotes, bobcats or whatever. By the same token if predators are present and are not killing stock; these animals, because they are highly territorial, become a powerful deterrent to keep other predators that might be killers from coming into the area. As strange as it seems, a coyote that is not killing stock is the sheepmans' best friend; not only does he control rabbits and rats that compete with the sheep for feed but he acts as a guard to keep other coyotes out. Normally predators take sheep and goats as prey because the livestock is more readily available than their normal prey or because the livestock is an easier kill. If lambs or kids are being born in the dead of winter when there are no baby rats and rabbits around, the new lambs and kids become a powerful temptation to every predator in the area. The sloppy stockman that allows young to be born at all seasons and thus always has young animals being left behind the flock, will soon find that he has created stock killers. The same is true of stockmen that allow their animals to become scattered at low stock density over a large area due to sparse graze or other reasons. An animal away from the herd is much more likely to be taken by a predator than is the animal that stays with the herd. Penning at night can be an effective predator deterrent but almost as good results can be achieved by training the livestock to come together at night on a bed-ground in a compact mass. These bed grounds can be changed regularly to prevent parasite and disease buildup and to prevent land degradation. Sheep and goats die and allowing the carcasses to be consumed by predators or even by carrion eaters is to invite these animals to become stock killers. Animals such as black vultures, that are not normally killers can be corrupted by the sequence of eating dead lambs to eating afterbirth to attacking the female and baby during the birth process. A crippled predator that lacks mobility is much more apt to become a stock killer because he always knows where the sheep are and doesn't have to travel to find prey. Sloppy trapping and poor shooting have created many stock killers but even good predator control programs are valuable only when they are targeted at stock killers. Predator density is controlled largely by the size of the food supply. When food is scarce litter sizes go down and fewer young survive; when food is plentiful more young are born and a larger percentage of them make it to maturity. When predator numbers are reduced, the prey animal populations explode and more predators will come in to exploit the increased food supply.
Guard dogs can be one of the best ways to protect sheep and goats and a main reason that guard dogs are effective is that they reduce the prey animal populations by hunting and thus make the area less desirable to predators. Guard dogs best protect livestock by controlling an area centered on the location of their charges. If the dogs are fenced in with the livestock, they are at a disadvantage since they cannot patrol the surrounding area and intercept predators away from the livestock. There have been instances where coyotes have been seen to dive between the wires of an electric fence grab a lamb and dive back through the fence before dogs with the sheep could react. The predators soon learn if dogs are fenced in and unable to give chase and will make use of this information. Dogs are the most widely used guard animals but llamas, donkeys and horses have been used successfully. To be effective, these animals must be bonded with the sheep or goats and unlike dogs work best when only a single animal is used per flock. These animals are most useful when paddock sizes are small and fairly open. Some people have had success bonding cattle with sheep or goats and running the two together but this practice is hard to manage when grazing rotationally or with large numbers of animals. Although possible, it requires elaborate fencing and constant vigilance to fence predators away from livestock and it is seldom practical to on large areas.
Walt Davis © 2007