We only have seven acres and we have three guardian dogs. One for ewes, one
for rams, and a third for a breeding group or sheep isolated for whatever
reason. We are the only farm in our neighborhood who has not lost livestock
to predators (we have cougar, coyote, bobcat, and eagles), and all our dogs
have battle scars. The dogs collectively eat 4-5 lbs of dog food per day
depending on the weather, but we love them. The ewes also go in the barn at
night, and we shut them in during lambing (that's actually so we don't have
to chase down newborn lambs in the pasture!)
If we are only using two pastures we double up the dogs in one pasture. The
third dog is also very helpful if we decide to have puppies.
Eileen Breedlove
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Today's Topics:
1. Anti coyote fence ideas (Michael Smith)
2. Re: Anti coyote fence ideas (Jann Bach)
3. Re: Anti coyote fence ideas (Rusty Iron Acres)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 4 May 2014 08:50:45 -0700
From: Michael Smith <mwsmotorspo...@gmail.com>
To: "blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info"
<blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info>
Subject: [Blackbelly] Anti coyote fence ideas
Message-ID: <6c22c670-463a-48b0-89be-6d3faa5da...@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I finally saw it as some list-members described: a full grown coyote run up
to my 4.5 foot tall fence and just scale it. It was last night after a
previous night coyote attack that killed my two beloved miniature Pygmy
goats and harmed my toe other pygmys. The sheep were unscathed. I know
lessons in shepherding are hard-earned and I had been thinking about coyotes
considering last years June attack. This year I thought I was being safer.
Had the animals in the central pasture--which has no holes in the fence, the
dog was in the pasture next door. I had been letting her in with the ewes
and goats at night, but stopped doing it, since I have two ewes in a paddock
that are ready to lamb and I was trying to "not stress them out too much".
That was a mistake.
So, after cleaning up the mess yesterday and figuring out one goat has a
limp and the other has a partially paralyzed tongue, I decided to move
Sheila, our dog's home, permanently with the ewes and goats.
I have one of those 1000 candle LED flashlights (which, while costing around
$80-100, I highly recommend--they go forever and look like daylight ) and
went out around 10pm as I had also at 9:00 and 9:30. This time, I was just
in time to hear Sheila growl and see a fully grown coyote lope up to the
fence and use just a few steps to scale it and hop over.
Will simply making the fence straight and higher help? Or I was thinking of
doing something like prison fencing where the fence angles at a 45 degree up
higher and makes it so a climbing coyote would be almost upside down at the
top.
http://wolfdogproject.com/fence/leanin2.jpg
Seems easier and safer than an electrical system along the top edge, which I
am thinking the coyotes might not mind a shock, if there's a good meal
Having the dog in there will certainly help, and I plan to try to lock the
animals in the smaller gated paddocks at night and also, amend their paddock
fencing so they go to the roof. Basically a box, for sleeping in.
The other question, can people with a single burro or llama actually claim
they have never sustained an attack after getting the larger animal?
-MIchael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies
Sent from my iPad
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sun, 4 May 2014 12:21:47 -0600
From: Jann Bach <mtnrdgr...@aol.com>
To: "blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info"
<blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info>
Cc: "blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info"
<blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info>
Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Anti coyote fence ideas
Message-ID: <39787586-218a-4c26-b081-857d77bc6...@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I put a 4" pvc pipe on the top of the fence. Makes it nearly impossible to
scale as they have no traction to grab the top of the fence. I can further
elaborate if anyone is interested.
Jann
Sent from my iPhone
On May 4, 2014, at 9:50 AM, Michael Smith <mwsmotorspo...@gmail.com>
wrote:
I finally saw it as some list-members described: a full grown coyote run
up to my 4.5 foot tall fence and just scale it. It was last night after a
previous night coyote attack that killed my two beloved miniature Pygmy
goats and harmed my toe other pygmys. The sheep were unscathed. I know
lessons in shepherding are hard-earned and I had been thinking about coyotes
considering last years June attack. This year I thought I was being safer.
Had the animals in the central pasture--which has no holes in the fence, the
dog was in the pasture next door. I had been letting her in with the ewes
and goats at night, but stopped doing it, since I have two ewes in a paddock
that are ready to lamb and I was trying to "not stress them out too much".
That was a mistake.
So, after cleaning up the mess yesterday and figuring out one goat has a
limp and the other has a partially paralyzed tongue, I decided to move
Sheila, our dog's home, permanently with the ewes and goats.
I have one of those 1000 candle LED flashlights (which, while costing
around $80-100, I highly recommend--they go forever and look like daylight )
and went out around 10pm as I had also at 9:00 and 9:30. This time, I was
just in time to hear Sheila growl and see a fully grown coyote lope up to
the fence and use just a few steps to scale it and hop over.
Will simply making the fence straight and higher help? Or I was thinking
of doing something like prison fencing where the fence angles at a 45 degree
up higher and makes it so a climbing coyote would be almost upside down at
the top.
http://wolfdogproject.com/fence/leanin2.jpg
Seems easier and safer than an electrical system along the top edge,
which I am thinking the coyotes might not mind a shock, if there's a
good meal
Having the dog in there will certainly help, and I plan to try to lock the
animals in the smaller gated paddocks at night and also, amend their paddock
fencing so they go to the roof. Basically a box, for sleeping in.
The other question, can people with a single burro or llama actually claim
they have never sustained an attack after getting the larger animal?
-MIchael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies
Sent from my iPad
_______________________________________________
This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's
homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sun, 4 May 2014 14:42:10 -0600
From: Rusty Iron Acres <rustyironac...@gmail.com>
To: "blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info"
<blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info>
Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Anti coyote fence ideas
Message-ID: <63018101-8c1e-42a1-9df1-dc1d4db93...@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Our fence is 48" Bekaert high tensile field fence, with a row of barbed wire
3-4" above that.
On the same posts (on perimeter fencing) we run a hot wire 7" from the
ground, powered by a high quality fence energizer. We have bungy gates at
each gate.
In the last 3-4 years, we've only lost two lambs (since we added the hot
perimeter wire).
We often hear the coyotes contact the wire while trying to go under the
fence.
We have a pile of coyotes (sometimes literally). Two years ago, I killed
over 70 on my quarter section alone.
Doug Noyes
On May 4, 2014, at 9:50 AM, Michael Smith <mwsmotorspo...@gmail.com>
wrote:
I finally saw it as some list-members described: a full grown coyote run
up to my 4.5 foot tall fence and just scale it. It was last night after a
previous night coyote attack that killed my two beloved miniature Pygmy
goats and harmed my toe other pygmys. The sheep were unscathed. I know
lessons in shepherding are hard-earned and I had been thinking about coyotes
considering last years June attack. This year I thought I was being safer.
Had the animals in the central pasture--which has no holes in the fence, the
dog was in the pasture next door. I had been letting her in with the ewes
and goats at night, but stopped doing it, since I have two ewes in a paddock
that are ready to lamb and I was trying to "not stress them out too much".
That was a mistake.
So, after cleaning up the mess yesterday and figuring out one goat has a
limp and the other has a partially paralyzed tongue, I decided to move
Sheila, our dog's home, permanently with the ewes and goats.
I have one of those 1000 candle LED flashlights (which, while costing
around $80-100, I highly recommend--they go forever and look like daylight )
and went out around 10pm as I had also at 9:00 and 9:30. This time, I was
just in time to hear Sheila growl and see a fully grown coyote lope up to
the fence and use just a few steps to scale it and hop over.
Will simply making the fence straight and higher help? Or I was thinking
of doing something like prison fencing where the fence angles at a 45 degree
up higher and makes it so a climbing coyote would be almost upside down at
the top.
http://wolfdogproject.com/fence/leanin2.jpg
Seems easier and safer than an electrical system along the top edge,
which I am thinking the coyotes might not mind a shock, if there's a
good meal
Having the dog in there will certainly help, and I plan to try to lock the
animals in the smaller gated paddocks at night and also, amend their paddock
fencing so they go to the roof. Basically a box, for sleeping in.
The other question, can people with a single burro or llama actually claim
they have never sustained an attack after getting the larger animal?
-MIchael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies
Sent from my iPad
_______________________________________________
This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's
homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
------------------------------
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Visit this list's home page at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info/
End of Blackbelly Digest, Vol 10, Issue 32
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