Thursday, August 11, 2016

A Day on The Farm


Hello blog readers.  Here I am for another guest blog.  I figured since the whole coyote problem has surfaced, I should provide more details.  For fifteen years, I have maintained a good relationship with the coyotes.  I admire and respect them, and they used to (I think) have pretty much the same attitude towards me.  I am not sure why there is a problem this year, but there definitely is.  

Here is how it started.  One sunny afternoon, I was clipping the pasture on half of my field behind the barn.  I was on my tractor, using a seven-foot sickle-bar mower.  I noticed the sheep grazing on the other side of the field in the tall grass, which was due to be clipped the following week.  After about an hour, I noticed the sheep running to the barn, and I wondered what that was all about, but I was not alarmed.  When I was done clipping, I went to the barn and checked the sheep, and all looked fine.  I did not count them, as they are REALLY hard to count! 

The next day, when went they went outside, I noticed one lamb hanging back.  She looked fine, but she was walking slowly.  To my horror, when she went past, I could see how her whole side was ripped open.  After much searching around, I was finally able to get a vet over, but the lamb had to be put down, as her injuries were too severe.  

At that point, I got an accurate count on the lambs and determined that another was missing, never to be found.  Now, you are probably wondering where Bess was during the attack, and I will tell you that she was in the house!  It was a brutally hot afternoon that day, and I was using a sickle-bar mower!  I NEVER have any dogs or cats outside while using such equipment.  

Of course, I was horrified that this happened and felt very responsible and guilty that I had let my sheep down.  I then began my stint as an official shepherd, watching those sheep every second that they were out grazing.  Last Thursday, I decided that it might be a good idea to shoot my .22 gun off, just to make a scary noise.  First I did a perimeter check with Bess and Kelsey to check for any invaders.  Finding nothing, I put the dogs in the house again because it was very humid, and they were very hot from their patrol around the farm.  I then took the gun and went to let the sheep out and watch them.  After about an hour, they had drifted about 200 feet from the barn, so I ran in the barn to check my 100 Freedom Ranger chicks.  Immediately, I felt nervous about the sheep, so I ran back out to count them (for the billionth time).  All of a sudden, I saw a ewe pick her head up in alarm, and a coyote came streaking out after one of my lambs at about one hundred MPH.  

There I was with a loaded gun in my hands screaming and running as fast as I could towards this coyote, who totally ignored me!!  Finally, I stopped and let a shot off, which did make the coyote take notice, and he left.  Luckily no lambs were hurt.  The next day, my neighbor that has land adjacent to mine lost a lamb (he began a flock three years ago, when I gave him a couple of ewe lambs).  So now I am totally shook up. 

Bess really does her serious patrolling at night, and she does not stay with the flock, as I have not raised her that way.  If you remember, I mostly wanted a guard dog to guard the farmstead, keeping the chickens, border collies, and me safe.  I always fall way too much in love with my dogs to have a dog that stays with the flock all the time.  I am very happy with Bess, and to be totally honest, I would rather lose the whole flock of sheep and herd of cattle than have something happen to Bess.  That is just the way it is, although I do very much care for my sheep and cattle and will do my best to protect them.  

I agree with Kris that hunting the coyotes down is really not the answer, so I have got to do a lot of thinking and develop a new plan to keep everyone safe.  A donkey or a llama are possibilities, although I have heard both very good and bad things about both of these options.  All of your input regarding this matter is welcome.  Meanwhile, I will watch over the sheep while carrying a loaded gun, although I probably will not aim to hit any coyotes.  The sheep know I am aware of the danger, and they know I have got their backs.   

Now let's hope Kris posts lots of pictures of Bess, Kelsey, scout and the farm just to cheer us all up.








8 comments:

  1. You'r right about guard donkeys, the good and the not so good. First you have to get a donkey that will bond with sheep. If you get one donkey, it will more likely bond with the sheep, but it may be lonely for a donkey companion. Two will be happy, but may ignore the sheep! There are many donkeys out there doing a good job guarding, both single and doubles but not all work out. If you do go the donkey way, get one(or two) that are big enough to do the job, big or large standards. Miniatures are NOT big enough to do the job, they may try, but they can't stand up against two or three coyotes. I've never seen any coyotes in my pasture (6 standards)! :-) Good luck with what ever you try.

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  2. Guess I was wrong about the donkey, FB. I thought you'd never consider it. But your Pal Kris is very knowledgeable about donkeys and I'm sure she would help you 'adjust' to an equine on your farm! And they are very good guards against coyotes .

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  3. And then there's the need to get the donkeys to accept your dogs as part of their family.

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  4. So sorry to hear of your new problem! It may be that the old, benign coyote pack was displaced by one that is used to preying on sheep or the drought is pushing making natural food sources more scarce and so they are venturing into taking alternative prey. :-( I would bell all the sheep. The clanging when they run will alert you and it may discourage a coyote at least for a short time. I'd also rethink not trying to shoot to kill a coyote. Something has changed the balance and now that this group knows sheep can be taken they will keep trying. They are hungry every day. If you can eliminate those that are trying/taking lambs it may stop or slow down their killing.

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    1. I have contacted a man in our town that is a very knowledgeable and responsible hunter. He is going to come over to my farm and check the situation out. I don't think I would be the one to kill a coyote. What if I only wounded him? I have never shot anything before, and I am a little concerned about how I would do. The bell idea is a good one!!

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  5. First off, I'm really sorry to hear of the loss of your lambs, and the predator problems you are having. But guard donkeys are really not a good idea for number of reasons. Their diet is completely different then your sheep. Many if not most will not bond with the sheep enough to guard them. They will never bond with your dogs and just kill coyote, they are all canine, and if it will guard from the coyote, it will try to kill you dogs, too. Donkeys are equines, need all the things all equines need, regular hoof trimming, worming, vaccines, correct diet, therefore need to be handled and gentled. One donkey, even a standard cannot stand up to a pack of coyote, and it's not pretty what pack can do to a lone donkey. A mammoth does not have the personality to guard. And if you get 2 or 3 donkeys, they will not care about the sheep, just each other, they are herd creatures. Please, don't put a donkey in that position. As for llama, I don't really know, but have heard it hit and miss on their guarding ability. How about good fencing to keep the coyote out of your sheep pasture?

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    1. You sound just like Kris!! She has the same concerns. Well she wasn't as worried about my dogs, but I certainly am!! I don't want any equines messing with my dogs!! I am trying to make my fence tighter, but there is always that worry that they will find a place where they could sneak in. However, it probably would certainly help. I am lukewarm on the llama idea, but I have never actually met a llama. Thanks for your comment.

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  6. We even have coyotes here in the suburbs. When i had my smallish dog, Skittles, I never let her out at night except that I was with her. Zac has grown tough and feisty (not with people, though) and he LOVES to stay out almost all the time. I pity the fool coyote who tries to tangle with him. He stays out most of the night and wants back out first thing in the morning. He loves his yard more than any of my dogs ever have. I wish you success in dealing with this problem. Poor lamb, that makes me sad. Good luck.

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