Guard Animals as Nonlethal Predator Control
Why use cyanide when you could use a llama?
Never, with them on guard need you fear for your stalls a midnight thief or an onslaught of wolves, or Iberian brigands at your back.”
Virgil
While the vast majority of livestock ranchers in the United States need not fear an attack from Iberian brigands, this quote by the famous ancient Greek poet Virgil still holds true. Virgil is referring to guard animals, an ancient practice that has lost its hold in the Western world, but that is just as effective, if not more so, in modern times. Guard animals are nonlethal to predators, promote animal welfare, protect the natural ecology of the environment, and decrease the costs of predation and wildlife control to both independent ranchers and the United States Government.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture spends an average of $100 million dollars a year culling predators at the request of livestock owners. It is simple to ask for mass slaughter in your local area; on the USDA website there is a phone number available for livestock owners to call, and they are not required to provide evidence or prove that they have attempted alternative methods of control before calling in the government. In 2013, about $84 million dollars was given to the USDA’s Wildlife Services Program for the purpose of “Wildlife Damage Control.” The methods used in this program are extreme; aerial gunning, poisoning, and lethal traps which spray aerosolized cyanide. These methods kill not only the intended predators but other animals in the ecosystem, including family pets and beneficial wildlife. The Environmental Protection Agency states that even some humans have been exposed to the deadly poisons intended for predators. The most common of these poisons is the cyanide trap, which uses bait to lure in a scavenger, then shoots cyanide into the back of their throat. These traps are not exclusive to coyotes or foxes, and can negatively affect the natural ecology of an ecosystem. Compound 1080 is another poison used by the USDA, though it is banned in all but 11 states. This toxin can take up to fifteen hours to completely kill and is considered inhumane by the majority of the country.
Despite these “Wildlife Damage Control” methods, which cull an average of 100,000 predators a year, livestock owners still lose thousands of animals annually. In 1999, the total loss of sheep alone was estimated to be 273,000 head, and these numbers have not dwindled in recent years. It has even been found that there are more livestock attacks from wolves following a population culling, and some ranchers have reported that poisons only serve to “…aid the coyotes population around their property, by ensuring that only the savviest bait-avoiding coyotes make up a large part of the gene-pool”.
Removing entire populations of predators can also be devastating to natural ecology. Without predators to monitor the herbivores in an ecosystem, these amazingly fertile species will breed in prolific numbers. If massive numbers of rabbits, deer, elk, and other herbivores descend upon the ecosystem, vegetation is depleted. In extreme cases documented, the herbivores have even removed all their possible forage and then perished themselves. Put that scenario in a location that also feeds herds of grazing livestock, and you have an ecological and agricultural disaster on your hands.
Enter the guard animal; an animal specifically trained or with the natural instinct to protect. The species of animals used vary from geese to camels, but the three most effective and most popular are the guard llama, guard dog, and guard donkey. Of these three, guard dogs are the most well-known, and the most popular.
Mostly used with sheep or goats, guard dogs are trained from birth to bond to the flock rather than humans or other dogs. The training regimen is arduous- about two years on average- and produces a working dog completely dedicated to its flock, alert for danger, and on duty 24 hours a day 365 days a year. The training involves placing a young puppy, around 8 weeks old, in a pen with lambs of the same age. The puppy is raised with the lambs, and as it bonds with them, is slowly moved into larger and larger pasture. Basic leash training and commands are taught, but human interaction is highly limited. This allows the dog to become so integrated into the flock that it can even be used on the open range. Studies show that properly trained guard dogs can reduce predation by as much as 93%, and these canines deter everything from coyotes and foxes to mountain lions and bears. Guard dogs are not a lethal method of predator control- the presence of a large dog is usually enough to send predators packing. However, in the event of a rare, aggressive predator who initiates contact, guard dogs will respond in kind.
Not every dog can be a guardian. One wouldn’t simply throw a pug into a field and expect predators to flee. Guard dog breeds are typically very large, around 100 pounds, with tan or white coloring to blend in with sheep, and have guardian blood in their ancestry for thousands of years. They are hardy, able to withstand the elements, and usually have thick coats. The most commonly used breeds are Great Pyrenees, Komondor, Akbash, Maremma, and Kangal. Other breeds, mainly from Hungary or Turkey, are used less commonly. These breeds produce the most effective guardians, though some of the individuals simply may not be suited to the task. Puppies from guarding breeds are selected based on their play, toy-guarding instincts, and personality. Herding dogs that we are familiar with seeing moving sheep, such as Border Collies or Australian Shepherds, are ineffective as guard dogs as their instinct are to control the livestock rather than protect or bond with it. In a survey of 70 sheep or goat farmers in 16 states and 2 Canadian provinces, 89% considered guard dogs to be an economic asset.
Guard dogs seem like a perfect solution to the predator problem, but there are some drawbacks involved. The long training period of an expensive puppy (averaging from $500 to $1,500) is usually a deterring factor for frugal farmers, though a dog only needs to save a few heads of sheep to effectively pay for itself. The training period is long and arduous, and dogs do require special food and some summer grooming. Guard dogs are also prone to early deaths due to traps, poisons, or cars and their territory must be checked for lethal predator traps that will in fact kill the real hero. While ungulates like llamas and donkeys are in their natural environment when protecting a flock, dogs are less commonly found in the elements.
Guard dogs are not for everyone, and require patience and long-term commitment, but when properly trained and managed, are the most effective predation deterrents available. But what if a farmer cannot afford a pedigree puppy? What if the predator problem is too severe to wait two years for a savior? There are alternatives.
Guard donkeys are belligerent by nature. Extremely aggressive towards canines and requiring only about a month to acclimate into a flock, they are effective against predators (especially coyotes), and are the most long-lived of the guardian animals- up to 35 years. Donkeys are very cheap, ranging from $75 to $250 for a large animal, and, unlike dogs, do not need special feed; they will graze with their flock. Easily the most economical of the guard animals, donkeys also come with the most difficulties. Only gelded males or females may be used, as intact males may attack livestock. Using herding dogs or exposing family dogs to guard donkeys is dangerous, and sometimes lethal for the dogs. Donkeys need to be used in smaller flocks, and in smaller pastures, and cannot be involved in lambing season, as they sometimes attack unfamiliar lambs. They were rated less effective than guard llamas or dogs in all studies, though they still made sizable dents in predation statistics. Economically the best bet, though sometimes a gamble, guardian-using farmers are firmly divided on the species, with some preaching their merits and others unimpressed.
Unlike both guard dogs and donkeys, guard llamas need no acclimation time to connect with their herd. Natural protectors of flocks, guard llamas take about two hours to become attached to a flock, and require no prior training or exposure to the species they are guarding. Guard llamas are extremely effective, with more than half of guard llama owners reporting a 100% reduction in predator loss, and according to Utah State University’s 1988 study, “…there have been reports that coyotes rarely, if ever attack sheep flocks with a llama in them.” In a study by Iowa State University on 145 farmers using guard llamas, the average annual loss of sheep flock before guard llamas were around 11% and dropped to 1% with a guard llama present.
Guard llamas are around $150 to $400, and, like donkeys, require no special feed. They graze with the flock, and their annual vet costs are around $8 a year. They live to about 15, and are the second most economically viable of the three main guard animals available, after donkeys. In the same study by Iowa State, 85% of the farmers with guard llamas said they would recommend them as predator control. Males, females, altered or unaltered are all used, though there have been reports of unaltered males attempting to breed with ewes, which could potentially be dangerous for the sheep involved. This is one of the few possible disadvantages to guard llamas, another of which is the fact that in warmer climates llamas should be shorn yearly to avoid overheating, much like sheep or some goat breeds. Guard llamas are extremely effective against foxes, coyotes, and feral dogs, though less effective against cougars than guard dogs, as these hunters may be large enough to find even a llama tantalizing. Unlike donkeys, guard llamas usually learn to differentiate between threatening predators and the family golden retriever, and they have even been known to herd their flocks, much like shepherd dogs. I can attest to the merits of guardian llamas- I have had three llamas and five alpacas in my lifetime, and each was an extremely effective alarm system for my property.
Predators have been a part of livestock farming since the practice began, and are vital to a balanced ecosystem. With the current control methods used by the United States Department of Agriculture, predators are being wiped out blindly, with no regard for the environmental repercussions, cost, or innocent casualties. Using guard animals to protect livestock can be as successful today as it was centuries ago in ancient Rome, with the correct training, management, and education. Though the use of guard animals is slowly gaining traction in the United States, the practice is still a far cry from the mainstream. By educating the public about these nonlethal, economical alternatives, this country can revolutionize the predator control industry as we know it and create a livestock agriculture industry that supports both farmers and natural ecology.
References
Wager, Frederick. Predator Control and the Sheep Industry. Utah State University, 1988. Print.
Green, Jeffery. Woodruff, Rodger. “Livestock Guarding Dogs.” United States Department of Agriculture, July 1999.
Woginrich, Jenna. “Natural Livestock Protectors: Guard Llamas, Dogs, and Donkeys.” Mother Earth News
Ekarius, Carol. “Protect Your Livestock from Predators.” Hobbyfarms.com, 2004.
Franklin, William. Powell, Kelly. Guard Llamas; a Part of Integrated Sheep Protection. Iowa State University. Ames, Iowa, 1994
