Predator and Prey Non-lethal Controls Livestock Guardian Dogs Zak Zena Bisquit Z-2 Home

LIVESTOCK GUARDIAN DOGS AND PREDATORS

Nonlethal Predator Controls

Primary predators in Colorado include bear, mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, eagle, owl, fox, and domestic dogs. Studies of sheep and lamb losses indicate that the coyote (or at least the canine) is by far the most lethal livestock predator, three times worse than the mountain lion and black bear combined. Eagles and dogs (not necessarily including dog packs) are a far third. Bobcats and fox are of minimal danger. In my area, I have a pack of coyotes as well as bear, big cats and dogs. The coyotes usually* avoid my land, probably due to the presence of the ranch's dogs. Both mountain lion and bear have crossed my property at night without incident (except to one snowshoe hare), as the alpacas are in the barn.

Enlightened sheep and cattle ranchers use a combination of the following (not all of which are appropriate to alpaca ranches) to prevent primarily coyote predation:

• Avoiding the use of certain pastures (with hight-density coyotes) during certain periods (like lambing or severe weather)
• Improving wildlife habitat to increase the small mammals population (alternate predator food source)
• Protecting non-depredating coyotes (who will keep out other coyotes thus preventing depredating coyotes moving into their territory)
• Rotating temporary use of light and noise deterrents
• Providing shelter
• Hiring seasonal herders
• Installing wire and electric fencing/LI>
• Providing shelter
• Hiring seasonal herders
• Installing wire and electric fencing
• Using guard dogs, llamas, goats, mules, and/or donkeys (making sure the number of guardians is appropriate to the number of animals to be protected and the size of the territory to protect)
• Maintaining healthy herds
• Removing carcasses and other "temptations" like afterbirth, which will draw coyotes, and keeping manure and other "attractive" odors under control.

On my small acreage, the barn is 200 feet downhill from the house on a wooded mountainside at just below 10,000 feet elevation. The perimeter is fenced. Four pastures surround the barn. The alpacas are protected by:

• The proximity to the house, people, and even the pet dogs
• The presence of an LGD who is a "territory guardian" and guard llama
• A motion light outside the barn
• Fencing and cross-fencing
• The fact that they are confined inside the barn from dusk to dawn. (I would not use noise as I think it would be too stressful for the alpacas, which is the same reason I would not choose to confine them entirely.)

In addition, after a coyote attack*, I am adding the following:

• hot wires at the top and bottom of (6" away from) the perimeter fencing
• two additional LGDs, in this case "flock guardians" to stay with the herd
• a barn cam (these don't work in metal buildings), with sound and a software program so I can watch the barn, especially during birthing times, from my office computer.

Only total confinement can guarantee complete protection from predators and that is neither possible nor desirable. But we can protect our alpacas by using a combination of common sense techniques and good husbandry practices based on evaluation of our particular situation.

This site offers more about predators and their control.

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