Farm Guard Animals

The Guardians of Vulnerable Livestock

What do donkeys, dogs, and llamas have in common? They are all farm protectors: guardians of vulnerable livestock. We chatted with three area farmers to learn more about their livestock guardian animals.

Meet Victoria, guard donkey at Sandy Acres Farm. Victoria effortlessly mingles with her herd of cattle as though she is one of them. The difference is, she is on the lookout for predators. With keen hearing and eyesight, donkeys are naturally territorial, and alert farmers and their herd of predators with their distinct “hee haw!” They challenge intruders by kicking, charging, and biting. It only takes six weeks of interacting with their herd for the guard donkey to bond with its farm family and commit to protecting it.

At Little Doo’s Farm, Franki and Gianni are Maremmas, livestock guardian dogs (LGD) that originated in Italy and are believed to be the stock from which the other large white LGDs such as the Great Pyrenees, Kuvasz, and Komondor originated. Franki and Gianni sleep a lot during the day but patrol all night long. They are independent working animals, not pets, and they guard their domain fiercely. They have access to the barn year-round for shade in the summer and to get out of the winter weather.

At Reidridge Farm, protecting their sheep and cattle herd from wolves and coyotes is serious business.

Reidridge has LGDs that are a cross between an Anatolian shepherd and an Akbash. They also have a LGD in training—a male guardian puppy, which is an Akbash-Pyrenees cross. These big LGDs have natural predator control instincts. They are protective of their livestock, and the territory that they manage. They have a job; they are not meant to be pets.

Reidridge Farm also has a guardian llama on site. Llamas can see predators far away, particularly in daylight, and make a loud, cackling sound to alert the livestock and the farmers that something is amiss. The herds can tell if there is a predator that is a concern by the sounds their guardian makes.

Predator attacks on livestock decrease when a livestock guardian donkey, dog, or llama is on the job, making these beautiful creatures very valuable to farmers, and a great addition to any herd.