Tired of Chasing Off Raccoons, Foxes, Coyotes, and Bears!
We had always dreamt of having chickens on our property but were reluctant due to the heavy predator load in our area.
In 2009, it became a reality when we won a small raffle at a feed barn while attending a “Raising Chickens” workshop…the prize was several Barred Rock chicks and all the equipment to raise them! Our family was so excited, we brought our chicks home and began building our first coop.
While our new coop was very secure and we had some protection dogs tethered right next to the coop…the predators were a serious threat. On our first property in Calaveras County, we had a major problem with ferocious raccoons. They would stop at nothing to rip into the coop and behead our chickens while trying to pull them through the holes in the mesh they created! It was so heartbreaking, especially when you raise your chickens from chicks - to see them mutilated that way. We were able to catch the 8-10 raccoons in the act and deter them by treeing one, dispatching it and leaving its body as a warning to the others. This sounds gruesome, but unfortunately we were at our wits end trying to protect our chickens…and our dogs - which the raccoons had attacked as well on several occasions.
In 2017 we moved to a five acre wooded parcel in Amador County, bringing our chickens and dogs along. To our dismay, we had a much larger predator load here, the raccoons were back plus foxes, coyotes and bears! While we had protection dogs for the property, they did not ward off the predators and occasionally would harm our chickens. We would chase off the predators with a stick in hand while they carried off our hens by mouth; sometimes they would drop the hen…other times they were able to make off with them and have their chicken dinner. We knew we had to do something different, at this point we were so tired of chasing off raccoons, foxes, coyotes and bears almost on a daily basis.
“We would chase off the predators with a stick in hand while they carried off our hens by mouth - we knew we had to do something different”
In 2020 we finally decided to get our first Livestock Guardian dog and chose to go with a Great Pyrenees and Anatolian blend due to their attentive guardian disposition and gentle nature. It was clear that after only one year of minimal training, our beloved ‘Aspen’ had innate livestock guardian tendencies and was eager to work. She took little training, was gentle with our large flock of chickens from the beginning and kept EVERY predator out of our fenced property - including aerial predators and even the squirrels! We wondered why we hadn’t gotten a Livestock Guardian dog sooner.
Meanwhile, members of our community would share heart wrenching stories of how their livestock and/or poultry were slaughtered by the heavy predator load in our area. We began sharing with our community, about the benefits of owning a Livestock Guardian dog and what an asset it/they can be for a farm/homestead with animals that need guarding. Aspen was a true testimony to that! It was then that we decided to acquire our second Livestock Guardian dog, ‘Zion’, and went with a male Great Pyrenees and Akbash blend. Since Aspen was mature and a well seasoned Livestock Guardian dog when we got Zion, she was able to assist with his training. He quickly learned how to be gentle with the chickens and ward off predators along Aspen’s side. They now work the property together and are best of friends! We invested a lot of time and research on practicing animal husbandry with our LGDs since they both had amazing Livestock Guardian skills, sweet & gentle dispositions and optimal health/genetics.
“When you invest so much time, money and energy into raising your animals, of course you’re going to want to protect them.”
We are now very passionate about providing well raised LGD puppies for working farms and/or homesteads, LGDs are truly one of the greatest assets a farmer or homesteader could possess. When you invest so much time, money and energy into raising your animals, of course you’re going to want to protect them. We will never regret the decision to acquire and raise our LGDs, the only regret we have is that we didn't do this sooner!
Zion keeping watch on the property (picture above).
Sweet family portrait, Aspen (left) & Zion (right) posing with two of their little LGD girls (picture below).
