Meat Goat Blog

Defending Your Herd with Livestock Guardian Dogs

What do coyotes, cougars, wolves, and thieves all have in common? They are all major threats to your goat herd! So how can you protect the livestock that you have worked so hard to raise? Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGD's) are the solution that we like best!

Aside from hiring a professional security guard to stay with your herd at all times, there is no more effective way to defend your herd than a good set of Livestock Guardian Dogs. LGD's are great because they stay with the goats all day and are not afraid to chase the predators off of your property. But they will also cut down on the two-legged predators as well! While a llama or donkey will do just fine defending the herd against coyotes and wolves, a potential goat thief would probably be undeterred. But throw in a pack of dogs, and the criminals will have to think twice before tampering with your livestock!

Finding a good pack of dogs is a difficult task though (believe me). Odds are you'll need to go through quite a few dogs to find the right ones. If you're just starting out in the goat business, I suggest you try to find a herd dispersal where they wouldn't mind parting with one of their experienced guardians. But after you get a good adult, pups are usually the best option - that way the older dog can train the pups without the clashes that occur when two bull-headed adults have a disagreement.

Be sure to check out our directory of Livestock Guardian Dogs for sale.

Goat Veterinarians

Occasionally we get calls from exasperated first time goat ranchers who are looking for help finding a 'Goat Veterinarian.' Starting off in agriculture, you wouldn't really think about it - but most vets don't treat goats (or horses, or sheep, or cows etc.). Since most animals that go the vet on a regular basis are either dogs or cats, a lot more DVM's are only interested in 'domestic' species. So where do you go when your animals really need some professional attention?

Well depending on how dire your straits are, most times an experienced fellow livestock owner can tell you just about anything you need to know about general maintenance and care (for questions about feeding, worming, grooming etc.). Otherwise, it's probably best to locate and contact a veterinarian whose practice is focused on commercial livestock. A lot of times they can be kind of hard to find - so don't be afraid to ask around! (and remember, you want to know who to call before you need to call them) So look around. Go to the local feed store. Just don't wait until it's an emergency!