LGD vs Burros

[Taffy]

I was reading an article in Caprine News this morning about experiences with LGD's over the years and the pluses and minuses of them. I am also reading a novel where they use burros to protect the livestock. Have any of you ever used burros? It seems to me the burros would be a better choice in many ways for protection. No barking, prowling off the property, etc.

[Charlie Horse]

Problem is I think a burrow might kill your goats. Had a friend that had a donkey and it killed both his barbados sheep one morning.

[Taffy]

There is a lot of good information about different animals used for guarding goats & sheep here: http://agrilife.org/texnatwildlife/coyot...r-control/

I would guess like any guard animal a lot of it is in the training &/or natural instincts of the individual animal.

[Dave-Trinity-Farms]

Dont know about burrows but donkeys for sure. But like Charlie said, they can be dangerous. If I did a one, Id pick a donkey over a burrow. I would get a week old and raise it on goats milk and have it with the goats from that point on. So it would never question them. What Id research is what would be better. A castrated male or a female.

[Dwite Sharp]

There were originaly four equines on this planet, the horse, the zebra, the donkey and another that has been extinct for a long long time. A burro is a donkey ! Burro is just another name for a standard size donkey coming from the south western part of the USA. There are four sizes of donkeys, minature, Standard, large standard, and the mammoth. The donkey is the more inteligent of the equine species (horse people don't want to hear it though). Donkeys that are treated with respect are generaly very dosile creatures, although they do not tolerate violence. A properly treated jenny (female) or a gelding (neutered male) can do a good job as a guardian of livestock. Although they tend to not prowl the perimeters at night, so the night time preditors might get alittle closer than I would like. I have six mammoth donkeys ranging from 13.5 hands to 16.2 hands. They all reside with the does and kids in a 15+ acre pasture and coral. Never a mishap, ever, in 12 years of donkeys. I do prefer a LGD over the donkeys. The correct LGD is more thorough and will prowl the perimeter all night long. The correct LGD is capable of catching a coyote and the coyotes (being very smart) will soon learn this and will not get to close. I use strictly Purebred Anatolians, no crosses. Have had a total of 5 in a 16+ year span. I start with 11 or12 week pups only. No already used LGD's for me ! I have one 130 lb male (Casey) with about 35 does and kids, 6 donkeys, 15 chickens and 80 guineas. He is the "Sheriff" and does a spectacular job. None of my Anatolians "ever" romed like the other breeds.[/size]