Shorthorns4us said:
It appears that there is a Great Pyrnees guard dog in the background?
I know they work really well for sheep and goats as guardians, but do they also work as cow guardians, or do the cows just get stressed out having a dog around when they are calving or have young calves?
thanks
EF
In the whole 'unseen' picture- there are 2 GP's and an Anatolian on the place. Prior to this summer- the sheep outnumbered the cattle 10:1.... Until I moved away with my new job a year ago- and took 98% of the sheep with me to my new house. The Anatolian's smoke show beat the GP's for personal preference.. Basically, a longer legged, short haired- more athletic version.
guardians? Mostly just food eaters and house sitters. Although- we rarely lose an animal to a non flying predator of any species. The next grain bin put up-- will be for dog food.
It is not uncommon for the dogs to assist in licking off newborns- they have an understanding-- it's natural-- seriously..
Stressed and Agitated? Leave that to the border collies. It has been said on many occasion- the coin flip b/w the bull and one border collie will determine who kills who first. They pick like grade schoolers.
Good story though- the first GP we purchased did in fact save something to do with the cattle. One night she yapped all night long- mom got up to check and make sure something wasn't getting one of her broody birds out back in the wood pile- flipped the yard lights and house lights on. Nothing there- dog shut up. Next morning as I was leaving for school- the heifers from our pasture down the road (1/4 mile away) came running up our driveway. I opened the barn lot- and ran them inside- called grandparents to come and put them back where they belonged as I had to get to school--- upon getting home that night- figured out that the night before (while dog barking) someone had opened the gates to that pasture and had backed up to the barn (tire tracks in the dry dirt prooved), whether they were trying to load up a load of heifers to steal-- or the 2 pulling tractors on the trailor backed into the shed-- nobody knows. Once mom had flipped the lightes on-- they had left-- ripping the gate off the hinges and leaving it open. The GP saved the day-- that time.
