“We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes – something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters’ paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view.”
―Aldo Leopold

When we think of predation regarding livestock or wildlife what’s the first thought that comes to your mind? If I had to guess most people will say “control.” I have always taken a different approach. I prefer predator prevention. Predators play a vital role in their ecosystems just as much as the deer, quail, earth worms, livestock, etc. Profound impacts can occur when predators are wiped out. They play a vital role in keeping their prey populations in check, often removing the sick, injured or weak animals. Some of the better examples are wolves, lions, sharks and other top predators. The ones that effect us the most at Parker Creek Ranch are typically skunks, raccoons, coyotes and hawks predating our poultry. Their ecosystem roles are no less significant than some of the worlds top predators.

The idea of predator prevention is two fold: 1) provide healthy habitat to keep them and their prey content and 2) use Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGDs) to protect the livestock. Some other means of prevention may include fencing, but that often restricts the movement of other wildlife. Our overall land management strategies are designed to mimic nature as closely as possible. We strive to have diverse plant communities in our pastures which includes a balance of grasses, forbs and woody species. In the context of our location this would have historically supported a tall grass prairie mixed with dense stands of brush and trees along riparian areas. It would have looked much like a savanna several hundred years ago or less. In fact, we have a letter written in the 1840’s to our family in Alsace describing such a landscape. Though many species have since adapted to change our goal is to create a balance of those vegetative communities using various management strategies. Our primary strategy is animal impact with our cattle herd. The herd moves into a small area, grazes for a few days and then moves on not returning for six months or more. This allows the habitat ample time to recover from the “mob” of cattle. Because our grazing livestock moves quickly and the pasture is allowed to rest the wildlife (predators and prey) have more than enough habitat to share with our livestock. The pastures also remain in better condition during long periods of drought, which is also beneficial to the wildlife over the course of their lifetime.

LGDs have been used for thousands of years throughout the world by herders to protect their livestock. Their is now a myriad of breeds to choose from in the United States. We use three different breeds on our farm: Akbash, Pyrenees and Anatolian shepherds. They have very distinct behavioral characteristics. The Akbash likes to roam greater distances alone. She is probably our best dog, though the only time I see her is for the evening feed. The Pyrenees are fantastic guardian dogs, but a bit more on the aggressive side. The major downfall is their long hair doesn’t suit this often very hot climate. We have two Anatolian/Pyrenees crosses are good dogs, but I feel like the Anatolian takes off too much of that defensive/aggressive edge to make a good LGD.

All three breeds have a very natural instinct to guard animals that they bond with. In our case we have trained them to bond with and protect our poultry. We purchase the dogs from reputable breeders at about 8 to 10 weeks old. From day one they live and eat with the poultry. Slowly, but surely over time their instinct to guard naturally develops. The biggest problem you will encounter during the training phase is that they want to play with their livestock. When a hundred pound dog plays with a three pound chicken you can only guess what happens to that chicken.

I have visually observed over the years our farms ecosystem become more resilient and robust through better management. Bobwhite quail numbers are higher than they have been for decades, our white-tailed deer populations are healthy and not over populated (we also control deer populations with hunting) and we don’t seem to have any major predator problems with our poultry or other livestock. Of course we loose a chicken or two occasionally to hawks, but that simply comes down to a numbers game. When you have a thousand hens and a few roam too far from the the safety of their shelter and guardian dog there is a chance that they could get picked off by predators. It’s kind of like survival of the fittest, just in this case it’s who’s smart enough not to roam off too far.

There are people throughout the world using a myriad of guardian animals to protect their livestock. Ultimately it comes down to managing the landscape in a way that the wildlife and livestock can live harmoniously. I hope this gives you a deeper understanding of predator prevention and how to take steps towards achieving that goal. There typically isn’t a need for predator control when proper steps are taken to prevent.