this place is worthless for my needs

[9445]

this place is worthless for my needs

 

[Mini Horses]

Probably most will suggest daytime pastures, barn & paddock nights...several adult, well trained LGDs 24/7. It works for most. Research it. We have a lot of threads on BYH sister site on both dogs and sheep.

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

I grew up in MN and our neighbors had sheep, lots of them. They were as @Mini Horses said, out to graze during the day and in the barn at night. They rotated pastures during the spring, summer and fall, and then (I believe) kept them in one large area in the winter. They had a few dogs running around, don't believe they were specifically LGDs, but they worked. Also, electric fence was involved.

 

[baymule]

Like @Mini Horses said, go to BYH and read the LGD and Predator forums. Lots of information there and you seem to want to be well informed.

I raise sheep. I currently only have 2 Anatolians, lost my female Great Pyrenees to old age and in July, my 7 year old male Great Pyrenees to cancer.

For predators, there are coyotes, the occasional cougar and there are black bears, very few bears, but they are here. I just moved here, have one field fenced and bare bones shelter for sheep and dogs. I close them up at night in a lot by the driveway.

 

[tortoise]

I'd really like to raise sheep as yet another meat source. My partner says here in Minnesota it's basically a losing battle, only a matter of time until predators kill them all. There are wolves around here, have been spotted on our farm, even enough for at least one, a black male, to become a noticeable visitor. We have the poultry protected and cattle have horns to fend off even wolves, but any tips for raising sheep for meat in this environment? Thankfully no Grizzlies here but plenty of black bears plus the wolves. I do not want to raise sheep restricted to barns, even though we have enough barn space for that to be possible. They would then be vitamin D deficient and have no fresh pasture to graze and I don't like the idea of livestock not allowed to roam outside.

Any/all tips welcome as long as they involve the animals being allowed to roam in pastures/paddocks as normal, not interested in ways of raising them in barns. If it's not possible here then it's just not and that's OK, just looking for possible ways if such exist.

I'm in northwest WI and have sheep on pasture. They have access to a barn. In winter they stop going outside by choice, so we close up the barn and keep them in. The previous farmer also had sheep. I have never lost sheep to a predator. The previous farmer didn't either.

I have coyote in the area, black bears next door, and have seen wolf tracks on our farm. I don't have a livestock guardian dog.

IDK! I know other farms in my county lose calves to coyotes. So I think the very local environment makes all the difference in whether or not a farm has livestock predator problems.

 

[livinglandnz]

WOW I can't imagine what it must be like to have predatory animals big enough to kill livestock. I have shot dogs before for attacking/killing my livestock years ago, but that's not the same as wild predators.

 

[baymule]

If I didn’t have livestock guard dogs, I’d have no sheep.

 

[farmerjan]

We lost several lambs to coyotes this spring and DS had to move one of the donkeys home to be with these sheep from the other place. We do not have the fences for LGD's and have had trouble with "do -gooder know it all neighbors" feeding an LGD and enticing it out of the field because we were being cruel letting it stay out there ..... don't get me started on that.... so LGD's are not in the picture here. We had coyote trouble several years ago, lost a couple calves that we know were born alive. Neighbor had goats and had the dumb kids get their heads stuck in the woven wire fence because you know there is always something "better" on the other side of the fence. Had a couple get torn apart and finally a game camera captured a BEAR attacking and killing them... we have 3-4 bears in the area... know one is a sow and had a cub a couple years ago... and a new cub was seen this year so there is a male around also...
Dogs in packs are always a concern, but most around here are better about keeping their dogs fenced after the dog warden took away a couple that had been constantly harassing and attacking some cattle and sheep and caught on video and were removed from the owners after several warnings... and the owners had to pay for damages.... yes, our sheep were some that were killed... ran some very pregnant ewes to exhaustion and they died...

 

[baymule]

Sorry but BYHs is a no go, set up a membership there, posted twice and was told what we are trying to do is impossible so I revoked my membership, no point in getting advice from people who don't understand or believe in natural, organic, pastured farming.

I remember that. You actually got excellent advice from a very knowledgeable person who has raised cattle all her life and works in the dairy field. She was warning about diseases and the vaccinations to prevent them. She even explained that in great detail. So BYH is out because she gave you advice you didn’t want to hear? News flash—she is on SS too.

You have some good ideas, but you haven’t actually put them into practice, long term. There are lots of people on these forums. We share our successes and failures. We learn from one another. We share advice freely. You seem to have closed your mind to anything and anyone that doesn’t agree with you.

You certainly don’t have to act on any advice you get here from anybody, but you don’t have to get huffy and close your account either. When people offer advice, it comes from a place of caring about you, your animals and your success. We all get advice from one another, we choose what works for our situation, not all advice is applicable, but it is offered in good faith. We don’t always agree, if we disagree we do so politely. You have the opportunity here to draw on the experience of others. Ask for help, you will receive it. Use what you can, ignore the rest, and thank everyone for caring.

You have a lot of dreams and I hope they all come true for you.

 

[9445]

Obviously this is yet another worthless forum, better off just researching on my own and using good sources I already have than dealing with you brainwashed idiots.