Livestock vs Wildlife

Raising livestock alongside wildlife comes with its challenges. Anyone that has ever decided to keep a small flock of laying hens usually finds this out pretty quickly. If you have ever raised an animal up from birth only to have it succumb to a predator right at the time of peak production, or even before, you understand how it can set off your inner Elmer Fudd. You may want to take out every coyote in the county but it really doesn’t have to be that way all of the time. On occasion you might have to dispatch a repeat offender but a little prevention will help set you up for a more success.

I personally enjoy the local wildlife in my area and love to see the populations thriving. The thrill of spotting a black bear while hiking through the woods makes for a great story at work. An alert doe grazing alongside twin fawns near your favorite fishing hole is nature at its best. In New England the Eastern Cottontail populations are growing and our White Tailed Deer population has always been a healthy one. Just be aware that an increase in “bottom of the food chain” animals lends to an increase in “top of the food chain” animals. Nature works like that, if you have more rabbits you are going to see more foxes. When the Brook Trout are running the Great Blue Herons stop at the brook more often (so grab your fly rod). Nature is beautiful and I prefer to live and let live, just live over there and keep my livestock off of your hit list. As beautiful as Nature is, she can be harsh as well, as seen in the Circle of Life.

Living within a land management area, I have dealt with my fair share of hungry wildlife. I have even had the unfortunate experience of surplus killing attacks. Raising a menagerie of livestock for homesteading in a predator’s natural habitat has several challenges. However this topic translates to those in rural landscapes, residential backyards, and larger scale open space operations as well. At some point in time if you raise livestock you are going to have run-ins with predators.

The first tip I have is to know which animals live within your area or close to it. In New England the predators vying for the title “Top of the Food Chain” include black bear, coyotes, and bobcat. The local environmental department denies the existence of mountain lions (cougars) in our area like they deny Bigfoot’s existence but there have been eye witness accounts of both. I do believe that we have, at the very least, the occasional mountain lion that might pass through as it searches for new territory to claim. For this reason I don’t count them out of the Northeast predator lineup.

Not all predators come from land. Recently there has been an increase in Bald Eagle populations. Beautiful birds, I still drop everything I am doing to admire them as they fly over. For the most part I see them with a fish, frog, or snake in their talons but they are large enough to take out some of our stock should they be inclined. We also have hawks of every variety and the occasional Peregrine Falcon, all might see your prized Silkie chicken as an easy meal. Don’t discount the Great Horned Owls and some of the smaller owls as a threat. I have heard stories about barn cats falling prey to them as well as toy breeds of dogs. Nighttime predators are often difficult to spot until they are too close for comfort, and thanks to nature's spectacular design, daytime predators are just as stealthy. Another predator that doesn’t always move by land is the mink, they are aquatic and many people are unaware that they are quite notorious for raiding poultry coops and making a quick retreat back to the water.

Knowing the wildlife in your area and studying at least a little bit of their behavior goes a long way. Familiarize yourself with the breeding, offspring rearing, and highly active seasons of those animals. A fox’s denning season in Rhode Island is in the spring and by May or June the young are active and Mama Fox is teaching them how to hunt. If you take some precautions with your chickens and young stock, you minimize the risk of them becoming part of a Hunting 101 course. Black bears hibernate in this neck of the woods and right before they go into hibernation they bulk up and aggressively search for food to get them through winter. Don’t let your goats, sheep, and other stock become a repeated source of protein for their diets. Maybe free range chickens spend more time in their coops for added protection during times of high predator activity. Utilize electric netting or fences when the predators are more likely to target your livestock. Keep overgrowth clear near your animal enclosures and fencelines. Employ the use of trail cameras and be aware of what is moving on your property that might be avoiding your watchful eye.

Another tip is to pay attention to the type of kill you might come across. If you come out to a missing animal, no chicken and just feathers that is typical for a fox or coyote and some of the larger animals. Oftentimes a raccoon will eat the chicken and leave half a carcass behind, they can cleverly work out latches on windows and doors. If you notice excessive digging in one area, fill in the hole and reinforce it. Most predators return to the same place at the same time if they are targeting prey, traveling the same paths within their territory. Hopefully you do not have repeat attacks but if you do, try to figure out the culprit so that you can take the right steps to thwart future attacks. Rats can cause just as much devastation with small poultry, and can fit into very small spaces. Mink are similar and both are known to partake in surplus killing and could easily take out several targets in one shot. Once I had a predator squeeze through a very small gap in my meat bird tractor, the next morning I opened the door expecting chickens to come running out but instead it was total carnage. I was not able to identify the exact predator but I suspect a rat or mink. Besides the loss of life it was a huge loss in production and therefore money. If you aren’t sure what type of predator you are dealing with, seek out the advice of an experienced farmer or hunter in your area. Security cameras and trail cameras are great tools, especially if the livestock is unattended for long periods.

Once you have the knowledge of local wildlife and their routines, habits, seasonal activity, and preferred diet you can take better steps to protect your livestock. Learning how to identify animal tracks or attending hunting and outdoorsmen courses can be helpful. We all know that a strong fence is ideal at keeping our animals in and others out. I could go on and on about infrastructure but we all know what is the most practical to our own farms and homesteads. I also think we can agree that raising animals is synonymous with a tight budget. We do the best that we can within our means. If I ever hit the lottery I will not say a word but my fencing will be the give away.

Bear mats are a popular homemade device used to deter a curious bear. Electric fencing is another excellent option for keeping some larger ground based predators at bay. We have options to keep predators out but I think it helps to shift your way of thinking just a bit; are there ways to minimize the attraction? For example, where is your compost pile and what do you put in it? Are you throwing table scraps, eggs, etc. into compost that you have situated behind your garden and chicken coop? Is there a blackberry bramble near or even in the pasture where your sheep are raising their lambs? Most homesteads have limited space but you don’t want to be ringing a dinner bell. Another tip, if you can smell your compost, rotten veggies, and even trash the highly adapted superior noses of apex predators are picking up what you are throwing down.

I employ livestock guardian dogs on my homestead. They are hardworking, loyal, and with guidance, become trustworthy employees. If you are thinking that LGD’s would be a benefit to your operation, research the breeds and speak to some folks that have working dogs in a similar environment dealing with the same types of predators and are raising the same stock as you. They are definitely not a one size fits all type of solution. From my experience, having a working team of LGD’s is good for my homestead and the protection of the stock that I raise; nigerian dwarf goats, shetland sheep, and chickens. However the dogs only protect the stock that they are co-habitating with. I was dealing with predation issues among my quail flock that was housed away from my dogs. I ultimately decided that having quail, enticing predators, could have started a domino effect. Think back to preschool with the Farmer in the Dell. The rat ate the cheese but what eats the rat? The mink. What eats the mink? Bobcats and coyotes. In theory having one small predator can bring unwanted attention to your property. Out went the quail and I instructed every one of my friends to talk me off that ledge should I get the urge to raise them again. Weigh the risks versus benefits with all of the livestock you decide to raise. The few dollars in egg sales might not be worth attracting unwanted attention to your more valued stock.

To that point, kidding and lambing season can bring on unwanted attention. Both wildlife and human attention. Livestock guardian dogs are a great deterrent for unexpected guests. Even if your dogs are generally people friendly, a good guardian will not allow strangers onto the property in your absence; and most people aren’t going to test that. On the same token most wildlife do not want to challenge two or more working dogs. Personally, I do not leave weaning kids/lambs outside overnight. One reason is that my neighbors do not want to hear them scream all night long but more importantly I do not want to attract wildlife with the screams of young animals in distress. If there is a pack of coyotes working their way through the woods I am sure some screaming goat kids would peak their interest.

Apex predators rely heavily on their noses to help source a meal. Livestock puts out many scents but the smell of flesh and blood is one that predators cannot resist. However you dispose of waste, you should do so responsibly and as far away from your general population of animals as you possibly can. Raising animals can be messy and it is our job as farmers to keep animal areas as clean as possible. This mitigates the invitation of predators as well as disease.

When all else fails it helps to have contacts within your local farm bureau, agricultural department, environmental department, local animal control officer, and a few local hunters. The last tip is to know your rights as a farmer. Not all problematic animals fall under the category of wildlife, sometimes neighborhood pets can pose a threat as well. One year a new family moved into the area and were not too concerned about their dogs wandering. I was not home but my LGD was in a fenced in area with the goats. When I got home my dog was hot, slobbering, and alerting me to a threat. I walked down to the area she was alerting to and found dog paw prints in the mud. I hate to think what would have become of my herd without my lgd. If you know which type of predator has become a nuisance and all of your preventative attempts have failed you, reach out to any of the resources listed above. Hunters and trappers are usually very happy to work your land with your permission and can help alleviate ongoing issues. Knowing the risks, your rights, and having the right resources will help you be more successful at coexisting with wildlife while homesteading.