Keeping your herd safe from all types of predators is very important for maintaining a profitable goat farming business. Although types of goat predators vary, depending on your geographical location and size or age of your goats.
Usually neighborhood dogs and some other aggressive animals are considered as the most common goat predators.
Types of Goat Predators
There are some kind of animals available which work as livestock guard animal and help to provide protection for your goats.
So learning about the types of predators that attack goats will help to make good protection against them. Here we are describing about some common predators which are harmful for goats.
Canine Species
Domestic dogs are among the most common goat predators. Some other canine species such as coyotes, foxes and wolves are harmful predators which also prey on goats and your other livestock.
Coyotes usually attack with a bite to the throat, they are one of the most common goat and other livestock predators in the United States.
Wolves usually prey on large sized livestock animals. But if goats are available, then they also attack and kill goats. Goat kids make good attraction for the foxes.
These type of wild predators usually attack the goats and other livestock animals for food or just for sport. You can’t imagine, a pack of neighborhood dogs can kill as many as 20 to 30 goats on your herd within a night.
Wild Cats
Usually domestic or pet cats are smaller in size and they don’t harm your goats. But the bobcats and mountain lions are very dangerous for your goats.
They usually target goats and your other livestock animals when available. Bobcats usually target the young goat kids. And the mountain lions more often target the larger animals.
Mountain lions are very dangerous than bobcats. They can kill all animals of your herd within one evening.
Other Predators
Presence of other predators depend on the age of your goats and your location. Your young kids are vulnerable to attack, if you are in the areas with large eagle populations.
Feral hogs are also dangerous and a threat to your young goat kids. In some areas, bears are among the other common predators.
Bears usually kill female goats or doe for eating just their udders. In some areas crows are also considered as a goat predators, especially for the kids.
Goat Predator Control
Neighborhood dogs are common goat predators. But there are some dog breeds available which provide good protection against other predators.
For example, Komondor and Great Pyrenees are such guard dogs which offer good herd protection. Donkeys are also good animals for controlling predators from your herd.
Because donkeys hate canines and they will prevent canines from entrancing your farm and disturbing your farm animals. Like guard dogs and donkeys, llamas and alpacas also offer good protection against the predators.
Along with keeping guard animals, you also have to make a good fence around your pasture or farm land. Usually most wild predators hunt at night. So keep your goats inside secure pens at night.
we had 2 goats almost 1 yr old found them dead this morning with a big hole on there backs they were in a fenced lot. what could of killed them and done this?
Really very sorry to hear that! A big hole on their backs could indicate an attack by a predator. Coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, and even domestic dogs can pose a threat to goats. These animals may attack from the back, targeting the vulnerable areas. Good luck!