And about a week ago the coyotes jumped into the 1 acre super safe paddock next to my house that my sheep sleep in. And got a sheep, in that same characteristic way ( neck - jugular- and back) . By the time we scared the coyote away the sheep was already dead.
My neighbor has lent me one of his livestock guardian dogs to protect my flock, but I must find a permanent replacement. As all of us who keep sheep have coyotes and mountain lions and bears who come in for them. This dog who is protecting my sheep right now is actually recovering from a mountain lion attack. And so, just staying in the 1 acre is an improvement. The neighbor has thousands of sheep that go in to eat flammable materials to reduce wildfires in the area. And so, believe it or not, just being in one small place with only about 150 sheep is like a resting situation for him.
I am so grateful to my neighbor! And this great dog! I love coyotes- without them the ground squirrel and rodent situation would be intolerable. I love so many things about them…. But it is not actually normal for them to attack sheep. Once they get into it, though, it is a problem. Hence the value of these guardian dogs, who are worth their weight in gold.
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