breeds you need

Hundreds of varieties of livestock are suitable to raise on a hobby farm! Here are a few more.

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Livestock Guarding Dogs 

Livestock guardian dogs, also known as livestock protection dogs, are generally large — with males weighing more than 100 pounds - and often unfriendly toward other dogs, keeping stray dogs away from the flock. These breeds are bred as working animals, not pets; their focus is to detect and deter predators. Most predators stay away from dog-protected flocks to avoid being confronted by the guardian dog.

There are many guardian dog breeds, but the Great Pyrenees is the most widely used in North America. Originally bred by Basque shepherds in the mountains between Spain and France, this breed is probably the least aggressive toward people, but its thick coat and heavy build often makes it a poor choice for hot regions. Its "bear-shaped" head is an identifying breed trait as its tendency to bark and "posture" to threaten away would be 4-legged intruders.

If you have livestock in large pastures and a lot of predators, you might need a more aggressive breed. The white Akbash Dog from Turkey is considered one of the most predator aggressive and livestock protective. It isn't as heavy boned as the Great Pyrenees and is proportionally longer legged and athletic with a more wolflike head. Males are 30 to 33 inches; females about 2 inches shorter. Like the Great Pyrenees, on small properties it is known to "posture" growl, bark, snarl - as a part of its defense.

Another native Turkish breed, the Kangal Dog, is more mastiff in appearance and is always black-masked dun or fawn. Like the Akbash Dog, it's bite-inhibited (reluctant to bite or even nip) people or its livestock; however, strangers are met with an intimidating stare and an aloof attitude. The breed rarely postures (threatens). It watches and then acts - silently charging a predator. Most recently Kangal Dogs have been successfully introduced to western U.S. sheep producers where grizzly bears and wolves threaten livestock.