Protecting the Sheep
Modern day sheep owners have developed a number of ways to guard their flocks. Electrified fences provide a good physical barrier. Motion-triggered lights and sudden loud alarms scare away many predators, unless they get used the noise. A key strategy? Many shepherds are adding livestock guardians to defend their flocks. Donkeys, llamas and certain breeds of dogs bond with the sheep and then start actively protecting them. These livestock guardians detect the predators more easily and aggressively repel invaders.
Here’s a summary of each type of livestock guardian.
Donkeys
- Male donkeys must be neutered or gelded before being used as a livestock guardians.
- Unfortunately, normal intact male donkeys can be overly aggressive toward their charges.
- Bullying and injuring the sheep they’re supposed to protect.
Often the male will freak out when smelling blood during the birthing process and kill the newborn lambs.
- Female donkeys often make excellent livestock guardians.
- Donkeys have an intense dislike for coyotes or any animal that resembles a wolf.
- They attack predators immediately.
- Like goats and sheep, they eat grass.
Llamas
- Most predators hesitate to attack a strange animal they’ve never seen before.
- Llamas eat grass just like sheep, so there’s no need to provide food.
- The llama is very territorial.
- Once llamas bond with the sheep they become fierce and protective.
- The llamas have a very distinctive, high-pitched alarm call.
- Their weird vocalizations spook potential predators.
- Llamas have different temperaments, but some can be very gentle with lambs.
- A llama can knock down and slice open a predator’s belly in seconds, with its hooves.
- Very alert; they will stare down a predator before attacking.
- These livestock guardians live the longest, 20-25 years.
Dogs
Barks frequently at intruding animals; it’s their 1st type of warning.
- Bonds with the sheep.
- Needs to be fed dog food by the shepherd.
- Hostile to human strangers, but the dog will bark warningly first. Signs should be posted.
- Detects intruders early.
- Aggressive toward predators.
- These dogs don’t ever herd the sheep; they aren’t meant to.
Jesus Protects His Sheep Too
Our Good Shepherd likens His people to sheep. Natural sheep are helpless, clueless creatures who panic easily and get emotionally excited over nothing, like a piece of paper blowing past.
Yep. That describes us.
But our “livestock guardians” are angels.
They never sleep or get distracted. Being spirits, they see everything clearly. Constantly alert, our angels notice when demons seek to harm us.
I believe angels exist. Scripture makes clear they are active, serving God and protecting His children. But I’ve never seen one. And down here, I’m like a clueless sheep. I truly have no idea what’s happening in the invisible spiritual world all around me.
In Heaven, I hope the angels will open my eyes and show me what was really happening as I wandered about on this earth, “munching grass.”
These images came from Pixabay.com.
