Livestock guardians???

[PossumCorner]

Yes to think.  Foxes have been known to bite people, but very seldom and (even more-so than with snakebite) only when someone is trying to be a smartarse.  A woman in our area was hospitalised but had pretty much invited being bitten by the fox.   The poultry killed are mostly hobby-owned: professional poultry farmers keep fairly on top of the risk, even the free range farms have fairly fail-safe controls.  Lambs are targeted, but not adult sheep.

 

But feral dogs in a pack, that is to me something terrifying and I am in total favour of higher bounties plus well-paid public servants employed as full-time dog hunters.  Damage to livestock is horrendous and the risk to livelihood far greater than from a fox.  I'd sign a petition for a bounty increase.

[Scottsmum]

12 hours ago, persephone said:

 my guess is... tries to stop them getting too much of a foot hold  ?

(Wild dogs) Already have a huge & devistating foot holdin parts of NSW

[t a i l s.]

LGD are hard work. 

Finding puppies that come out of the uterus ready to protect their charges, I haven't found to be that common... especially poultry and birds. 

My Anatolian is 16 months old now, still not ready to be unsupervised with the chickens, AND by way of encouraging appropriate behaviour with our poultry he now tends to ignore most wild birds, apart from the really big birds, everything else seems to get a pass now. 

From day one I have encouraged appropriate barking, we live on a few acres, but in the suburbs, so Gunner is allowed a few barks here or there before he's asked to stop, if he doesn't stop he is confined - which he hates and completely understands is a punishment - I can absolutely tell the difference between his annoying barks, that are more about nothing really compared with his actual alerts, and when he alerts, he means business and I know to head out and see what he needs. 
You mentioned you have 4.5ft fences, these are probably not enough for a LGD. Gunner doesn't test fences, but we have been very lucky, and I don't put him in a position where he gets the opportunity to test our fences as I know he can clear that height at a stand still. If you get a dog that likes to roam, it will be hell; by their nature, LGD like to expand their territory where possible, have completely useless recall and can be dog and/or people aggressive (generally the aggression should be shown within their territory, not out). 

 

So if you do want to get yourself a LGD, my recommendation is to find an already started adolescent and join some of the LGD groups on facebook as they can talk you through introductions, housing, training and living with a LGD.