HOW USING LGDs AFFECTS YOUR BOTTOM LINE
Many farmers who are new to the world of working livestock guardian dogs experience a great deal of sticker shock when they first learn the cost of a well bred working prospect puppy from a good breeder. "$1,000?!" they exclaim. "For a puppy?!" But that puppy from a good breeder who health tests her breeding dogs, only breeds proven, quality dogs with the best possible chance of producing pups as good as or better than themselves, carefully matches each puppy to the buyer, & who offers lifetime support for each & every puppy she sells will grow up to pay for itself many times over as it protects the farmer's valuable herd.
IN ONE U.S. STATE THE COST OF LOST LIVESTOCK COMES TO APPROXIMATELY 100 MILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR
Let's do the math:
Livestock
For a more detailed breakdown of the cost/benefit analysis of utilizing working livestock guardian dogs, please visit this link: http://www.possumhollowfarms.com/lgdeconomics.htm
Many farmers who are new to the world of working livestock guardian dogs experience a great deal of sticker shock when they first learn the cost of a well bred working prospect puppy from a good breeder. "$1,000?!" they exclaim. "For a puppy?!" But that puppy from a good breeder who health tests her breeding dogs, only breeds proven, quality dogs with the best possible chance of producing pups as good as or better than themselves, carefully matches each puppy to the buyer, & who offers lifetime support for each & every puppy she sells will grow up to pay for itself many times over as it protects the farmer's valuable herd.
IN ONE U.S. STATE THE COST OF LOST LIVESTOCK COMES TO APPROXIMATELY 100 MILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR
Let's do the math:
Livestock
- A single good quality dairy goat may be only $300. A lot less than that pup, sure. But multiply the value of that goat times the whole herd. You have 12 goats? That $3,600 worth of goats. 30 goats? $9,000. 100 goats? That is $30 THOUSAND dollars worth of goats.
- Now take into account the fact that, at any time, a pair of stray dogs or a small pack of coyotes could come in & killl 30 or more goats in a single night. Your herd is probably fenced in, so the goats can't scatter & flee effectively. They are trapped, running over the same ground over & over again. The predators act on instinct, so even after pulling down 1, 2, 5, 10 animals, there are still prey animals running all around them, bleating in terror, triggering their predatory instincts over & over again. The next morning you awake to a decimated herd, with dead, dying, & traumatised goats everywhere.
- Pregnant does will often miscarry from the stress. Many animals will be so injured they have to be euthanized. Others may survive with veterinary treatment but will be scarred for life. Milking productivity is affected temporarily from stress, or permanently if the udder is damaged. Show animals can no longer be shown due to disfiguring injuries. Years of careful breeding to build up the quality of your herd is destroyed at a stroke. Beloved animals you have known & carefully tended since birth have been killed or maimed, suffering in agony. The monetary & emotional costs are huge.
- Two $1,000 pups plus two years of training per pup. Every single night those two grown, reliable working dogs are on duty, patrolling & protecting.
- Every single morning you wake up to a happy, healthy, living herd.
- With that small herd of 12 goats, your $2,000 worth of dog is protecting $3,600 every single night. Every single night those two dogs pay for themselves almost twice over.
For a more detailed breakdown of the cost/benefit analysis of utilizing working livestock guardian dogs, please visit this link: http://www.possumhollowfarms.com/lgdeconomics.htm