Livestock guardian dog field day April 14
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Spring Livestock Guardian Dog Field Day will be held April 14 in Sonora.
A livestock guardian dog in a lush green pasture surrounded by his charges. The goats graze against a bright blue sky with fluffy clouds. Livestock Guardian Dogs can provide protection against predators for sheep and goat raisers. The Spring Livestock Guardian Dog Field Day will take place at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station in Sonora. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)
The Livestock Guardian Dog, LGD, field day will be at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station in Sonora, 395 County Road 760. The program will start at 8 a.m. and conclude around 4 p.m. Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided.
Registration is $30 and $50, respectively. April 13 is the last day to register. Advance registration is required through the AgriLife Extension office in Sutton County at 325-387-3101.
A ranch tour of the research station and producer panel will be two of the event highlights. Vendors and LGD breeders will be onsite to speak with producers.
Predation prevention
“The biggest single loss in sheep and goat production is predation,” said Reid Redden, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension sheep and goat specialist and director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo. “The problem is not going away and, in many areas, it’s increasing.”
Redden said the field day will be very helpful to all LGD owners, but especially for those with little or no dog-handling experience.
“This workshop is part of the center’s ongoing effort to help producers adopt the age-old practice of keeping specially bred and trained dogs with livestock as a deterrent to predation,” said Bill Costanzo, AgriLife Research LGD specialist, San Angelo.
