Italian guardian dogs cut livestock losses for NSW farmers
Maremma guardian dogs from Italy are slashing livestock deaths on NSW farms. About 66 per cent of farmers report predation stopped entirely.
Wild dogs wiped out Leo Tompkins' entire lamb crop. They killed up to 75 per cent of his sheep flock.
This Central West NSW farmer turned to an ancient Italian breed. Maremma guardian dogs were bred for thousands of years to protect livestock.
They come from the Italian regions of Maremma and Abruzzo. These dogs sent predators packing.
Tompkins said adding just one dog cut his death rates drastically. Feral animals cost Australian farmers almost 1 billion dollars a year.
They cause livestock deaths and damage. University of Tasmania researcher Linda van Bommel surveyed 150 farmers using Maremma guardian dogs.
About 66 per cent reported predation stopped completely. Another 30 per cent saw significant decreases.
One farmer was losing every newborn lamb. After introducing the dogs, he saved about 70 per cent of the lambing season.
- Up to 75 per cent
- Flock loss before Maremmas
- 1 billion dollars
- Annual farm costs from feral animals
- 66 per cent
- Farmers with complete predation stop
- 150
- Farmers surveyed
Why it mattersGuardian dogs offer a practical, low-cost solution to a billion-dollar farm problem. They work without expensive predator-proof fences. They work without culling programs.
AustraliaNSW and other farming regions could sharply cut livestock losses by adopting guardian dog programs, making farming more viable and profitable across rural Australia.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 8 d ago
