Bonding of goats to sheep and cattle for protection from predators. Hulet, C., Anderson, D. M., Smith, J., Shupe, W. L., Taylor, D., & Murray, L. W. Applied Animal Behavior Science, 1988.
Bonding of goats to sheep and cattle for protection from predators [pdf]Paper  abstract   bibtex   
Fourteen 5-month-old mohair goats previously confined with heifers for 60 days were randomized into two groups. Group 1 was confined with two heifers for an additional 14 days. Group 2 was confined with eight previously cattle-bonded sheep and a heifer for 14 days. A third group of six non-bonded sheep and seven goats, and three heifers with calves served as a control. The three groups were randomized among three brushy range pastures averaging 190 ha and rotated whenever a goat or sheep was found dead or missing. Control goats, control lambs and Group 1 goats were observed to move independently of the cattle. Group 2 goats consistently stayed with the bonded sheep and cattle. Sheep and goats which did not stay with cattle were killed by predators starting 5 days after going to pasture. Within 10 days all goats, one lamb from the control group and six of the seven goats from Group 1 were dead, wounded or missing. Only the smallest goat in Group 2 was lost. This group was rotated among the three pastures for an additional 21 days with no further loss.

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