PMC9977226_01
Study site displaying property boundaries (dashed line), farmhouse (rectangle at top of image), and approximate location and size (50 x 50 m) at the time of the present study of the chicken paddocks (squares) that were guarded by two Maremma LGDs (M1-M4) or two alpacas (A1-A4), with numbers (1-4) denoting the weekly paddock movement order, or no livestock guardian animal (N; did not move during the study period). Camera traps were placed at the corners of each chicken paddock facing down the fences (total = 12), and an additional four camera traps were paired with four motion-activated spotlights around the perimeter of the property (white arrows indicate the location and direction of the spotlights). Red and green dots show GPS data points for movements of the two LGDs when released from their chicken paddock (M1-M4) over the 6-wk data gathering period.
txad014_fig1.jpg
PMC9977226_01_txad014_fig1.jpg
F1
The property had three separate 50 x 50 m chicken paddocks (Figure 1) surrounded by solar-powered electric poultry fences and each containing a "chicken caravan" for egg laying and night-time roosting (Figure 2a).
(a) Paddock showing a chicken caravan (for egg laying and night-time roosting) in the background and the downward-facing camera traps (with protective waterproof covering:disposable plastic blue shoe cover) used to record chicken activity in the foreground. (b) Maremma LGD in front of chickens. (c) Two guardian alpacas, showing the portable electrified fencing and open paddock layout of the property. (d) GPS tracking collars are used to monitor LGD movements.
txad014_fig2.jpg
PMC9977226_01_txad014_fig2.jpg
F2
The property had three separate 50 x 50 m chicken paddocks (Figure 1) surrounded by solar-powered electric poultry fences and each containing a "chicken caravan" for egg laying and night-time roosting (Figure 2a). Paddock "M," the focus of our work, contained two Maremma LGDs and 450 ~9-month-old chickens (Figure 2b). Paddock "A" contained two alpacas (which always remained within the confines of their paddock) and 500 ~6-month-old chickens (Figure 2c). The GPS device and power bank was attached to a large domestic dog collar using weather-resistant tape (Gaffa Tape, Scotch Tape) (Figure 2d). Eight Reconyx HC500 Hyperfire remote infrared sensor camera traps (Reconyx Inc., Holmen, WI, USA) were attached, face down, to 1.8 m-tall gantry posts (Figure 2a) at varying intervals dividing the distance between the caravan and each corner of the paddock (Appendix A).