A descriptive study of dairy goat predation in Louisiana.
Questionnaires concerning herd size, housing and management, and previous instances of predation were mailed to 124 goat owners in Louisiana. Postcards were mailed over a period of one year on a monthly basis, to the 84 individuals who responded to this questionnaire. Owners were asked to indicate whether they had seen predators on their property and whether any goats were injured or killed by the predators. Upon receipt of any postcard with a "yes" answer to either of these questions, a telephone interview was conducted to determine the exact circumstances of predator experience. The interview format included time, physical circumstances, and detailed questions about the actions of the predator and the goats. In 85% of the cases, the predators sighted were reported as dogs, and most of these were thought to be pets, rather than wild. Instances of attacks occurred most frequently during periods of reduced light. No clear seasonal pattern of attacks emerged. Four management factors were associated with a reduction in number of attacks; penning the goats at night, use of a night light, proximity of the herd to an occupied residence, and presence of a dog.
Sheep losses on selected ranches in southern Wyoming.
Highlight: To help resolve conflicting claims about the severity of predator losses to the sheep industry, sheep losses from all causes were assessed during 1973-75 in five southern Wyoming ranches. Although herd sizes varied seasonally and yearly, about 6,000 ewes and their lambs were monitored each year during spring lambing and the summer and winter grazing seasons. Most of the sheep were tended by herders. Lamb bss was greater than ewe, and spring losses were always greater than summer and winter losses combined. Of 4,440 dead sheep examined, predators killed 1,030 or 23%. Although predation was the largest single cause of death for lambs (24%), weather-related losses such as deaths from exposure, starvation, accidents or disease, if combined, would probably have been higher. Disease killed the most ewes (260/o), with predation the second most important cause of death (18%). Of the deaths from predation, coyotes caused 77%, black bears ll%, and golden eagles 9%. During the 3 years, known predator kills were 0.2% of the ewes each year and l.S%, 2.1%, and 3.2%, respectively, of the lambs from the study herds. There were 1,235 ewes and iambs missing, mostly after the summer season, mainly due to miscounting and loose management-from one ranch.
Reality TV: The Work of Being Watched
Chapter 1 1 Between the New Medium and the Old Chapter 2 2 The Promise of the Digital Revolution Chapter 3 3 Rediscovering Reality Chapter 5 4 The Kinder, Gentler Gaze of Big Brother Chapter 6 5 Access to the Real Chapter 7 6 It's All About the Experience Chapter 8 7 Reality TV and Voyeurism Chapter 9 8 Survivor and Uncanny Capitalism Chapter 10 Bibliography