Recommended breeds and number of dogs for a working farm?

Horse and chicken farm in the middle of no where. Coyotes in the area. We need a dog or dogs to protect the horses and chase off coyotes, and we also need a dog or dogs to guard the chickens. Working dogs, not house pets. What would be the best breeds, and how many dogs would be ideal? Where could we get dogs of these breeds in Maritime Canada? Would it be better to get puppies and raise them with the animals or get adults that are already trained?

Livestock protection breeds are very specific. You don't need separate dogs for each species; they will protect the property if they are bonded to one species.Great Pyrenees.Italian MaremmaHungarian KuvaszHungarian KomondorTurkish AkbashTurkish KangalAnatolian ShepherdPolish TatraIf your livestock needs protection now, you need adults, obviously. Once you have trained adults (you always need at least two), you can get puppies to replace them as they age and let the older dogs train the younger ones. Great Pyrenees are the most populous and the easiest to find in North America. There seem to be a lot of Great Pyrenees ending up in shelters in the southeast US. Check petfinder and hunt. Contact Great Pyrenees rescues in your province and nearby US states. Good luck.

Google "livestock guardian dog" That'll answer every question you have. What breed of dog for which type of animal, puppy or adult, etc. Most aren't common in North American, but you can find Anatolian Shepherds, Tibetan Mastiffs, Kuvasz, etc. Try a Komondor or Puli?

anatolian shepherdgsdbernese mountain dogThe numbers would depend on space and need. Get one puppy at a time. Don`t get a second until the first is trained..otherwise they will bond to each other and not to you.best bernese breeder, in the maritimes is http://www.backcountrybernese.com/ (NB)Not sure about anatolians or gsd`s back there though.