Dogs scared off a Coyote

[MetalFarm]

Looked too big to be a fox. If I'd thought quicker I probably could have gotten a shot off. My 2 dogs scared it off. I have two dogs that sleep in a shed with a 4 foot fence and 30 chickens that sleep in a locked hen house. This happened in broad daylight while I was outside.
Is it coming back? What next??

 

[MetalFarm]

Make that two goats that sleep in a shed.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

If your dogs keep it at bay it should be okay. May I reccomend electric fencing for most preds? It works very well, but be cautious around young children. Also, it may have just been walking by, no need to shoot yet. If your chickens are secure everything should be okay. You can also purchase lamas or donkeys if you can, they will help run off canine predators. Have you lost any chickens yet?

 

[MetalFarm]

We lost one small cockerel about 3 weeks ago. He was dragged off right about where I saw this coyote yesterday.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

You should probably try electric fencing. It is good for many reasons.

1. Your chickens will he safe from all predators, not just the yote

2. You won't have to trap or eliminate any animals, so you will be saved time

3. The animals you currently have on your property will hold their places, keeping new ones from coming

4. Once an animal gets a feel for the fence they will usually stay away for good and keep away other preds

Good luck! The fencing can be quite cheap and easy to set up and gives long term protection. Trapping is only temporary.

 

[Mutt Farm]

Looked too big to be a fox. If I'd thought quicker I probably could have gotten a shot off. My 2 dogs scared it off. I have two dogs that sleep in a shed with a 4 foot fence and 30 chickens that sleep in a locked hen house. This happened in broad daylight while I was outside.
Is it coming back? What next??

Hi!

Yeah, it's very likely coming back. A coyote wouldn't feel a bit bad grabbing a quick easy meal in broad daylight. Do you think it was a loner or do they run in packs in your area? If I interpret correctly, the chickens are free-range during the day and go in a secure coop at night? You have 2 goats and 2 dogs? A coyote can fly over a 6' fence if they want to. Do the dogs stay out at night where they can alert? Dogs are a great deterrent, but can't always stop a snatch and grab. If you free range, you might want to investigate poultry netting like LB mentioned. If the coyote has been there twice and had a chicken dinner, he may become habituated as a poultry killer and may need to be dispatched. Best of luck and keep us updated?

 

[LeafBlade12345]

Good luck! There are some great threads on electric poultry netting which you should be able to find bye searching. Even if the coyote has become a poultry killer, a few shocks from the fence and they learn to keep their distance, and the fence is much more long term than killing one predator just to have it replaced by another. Please keep us updated!

 

[MetalFarm]

Mutt Farm is correct. 2 Pygmy weathers 3 dogs one is small and is always inside. The other two have an electric fence that runs the perimeter of our yard which is in the middle of a 40 acre soy bean field. The chickens free range during the day but they have a run with a 4tf fence and poultry netting on the top thst I can leave them in if need be but they generally need the extra room of the goat pen when I'm at work and the entire yard when I'm home. The biggest dog spends about 14 hours outside.
I've been keeping the floods lights on the backyard and a shotgun ready but I feel it's only a matter of time until something bad happens.

My main concern at this point is the goats sleep outside. The chickens are protected at night. Will the coyotes hop a 4 foot fence at 3 am and kill a goat??

Everyone is leaning towards electric fencing but wouldn't I have to do the entire 1 acre yard?

Thanks for all the awesome replies

 

[LeafBlade12345]

You only need to put up the electric fence where the chickens roam. I would definitely be cautious about the goats, but the coyote has probably already felt the electric there, so hopefully he will leave the goats alone. You may want to get a llama, alpaca, or donkey to keep your goats safe. They will try to chase off foxes, coyotes, even stray dogs. Good luck finding a solution!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mutt Farm is correct. 2 Pygmy weathers 3 dogs one is small and is always inside. The other two have an electric fence that runs the perimeter of our yard which is in the middle of a 40 acre soy bean field. The chickens free range during the day but they have a run with a 4tf fence and poultry netting on the top thst I can leave them in if need be but they generally need the extra room of the goat pen when I'm at work and the entire yard when I'm home. The biggest dog spends about 14 hours outside.
I've been keeping the floods lights on the backyard and a shotgun ready but I feel it's only a matter of time until something bad happens.

My main concern at this point is the goats sleep outside. The chickens are protected at night. Will the coyotes hop a 4 foot fence at 3 am and kill a goat??

Everyone is leaning towards electric fencing but wouldn't I have to do the entire 1 acre yard?

Thanks for all the awesome replies

coyotes will come day or night for a meal, they will kill your goats if they can get to them, electric can work as long as they can't jump over it though, this time of year there seems to be more coyotes killing livestock, I think it's younger ones that have left the pack as the are usually single one. We are surrounded by a pack, we can hear it move around us every year, the pack doesn't seem to bother us. I would be careful about your dog as well. Once one finds you it will keep coming until you have nothing left, your best bet is to try to shoot it or at least fill it's backside with buckshot, they do leave after that, though it can be a battle of wits to see them and get a good shot.