Coyotes :(

[RavenBlue]

My flock of Buff Orps are locked up safe in their coop at night but I was letting them free range unfenced during the day. I was planning on putting them in the chicken tractor but they were so happy scratching and pecking and dust bathing around the barn. They never went more than 20 yards from the coop and always returned to lay or roost, ran towards me when I was out with them and followed me around the gardens. I was talking to a neighbour at the front of the house and saw 2 of my girls running towards us, they never come down to the house. I figured something spooked them, decided to round them up and do a head count, 2 missing!! Found 2 piles of feathers behind the barn and coyote tracks dotted with feathers all the way to the boundary fence. Looks like coyotes ran away with my 2 favorite old girls. They were 4+ years old and still laid giant eggs for me a couple times a week. I feel so guilty that I didn't tractor them and thought I was being so kind giving them some freedom. Very hard lesson learned today.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

I scanned through this thread and wanted to make sure the things that I would be mentioning had not been mentioned prior to this. My husband and I trap, so I wanted to offer some pieces of advice.

1.) If you ever see any coyote scat, usually like dog scat but with hair/fur in it, remove it as soon as you see it. Trappers actually collect scat off the trails and use it right next to traps in order to attract other coyotes, because they usually mark their food stashes like this. If one coyote sees that another has left a mark in the area, they will go "Hey, there is some sort of food source here."

2.) Look to see if there are any trapper's associations in your area. I know in our state, they provide a list of people that have permits and trap nuisance animals. Trappers around here are required to check their sets every day, so you won't have a predator sitting unnecessarily out there for days on end. Most of them will kill and remove the animal.

3.) Try to pick up stray feathers or possibly any pieces of fur floating around your yard- this is a visual stimulant for predators. I know you cannot do this all the time, but it is a good practice if you have some spare time.

These are just some quick thoughts that I hope may provide a bit of help. Please keep us updated on this situation.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

And that's why we eliminate them.

 

[bigoledude]

I don't think a yard covered with feathers is an attractant to coyotes or foxes. What draws a coyote's attention to a feather in the wild is the feather is something unusual, out of place and coyotes are curious. They also will see a feather and assume there might be something left of the previous owner. Coyotes that frequent areas with humans are not all that difficult to trap. It won't be as critical to cover your scent.

I think snares are best. They are very inexpensive and very effective. Unlike foot traps, all you need to do is find a likely approach path and set up your snares. Whereas, with a foot trap you must place your "set" so that the coyote must put his foot directly in the center of the trap. There are dozens of videos on youtube for snaring coyotes and for trapping coyotes. Watch some, pay close attention, try different techniques and you will soon be proficient. Techniques for trapping foxes will work equally well on coyotes. Just use heavier traps/snares. You can place dozens of snares for the price you'd pay for only a few traps.

One of the easiest ways to snare a coyote is if you can find a place where he is crawling under a fence. Also, if you have a good idea of his approach path, you can funnel them into your snare or trap by placing brush, logs or debris in place to direct him right where you want him. I'm not a masochist. I don't get pleasure out of being inhumane in dispatching any animal. But how humane is it for your stock to be eaten alive? Because it's a coyote committing the "inhumanity" it's OK? More compassion for the killer than for the animals you have raised since birth/hatching.

This relatively new concern over wild killers treatment boggles my mind. We have come to the point of equating the lives of a mange covered heartless killer with that of humans. We have come to equally regard the nasty coyote with the cuddly little Poofy Lou the Shitzou! In the 165,00 years of mankind, it was always absolutely natural for man to defend himself and his livelihood with the utmost violence against predators. It has taken this politically correct, clueless generation less than 75 years to try and change the natural inclination of man to protect his stock.

There are those out there who tell us to go easy on the predator because they are only doing what comes natural to them. It's embedded in their DNA. It is for precisely this reason I kill them! It is also embedded in my DNA to protect me and mine! Killing a predator is 100% effective. He can't possibly kill again. They say "More will come" I say "kill them also". Math and science folks.

Math; One less killer is ONE LESS!

Science; A dead predator can't kill anymore!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I think that coyotes are just trying to survive. I don't hate them, just hate when they get my animals. Electric netting is a great solution where everybody gets to keep their own skin! Good luck!

I'm not too sure about your coyotes but around here they will kill cats just because, and will also try to kill dogs, so not all about survival.

 

[KGreene]

Having somewhat recently had a coyote walk up into my yard at 3:00 pm within 30 yards of my wife and 18 month old granddaughter (not a lot bigger than the roo), playing in the yard, and snatch one of my BR roosters. I must say, I'm a bit intrigued with coyote fishing idea. These critters are fairly difficult to get a shot at when you do see them and, when these predators lose their fear of humans (in my opinion), especially where it concerns my family....there's no "wrong" way to eliminate them.

Just my two cents.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

There is a wrong way...inhumanly. It is just my opinion, but I would NEVER do anything like that. KGreene, why don't you just set up electric poultry netting? You can also lure the coyote over and shoot it, or even try a humane trap...

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

Thanks for not posting. I typed it without really thinking first. What I meant in a shorter way...

Eat or get eaten. It's the coyotes or, well, you. Do what it takes. If humane is an option, great. But if there is no other way, don't keep losing chickens and other things because you pity a coyote.
Try other things first. Humane is always best. But if it doesn't work the conciquences aren't worth it. I lost a whole flock to coyotes that didn't even eat them, but just left them laying there. They didn't even take one. That's killing for sport-not survival. And that's where I draw the line. I will try everything humane before resorting to worse methods. But I won't sit back and watch to spare the coyotes.

 

[NateinFL]

I guess so. I kinda want them where the coyotes can't get though, they're pygmies...
Is it normal for goats to be like that? One of my weathers isn't. Good boy, lol!
Have you heard anything about guard turkeys? I read somewhere that they're better than guard dogs.
I've got a jake. Didn't get him to guard, he's a pet...but if he were guarding, he'd be about as helpful as a beached fish. The dude's friendly to everything. Never met anyone he didn't like, and will walk up to any random thing and try to make friends with it. Really great cause it makes him a great pet, but are normal turkeys supposed to be good guards??? I think I got broken goats and turkey...haha.

No on the turkeys. Coyotes, and in my unlucky experience, bobcats, will both kill turkeys. I had a bobcat kill my full grown tom turkey. The only way I knew is because I had it on video (of the bobcat coming back to retrieve the turkey).

 

[OurFirstLadies]

I can't say enough about our Maremma Sheepdogs and coyotes. We had a coyote or maybe several discover that we had rescued feral cats outside and decimate them in just 6 months. Beside ourselves, we delayed adding a coop and chickens until we could solve that issue. I hired hunters and trappers to no avail because they are just too crafty. After a ton of research, I replaced my aging dogs with Maremmas one by one as they died naturally. We finally got to add our chicken coop this spring and not I, nor our neighbors, have had a coyote loss in nearly two years! If a dog is an option for you I highly recommend any of the big white livestock guardian breeds.