I fought a coyote over my dead rooster and lost, now it's returning every day.

[ThatParrotLady]

I was trying to leave the last friday and spotted a coyote who had tunneled under our massive yard under a 6 foot chain link fence and killed my 15 week old silkie roo, my son, and I made a stupid choice and grabbed a rock and ran it down, slugged it in the side with the rock before it could get under the fence and it went for my face. Our dogs, saved my bacon and he left with Chunk's body, I have needed a few days to write about this because I just, that was my son. My first chicken, and I am still dealing with that grief of falling down after failing to stop the coyote from leaving with him to eat him dangling from his mouth.

I don't think I will ever get over that because I carried that boy around when him and his girlfriend were hours old and took care of them like they were legit children since I did not know how else to care for them, I know he died defending his hens and I stupidly did not go outside to check on them earlier.

The problem is though this happened at 10AM. That little rat ********* dug under our fence, the dogs did not alert me sooner so I had no idea, and every day since killing Chunk it has returned to try and kill the rest of the girls. I have discharged a pellet gun, I have thrown bear urine on the fence line I have put down barbed wire I have had my husband urinate on the fence line from another person's recommendation this piece of crap has also gone after my neighbor's newborn calves and two of the other neighbor's cats have gone missing.

Fish and wild life refuse to do anything because Washington state Law passed legislation prohibiting me from baiting and poisoning it to death and I am a terrible shot with a rifle. I did get a good second round in when I threw a hatchet at him when he came back in the evening while I was filling the hole in with a 30 pound bolder. My girlfriend thinks it's a coyote dog hybrid but other than the two incidents I can't get close enough to kill this thing and now it sits at the far end of our acrage and watches the house when I have seen it. I am frustrated.

Short of breaking the law and poisoning it anyway to get rid of it because I can't afford a gun right now or a hunting lisence and it does not care about going after people as evidenced when it decided that he wanted a piece of my face and I wasn't having it (again I stress this was stupid I just ran after my chicken son's body because every other rational thought left me as I had raised him as my pet, I am childless and I had formed a really strong bond with him and it kills me knowing I couldn't DO anything to help him or stop this thing).

We've lived at the edge of the woods for years with no issues, there are rabbits and other prey around us in 50 acres of undeveloped wilderness. Another suggestion was this coyote was desperate to dig through very rocky soil. I have no idea.

But I need a fool proof plan to trap this thing alive and shoot it or another solution that will keep it away because nothing I've done seems to do more than make it laugh at me while I struggle to fortify the property and protect his surviving ladies. I've debated putting cement down around the outside of the fence perimeter and we're going to run an electric line over the 6 foot fence so if he tries to jump it this time instead of going under he'll get a rude awakening.

And if no advice can be given, what can I do for my grief? I feel stupid for being this attached to my kid because I realize he was just a chicken, but he was my chicken and I worked so hard on making sure he was healthy and happy every day because I enjoyed feeling like I was making his day better.

I have one silkie left, Ginger, and I am doing all I can to keep her and the other 3 (buckeye and orphintons which are my moms) safe. But I can't seem to get back that sense of complacency. I literally walk outside every hour and even in the middle of the night because I'm scared that thing will find a new way back in the interior yard and try to kill them.

 

[ThatParrotLady]

And if we can't kill him or be rid of him within the month, my mom may rehome her chickens and mine for their safety.

 

[NickyKnack]

I'm so sorry for you loss. I had a similar incident with a fox. I hope you find resolution to this problem. Coyotes are a pack animals, so you probably have a pack nearby.

 

[Leighe]

I was trying to leave the last friday and spotted a coyote who had tunneled under our massive yard under a 6 foot chain link fence and killed my 15 week old silkie roo, my son, and I made a stupid choice and grabbed a rock and ran it down, slugged it in the side with the rock before it could get under the fence and it went for my face. Our dogs, saved my bacon and he left with Chunk's body, I have needed a few days to write about this because I just, that was my son. My first chicken, and I am still dealing with that grief of falling down after failing to stop the coyote from leaving with him to eat him dangling from his mouth.

I don't think I will ever get over that because I carried that boy around when him and his girlfriend were hours old and took care of them like they were legit children since I did not know how else to care for them, I know he died defending his hens and I stupidly did not go outside to check on them earlier.

The problem is though this happened at 10AM. That little rat ********* dug under our fence, the dogs did not alert me sooner so I had no idea, and every day since killing Chunk it has returned to try and kill the rest of the girls. I have discharged a pellet gun, I have thrown bear urine on the fence line I have put down barbed wire I have had my husband urinate on the fence line from another person's recommendation this piece of crap has also gone after my neighbor's newborn calves and two of the other neighbor's cats have gone missing.

Fish and wild life refuse to do anything because Washington state Law passed legislation prohibiting me from baiting and poisoning it to death and I am a terrible shot with a rifle. I did get a good second round in when I threw a hatchet at him when he came back in the evening while I was filling the hole in with a 30 pound bolder. My girlfriend thinks it's a coyote dog hybrid but other than the two incidents I can't get close enough to kill this thing and now it sits at the far end of our acrage and watches the house when I have seen it. I am frustrated.

Short of breaking the law and poisoning it anyway to get rid of it because I can't afford a gun right now or a hunting lisence and it does not care about going after people as evidenced when it decided that he wanted a piece of my face and I wasn't having it (again I stress this was stupid I just ran after my chicken son's body because every other rational thought left me as I had raised him as my pet, I am childless and I had formed a really strong bond with him and it kills me knowing I couldn't DO anything to help him or stop this thing).

We've lived at the edge of the woods for years with no issues, there are rabbits and other prey around us in 50 acres of undeveloped wilderness. Another suggestion was this coyote was desperate to dig through very rocky soil. I have no idea.

But I need a fool proof plan to trap this thing alive and shoot it or another solution that will keep it away because nothing I've done seems to do more than make it laugh at me while I struggle to fortify the property and protect his surviving ladies. I've debated putting cement down around the outside of the fence perimeter and we're going to run an electric line over the 6 foot fence so if he tries to jump it this time instead of going under he'll get a rude awakening.

And if no advice can be given, what can I do for my grief? I feel stupid for being this attached to my kid because I realize he was just a chicken, but he was my chicken and I worked so hard on making sure he was healthy and happy every day because I enjoyed feeling like I was making his day better.

I have one silkie left, Ginger, and I am doing all I can to keep her and the other 3 (buckeye and orphintons which are my moms) safe. But I can't seem to get back that sense of complacency. I literally walk outside every hour and even in the middle of the night because I'm scared that thing will find a new way back in the interior yard and try to kill them.

First.....take your time mourning and having grief. You should not in any way feel stupid. We have all been through this if we've had chickens for any amount of time. No matter how they die, it is just too hard sometimes. Having said that...when you're grieving is somewhat done...remember the good memories. His death was one day out of a life of living and loving which was many days. He knew love from you, he knew he was loved, he had an incredible life because of your love for him. As far as the coyote, the cages have to be big and they make them for coyotes but if you haven't had any problems before, may not be worth it to buy one. Though you might ask on your state forum if anyone has one you can borrow? Even ask someone on the Washington link what they have done about coyotes. Putting down hardware cloth about 2 feet and bringing it out about 2-3 feet deters digging. Electric works. This coyote is starving....for him to be coming out so boldly and doing the things he has done. He should be running from you when he sees you. I deal with them weekly, here on my farm. We carry 22's with us and shoot them whenever we see them. Poisoning may work. I have never tried that. Hopefully others can post what they have done. My heart hurts for your loss....but I'm so glad you raised him and he had a loving home.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I was trying to leave the last friday and spotted a coyote who had tunneled under our massive yard under a 6 foot chain link fence and killed my 15 week old silkie roo, my son, and I made a stupid choice and grabbed a rock and ran it down, slugged it in the side with the rock before it could get under the fence and it went for my face. Our dogs, saved my bacon and he left with Chunk's body, I have needed a few days to write about this because I just, that was my son. My first chicken, and I am still dealing with that grief of falling down after failing to stop the coyote from leaving with him to eat him dangling from his mouth.

I don't think I will ever get over that because I carried that boy around when him and his girlfriend were hours old and took care of them like they were legit children since I did not know how else to care for them, I know he died defending his hens and I stupidly did not go outside to check on them earlier.

The problem is though this happened at 10AM. That little rat ********* dug under our fence, the dogs did not alert me sooner so I had no idea, and every day since killing Chunk it has returned to try and kill the rest of the girls. I have discharged a pellet gun, I have thrown bear urine on the fence line I have put down barbed wire I have had my husband urinate on the fence line from another person's recommendation this piece of crap has also gone after my neighbor's newborn calves and two of the other neighbor's cats have gone missing.

Fish and wild life refuse to do anything because Washington state Law passed legislation prohibiting me from baiting and poisoning it to death and I am a terrible shot with a rifle. I did get a good second round in when I threw a hatchet at him when he came back in the evening while I was filling the hole in with a 30 pound bolder. My girlfriend thinks it's a coyote dog hybrid but other than the two incidents I can't get close enough to kill this thing and now it sits at the far end of our acrage and watches the house when I have seen it. I am frustrated.

Short of breaking the law and poisoning it anyway to get rid of it because I can't afford a gun right now or a hunting lisence and it does not care about going after people as evidenced when it decided that he wanted a piece of my face and I wasn't having it (again I stress this was stupid I just ran after my chicken son's body because every other rational thought left me as I had raised him as my pet, I am childless and I had formed a really strong bond with him and it kills me knowing I couldn't DO anything to help him or stop this thing).

We've lived at the edge of the woods for years with no issues, there are rabbits and other prey around us in 50 acres of undeveloped wilderness. Another suggestion was this coyote was desperate to dig through very rocky soil. I have no idea.

But I need a fool proof plan to trap this thing alive and shoot it or another solution that will keep it away because nothing I've done seems to do more than make it laugh at me while I struggle to fortify the property and protect his surviving ladies. I've debated putting cement down around the outside of the fence perimeter and we're going to run an electric line over the 6 foot fence so if he tries to jump it this time instead of going under he'll get a rude awakening.

And if no advice can be given, what can I do for my grief? I feel stupid for being this attached to my kid because I realize he was just a chicken, but he was my chicken and I worked so hard on making sure he was healthy and happy every day because I enjoyed feeling like I was making his day better.

I have one silkie left, Ginger, and I am doing all I can to keep her and the other 3 (buckeye and orphintons which are my moms) safe. But I can't seem to get back that sense of complacency. I literally walk outside every hour and even in the middle of the night because I'm scared that thing will find a new way back in the interior yard and try to kill them.

Place a snare trap just outside of where he enters. It's ugly but when push comes to shove, end of sad story is around the corner.

 

[NanaKat]

So sorry you are having to deal with a cagey coyote. Snap traps and snares work. Place them where his trails are.
For peace of mind, coop your birds at night. Set snap traps around their coop.

 

[Anansi]

First.....take your time mourning and having grief. You should not in any way feel stupid. We have all been through this if we've had chickens for any amount of time. No matter how they die, it is just too hard sometimes. Having said that...when you're grieving is somewhat done...remember the good memories. His death was one day out of a life of living and loving which was many days. He knew love from you, he knew he was loved, he had an incredible life because of your love for him. As far as the coyote, the cages have to be big and they make them for coyotes but if you haven't had any problems before, may not be worth it to buy one. Though you might ask on your state forum if anyone has one you can borrow? Even ask someone on the Washington link what they have done about coyotes. Putting down hardware cloth about 2 feet and bringing it out about 2-3 feet deters digging. Electric works. This coyote is starving....for him to be coming out so boldly and doing the things he has done. He should be running from you when he sees you. I deal with them weekly, here on my farm. We carry 22's with us and shoot them whenever we see them. Poisoning may work. I have never tried that. Hopefully others can post what they have done. My heart hurts for your loss....but I'm so glad you raised him and he had a loving home.

I'm sorry for your loss. My suggestions are to run an electrified fence around your coop, and between you and your cattle owning friend, get a 22 and set up shop. That is not a normal coyote, and is a danger to more than pets and small livestock, and needs to be removed from the area. The other option is to get a humane large animal trap. You already know what it likes, so use a raw chicken for the bait. Set it up so that it's easier to get to than your chickens, and make sure you lock your flock up securely nightly.

Again, I'm sorry you lost your roo, and good luck with the removal of the coyote.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Sorry for your loss Our chickens are not "just" chickens, they become part of our lives. Thankfully you weren't hurt but would Fish & Wildlife done something then? Ok, State Law says "no baiting nor poisoning" how about trapping then taking it to Fish & Wildlife, let them deal with it? OR like Farmer Connie mentions, snaring it? I'm sure others will have suggestions. Good luck

 

[ThatParrotLady]

I am strongly considering live snaring it, forcing it into a large dog kennel and driving it to fish and wild life to dump on someone's desk. Aside the cattle and the cats, the neighbor one door down from me has small children and has noticed new holes around their fence trying to get into the yard the little one plays in and where their micro goats are. I told them what's going on.

I also called fish and wild life they refuse to do anything for me because it's MY problem. The snare is the best idea I've heard though since I am a lousy shot and it's just my mother and me living here, my husband has a severe heart condition at this time and cannot physically help me with anything. My mom isn't great either with labor so I am the last line of defense. Currently the girls are kept in a secondary interior yard and a massive dog kennel meant for a great dane that we repurposed until the main coop is done being painted and assembled.

Thank you Farmer Connie and Anansi. We are going to run an electrical line across the top part of the fence too because apparently 6 feet isn't enough to stop them. and when I walked the fence line, the little monster had gotten under the only part of the fence that had no rocks under the chain link.

The part about the 10AM thing that bugs me the most still is that it knew when we left for work ordinarily, it KNEW when we'd be out of the house, because I've stayed home the last few days to pay attention to it and it's always skulking during the day hours not at night and will approach the fence line and our dogs when it hasn't seen us for a few hours not realizing I'm watching through the blinds of my house like a mad woman hellbent on revenge for Chunk.

 

[ThatParrotLady]

I am strongly considering live snaring it, forcing it into a large dog kennel and driving it to fish and wild life to dump on someone's desk. Aside the cattle and the cats, the neighbor one door down from me has small children and has noticed new holes around their fence trying to get into the yard the little one plays in and where their micro goats are. I told them what's going on.

I also called fish and wild life they refuse to do anything for me because it's MY problem. The snare is the best idea I've heard though since I am a lousy shot and it's just my mother and me living here, my husband has a severe heart condition at this time and cannot physically help me with anything. My mom isn't great either with labor so I am the last line of defense. Currently the girls are kept in a secondary interior yard and a massive dog kennel meant for a great dane that we repurposed until the main coop is done being painted and assembled.

Thank you Farmer Connie and Anansi. We are going to run an electrical line across the top part of the fence too because apparently 6 feet isn't enough to stop them. and when I walked the fence line, the little monster had gotten under the only part of the fence that had no rocks under the chain link.

The part about the 10AM thing that bugs me the most still is that it knew when we left for work ordinarily, it KNEW when we'd be out of the house, because I've stayed home the last few days to pay attention to it and it's always skulking during the day hours not at night and will approach the fence line and our dogs (behind the fence and btw the one dog is a rhodesian ridgeback/rotweiller mix) when it hasn't seen us for a few hours not realizing I'm watching through the blinds of my house like a mad woman hellbent on revenge for Chunk.