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If coyotes are puppies, then mountain lions are kittens, and grizzly bears are stuffed teddy bears, and deranged serial killers are scared little children. With respect for you sensitive feelings, I think you need to get a grip and a realistic perspective.
If the coyotes get a pass because they were "here" before you, then maybe you should pack up and move back to the country your ancestors came from and donate your home to some descendants of the original residents, aka native Americans.
Coyotes are nobody's friend. They obviously have no remorse about eating your "friends," the wonderful chickens and rooster that have been your companions and have provided for your needs. Coyotes have been known to eat a calf/lamb/kid as it was being born or right after it was born before the mama had recovered enough to defend it. That does not sound like a cuddly puppy to me. Given the right opportunity they would eat your small child.
I'm not trying to gross you out and I certainly don't mean this to be rude or disrespectful, however, I do think you need to adjust your perspective to the real world. If a child killer had hold of your little child and you or your husband had the means of stopping them DEAD in their tracks I hope you would not stop to think that the bad guy must of had a bad upbringing and must have a need to kill your child, (maybe that is the case and maybe they are just doing what comes naturally to them--but that does not make it OK,) I hope that you would put them down as they deserve.
Personally I don't LOVE my chickens as much as you say you do. I like them alot, I am entertained by them alot, I take great care of them daily and I enjoy the eggs and know full well that I will enjoy them eventually in the stew pot. However, I do not hesitate for a second to kill any predator that would seek to have them for a meal. They are my property and my food source and defending them is also defending provision for my family.
That said, the way I most frequently protect my chickens is by providing a chicken Fort Knox for them to live in, especially at night. They do get to free range some in the daytime but only within the confines of electric netting, which so far has kept them in and four legged predators out (if you don't have any electric netting check out:
http://www.premier1supplies.com I highly recommend their catalog; it will give you an education in fencing if you need such.
