1st coyote this AM

[Ladybird32]

Woke up this morning (6:45 am) to the sound of my hens squawking a bit from inside their coop. Unusual, as I've never heard them do that in the morning. I got up and immediately went outside to let them out. As I walked into my backyard I saw a large figure of a "dog" that I instanly knew was a coyote digging around in the trees just outside our fence (which is wire). Is it possible the chickens could sense/hear/smell the coyote even though they were still inside their coop and the coyote was at least 20 feet away?

The coyote wasn't too fazed by the fact that I was out there. He stirred a little and started sauntering away. I was about 10 feet away from him at that point, so I sort of rushed toward him clapping my hands and he took off.

My husband came out and tried to follow where he went. It turns out there is a den about 100 yards from our house, behind the produce farm that neighbors us. We had no idea. We've lived here for less than a year and have heard neighbors say they've seen coyotes, but it's not like we live in the sticks, so we didn't really think too much about it.

Totally freaked out that this one was so brazen and so close to me at 7 in the morning. I contacted the human society, which redirected me to the Agricultural Dpt., which redirected me to the name of a guy that I guess handles these types of situations. So now I am just waiting for a call back. Has anyone had an experience like this? Like I said, we don't live in a super rural area. The only thing is that we live at the back of a produce farm, but other than that, we are in a suburban location. And it makes me uncomfortable that there is a coyote hangout so close to my house.

 

[ECBW]

Well, let me say live and let live. I am also in suburb. We knew about the deers when we bought the house. We could not maintain a garden because of them. We either have to barricade the garden or plant deer resistant plants, not go out to exterminate Bambi.

After we got chickens, we found that we have foxes first and hawks came to visit. We take it as that they all need to eat and we are in their neighborhood as much as we are in theirs. We adjusted (fortified) the way we keep chickens so all can co-exist. We saw two baby foxes frolicking in the snow in the past winter and we were happy for them.

Besides, you got bounced around probably because such call is a nuisance and low priority to the town hall.

 

[Ladybird32]

Deer are much different than coyotes. And the occassional fox or coyote really isn't a big deal, either. The problem is the den, which means they aren't just wandering in from the mountains. They are almost literally living in our backyard. We also have small children, so that is more the concern than the chickens, even though I'd be heartbroken if one of our chickens got killed.

 

[speckledhen]

They will hunt your birds to feed pups this spring.

This is a thread you should read involving a friend of mine who had a coyote den across the street from her house. You'll find the story interesting:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/521876/why-have-a-rooster-new-pg-10-video-pg-13

 

[Am056638]

My neighbor has about 20 hens. When we were out in our own field gardening I could hear the hens in the next field squak squak squaking away. I made a comment to my boyfriend about how weird it was that they were being so noisy. We both turned to look at the hen house and BAM there was a coyote. Ran into the group of free ranging hens and just took one. Poof gone! It was 2 in the afternoon!

We live just outside city boundries on 2 acres and we shoot every coyote we see.

We just got our own lil flock of 6 chicks yesterday and I am super nervous about keeping them safe from the coons, and hawks, and coyotes.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

They will hunt your birds to feed pups this spring.

This is a thread you should read involving a friend of mine who had a coyote den across the street from her house. You'll find the story interesting:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/521876/why-have-a-rooster-new-pg-10-video-pg-13

I REALLY enjoyed that story!

 

[aaggjg]

I had almost the same experience as you yesterday .... I woke to a scared sqwaking.
I ran down to my coop to find a fat healthy coyote right next to the run. I picked up a 2x4 and hit the fence as hard as I could and yelled at it. It ran off..... 2 of my girls were in the coop hiding and the 2 alpha hens were clucking up a storm. Now it knows where I live and more importantly where the chickens live .... I live in the city on a hillside fenced in... ugh. Now I'm not going to be able to let the girls out to play in the yard anymore.

 

[sourland]

OP, if you have smal children be very careful. Here in NJ there have been recent incidents on the Jersey shore where coyotes have grabbed small children. These are not rabid animals - just hungry urbanized animals.

 

[Ladybird32]

Now that I know there are coyotes around I can no longer let my chickens free range unless I am out there. My kids used to be able to play with me watching from the kitchen window, but now that can't happen anymore, either. Still calling people and trying to get information....thanks for the comments and replies.

 

[woodmort]

You did the right thing in running the coyote off. Keep them afraid of you and you will have less problems with them. Not that they will necessarily leave you alone but they learn to respect humans and, as long as you don't give them a source of food, will go elsewhere where pickings are easier.