A couple of predators...Advice please

[sourland]

Hotwire judiciously employed should keep most mammalian predators away.

 

[Matzwd]

Losses during free-range time negate fort knox approach limited to pen area.

Exactly! As I said above, we can't even take restroom breaks.

With you present, even small dogs (multiple) could serve as repellent for Coyote and Red Fox.

We have a 16 yo chihuahua mutt who can't hear, an 18-pound Boston Terrier, and an English Bulldog. The Boston and the Bulldog can be aggressive with furry intruders, but they are fairly small, and the Bulldog lacks effective teeth. In other words, their presence might be of use, but if their bluff is called, they will likely be injured. This is why the coyote is very concerning to me.

 

[centrarchid]

The bluff is what expect to work. The Coyotes have no reason to go after prey items while being harassed, even by a smaller dog. My rule of thumb is dog needs to be at least 50% larger than what it is tasked to fight with. My dogs are at least 50 lbs to run off 35 lb Coyotes and Bobcats.

Human in mix with aggressive dogs makes math for predators very different than when a single dog is involved without backup. Humans can be scary just by being around, even with predators habituated to human activity.

Other options could include upgrading on dog side, yours are largely past retirement age for working dogs; or simply not free-range. My approach has been to upgrade and make adjustments as needed. Free-range rearing chicks makes that essential.