A coyote found my chickens and I am in a panic

[rfitzkee]

Tonight around 8 pm I went to collect my eggs and shut the coop door. I heard something behind me and turned around there was a coyote stareing right at me. We seemed to have locked eyes for what seemed like ever. I took a few steps back and it turned and ran maybe 50 or so yards. It then watched me, I went into the house to call for help since it was just me and the kids at home. When I came back out it was making its way back to the coops. I started yelling and makeing noise set off a few bottle rockets hopeing to scare it off. After setting of the bottle rockets it ran to the edge of the field, where four deer were standing. I am worried it will come back after my animals now that it knows where there is a food source. So I guess my questions are Will it come back, will it bring in more of them, can they get through chicken wire and fenceing, what can I do to keep them away from here, and as crazy as this seems will it try to jump or dig to get into then pens? My ducks don't go in at night anymore so I had to round them up and lock them in, should I do this everynight? I am worried it will try to get in there with them. Thank you for any and all answers.

 

[trailchick]

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Got an lgd; & Hubby just bought me a Henry 22 long rifle. 5. Yes : sorry to give you bad news but coyotes can be mean & resourceful.......

 

[coloradoalice]

Yep to the above. Shoot it and leave the skin somewhere where the others will see it and smell it, it helps keep the pack away when they know one of theirs has been killed.

 

[postalpoultry]

The others are right you have to shoot it and hang it on the fence. awfully brazen of it especially for this time of year. Something must be going on to interupt its normal habits, as spring is a time of plenty in the wild. It should have come after your things in the winter, quite strange. Do you not have dogs??

 

[bobbi-j]

Yes, it will come back and bring friends. When you get a chance, lose the chicken wire and get stronger fencing. Our runs are made of 2x4" welded wire with chicken wire around the bottom 24" so when we have little chicks in there, they don't get out. It would be a good idea to keep your ducks locked up at night or they will disappear, one or two at a time. Until you can reinforce your coop with stronger fencing, you could put a few strands of electric fence around them. Not everyone has the resources, knowledge or area for an LGD. They are not a necessity, but could be helpful, I suppose. We have a black lab that guards our flock during the day. Coyotes don't come after chickens only in the winter. We had several living in our corn field near the barn a few years ago. That summer, they wiped out all of my barn cats and chickens in a matter of weeks.

 

[blucoondawg]

Around here coyotes or anything else comes after chickens any time of year, all it takes is for them to be hungry and know where the easy meal is, your best bet is killing them and making the meal not so easy, keep them locked in at night but not all predators are nocturnal, they will come during the day as well so improving your run structure when you can will really help in that regard. Running a few strands of electric fence around the existing run as someone else mentioned will likely ad a degree of protection as well.

 

[rfitzkee]

I do have dogs and was worried to let them out during all this. When my dogs went out there were on its trail.

 

[postalpoultry]

Well I didn't mean to infer that they only come in winter, it is just more usual as prey is more scarce. Spring is generally prime hunting season what with all the babies and pregnant rabbits, squirrels and even deer and calves. You would know your dogs better than I and when it is safe to let them out, I only asked because it doesn't take a big or mean dog to keep the scout (coyote that is sent out ahead to look for food) away. It just takes a forceful or loud dog, my female sheltie is not big by any means but she thinks she is a real badass and she guards this place calling the other 2 when she senses a problem. NOW KEEP IN MIND, I said they help to keep the scout away NOT the pack! When the pack gets there you put your dogs up! to late for that now, as the other said you need to reinforce now, and for sure keep the ducks up at least at night, and I know it may sound mean but SHOOT TO KILL. Dogs will usually stay away after a wound but doesn't work so well with coyotes. Good luck!

 

[bobbi-j]

Well I didn't mean to infer that they only come in winter, it is just more usual as prey is more scarce. Spring is generally prime hunting season what with all the babies and pregnant rabbits, squirrels and even deer and calves. You would know your dogs better than I and when it is safe to let them out, I only asked because it doesn't take a big or mean dog to keep the scout (coyote that is sent out ahead to look for food) away. It just takes a forceful or loud dog, my female sheltie is not big by any means but she thinks she is a real badass and she guards this place calling the other 2 when she senses a problem. NOW KEEP IN MIND, I said they help to keep the scout away NOT the pack! When the pack gets there you put your dogs up! to late for that now, as the other said you need to reinforce now, and for sure keep the ducks up at least at night, and I know it may sound mean but SHOOT TO KILL. Dogs will usually stay away after a wound but doesn't work so well with coyotes. Good luck!

There's nothing mean about shooting to kill something that's after your animals. Actually, it's kinder than shooting and wounding an animal. I hate to see anything suffer - even a coyote. I agree with putting the dogs up if the pack shows up. We have neighbors who's dog went missing, and they're pretty sure it was lured away by a female coyote and killed by the pack. I worry about our dog when he starts staying out at night when it warms up. He's old, but would still take on anything that comes in the yard.

 

[postalpoultry]

There's nothing mean about shooting to kill something that's after your animals. Actually, it's kinder than shooting and wounding an animal. I hate to see anything suffer - even a coyote. I agree with putting the dogs up if the pack shows up. We have neighbors who's dog went missing, and they're pretty sure it was lured away by a female coyote and killed by the pack. I worry about our dog when he starts staying out at night when it warms up. He's old, but would still take on anything that comes in the yard.

Yes I completely agree about the "mean thing" you see I tend to be very direct and to the point as a rule but some guy at work said I was "abrasive" so I'm tryin this new me out here! LMAO