Since the topic of coyotes was brought up...
We had Nigerian Dwarf goats. They were in the back corner of our 2.5 acres. We are just west of Sun City, east of Surprise. Several months back coyote(s) killed my oldest goat. We left one of our leonberger mixes outside at night for awhile, until she figured out how to get out the gate and scared a neighbor (she's friendly with people, but a big black dog can be frighening if you don't know that). So we stopped leaving her out. Then, months later, coyote(s) came back and killed my favorite goat. We left the dog out at night again (we fixed the problem with her getting out the gate). But, the goat pen was on the property line fence, and the inside fencing was cattle panels. It was 16ft wide. That next night, WITH the dog with her head through the cattle panels barking her head off (she couldn't get in), the coyotes killed another goat. WITH our dog RIGHT THERE. They didn't leave until my husband ran out when he heard her barking like crazy. He let the goats out of ther pen to be better protected by the dog, and we set to finding the rest of them a new home.
After they were rehomed we still left Philly out at night. We breed miniature horses, and the foals are smaller than the goats. But ONE night I didn't put her out. They came and dug under our chicken pen, killed all 6 chickens, both turkeys, all 4 guineas, and 5 out of 7 ducks (but one of them later died due to his injuries). So dog is out at night ALL the time.
My husband leaves for work at 4, and would bring Philly back in at that time (she is a good guard dog but she is a house pet, doesn't like to be out all the time). One morning at about 8am I let my malamute, 2 largest Mini Aussies (one is actually standard sized) and one of my toy Aussies out, then I went to go get the puppies out of their pen to let them out.. and heard the coyote commotion. I'm not sure if they were on my property or the one next door (my horse trailers were blocking my view) but I know my dogs chased them off, saw them leaving the neighbor's fence and out into the open land behind us, three of them (one was limping). Of course then I panicked about my toy aussie, but he was by the house thank God. So, no little dogs outside if I'm not with them and sure the bigger dogs are out first, plus the husband leaves Philly out when he leaves for work now.
But as of yesterday we took in two dogs my friend rescued, they're Anatolian/Pyrenese. They are outside 24/7, so HOPEFULLY we'll be safe now. Plus Philly and her sister Denver (she's even more of a house dog... she's a couch potato lol) when they're out, I don't think a coyote will want to mess with us... at least, that's the hope!
And, I REALLY miss my birds. LOVED them. And I hate not having chickens. We will get more. For now, we have the surviving duck, got him a duck friend, and my friend just gave us a turkey. Plus I ordered 6 ducklings, whcih are supposed to ship this week
