Coyote attack in the middle of the day.

[BlindLemonChicken]

I can usually attribute it to hunters.

I wonder how good they taste. I’m sure it depends what they’re eating but I’m not sure I like turkey enough to deal with all that and then end up with a skinny, gamey-tasting thing

 

[Toad9000]

I wonder how good they taste. I’m sure it depends what they’re eating but I’m not sure I like turkey enough to deal with all that and then end up with a skinny, gamey-tasting thing

I don't like store bought turkey at all, very bland and flavorless. In fact, I only have it at Thanksgiving cause of tradition. I could just as easily skip it. But I love wild turkey. Not really sure how to describe it. Its still turkey flavor, but way less watered down than a farm bird. Plus nothing is cooler than getting out before dawn and getting to hear those guys go nuts in the woods. And when you call one in and spot the bronze iridesent feathers and blue head of some crazy new world dinosaur strutting right towards you, looking for you. Holy cow, what a rush.

The only thing I would caution about wild turkey meat is that its more susceptible to drying out than a farm bird and the legs are very tough and tendon filled. But if you're a decent cook you oughta be able to make something delicious out of both. Bonus points for offal eaters too. The heart, liver, and testes all make excellent fair. The gizzard goes to my dog, but I just don't like gizzards in general.

 

[MROO]

If there’s anything worse than a house chicken it’s a house trash panda. I can’t even imagine. Did it use a litter box?

Yes, they'll use a litter box ... then play in it. Our rescue used a one while little (bottle-baby,) but quickly followed the dogs' lead once she could escape her enclosure. She was never that sort of problem indoors ... but got into literally everything else!
I do NOT recommend them as pets. Eventually, they either return to the wild or live in a feral limbo between wild and domesticated. Either way, they "live wild" but are not intimidated by or afraid of dogs and humans. That's a dangerous reality that rarely ends well for anyone!

 

[McChooky]

This isn’t a question so go ahead and move it if I’m posting in the wrong forum, I’m just so frustrated and need to say something about this.

I haven’t lost a bird to a predator in nearly six years and today, while my birds were free ranging, that streak was broken. They hadn’t even been out for more than thirty minutes when a coyote jumped the six foot fence around my yard and took off with my splash Marans. I was in the barn when it happened but didn’t hear anything because I was in the tack room which has a loud portable ac unit for my barn cat. It wasn’t until I went out and saw feathers everywhere that I realized something had happened and checked the cameras.

I’m completely in shock because although I know coyotes aren’t nocturnal animals, I’ve still never considered them a daytime threat. I really had thought my birds were pretty safe in free ranging from everything except hawks and I was wrong.

The worst part about this really is that I know he’ll eventually be back, and while I trust my birds are all safe in their runs, my barn cat obviously isn’t safe to be roaming free. The issue is that it’s going to be super hot this week and the barn traps heat so locking him up in here feels cruel. At the same time I can’t take the risk so I guess supervised outside time is going to become the norm for him for a while

This really is just not how I was hoping this week would start so any words of support would be greatly appreciated as I sit with this

Free ranging can improve the quality of our chickens lives but it does come at a price.Not everyone is willing to make the sacrifice. Wishing you the best!

 

[Love Donkeys]

Coyotes have expanded their range by 40% in the past 70 years. HUMANS have allowed coyotes to expand outside of their natural range

My Hubby and I drove tractor-trailer and made deliveries, at least once a month, to Hunts Point Market in New York City. We would be there around 2 or 3am waiting our turn to unload our trailer. While waiting we would watch the Coyotes going through the garbage and "collecting" Rats for breakfast. I think we have seen Coyotes in most of the big cities where we had deliveries.

 

[McChooky]

Our cats have catios attached to the house but our dogs only have a fenced yard so I don't leave them out when I'm gone. Coyotes will hunt as long as it takes even if it means hunting all day.They'll eat a dog too

 

[Peanutplus7]

This really is just not how I was hoping this week would start so any words of support would be greatly appreciated as I sit with this

We bought 4 acres last year and had no inkling that coyotes would be a problem. We just didn't know what we didn't know.

There is land right next to ours that isn't being used. Our chickens and guineas were going over there to free range because it was closer to their coop. One morning as we were finishing our coffee, about 9 am, I saw 2 coyotes run next to the fence on that side of the property. Sure enough, they took 2 chickens and it's been a battle ever since.

Just when I think I've done something to keep them away long term, a few weeks later another chicken disappears. They even got my favorite cat. I just lost another one of my favorite hens yesterday. She was the friendliest of them all and when I went to put them in their coop last night, she was missing. I told my husband I'm ready to sell the whole dang farm.

I used Chatgpt and it suggested Premiere 1 fencing. I have thought about using it temporarily to keep them from going over to the property next to us. I'm thinking if they get tagged a couple of times by the light electrical shock, they won't try to go over there, even when I remove it. I don't know. I'm just so bummed right now.

All this to say, and I know I'm a couple months later, but I'm so sorry. I know we have invaded the coyotes space and I don't want to kill them. I just want to stop them from having access to my flock.

 

[lagrange chicks]

Sorry your having coyote problems. In the last couple years coyote pelt value dropped so much that trappers are not targeting them much anymore so the problem could get worse. With that said killing a few would not be the worst thing, actually could be beneficial to the coyote population to reduce the chance of disease and help you with the chicken thieves. An old indian saying is the coyote will be the last animal on earth because they can adapt to change so easily. hope you find a solution to your problem.

 

[Appalachickens]

We bought 4 acres last year and had no inkling that coyotes would be a problem. We just didn't know what we didn't know.

There is land right next to ours that isn't being used. Our chickens and guineas were going over there to free range because it was closer to their coop. One morning as we were finishing our coffee, about 9 am, I saw 2 coyotes run next to the fence on that side of the property. Sure enough, they took 2 chickens and it's been a battle ever since.

Just when I think I've done something to keep them away long term, a few weeks later another chicken disappears. They even got my favorite cat. I just lost another one of my favorite hens yesterday. She was the friendliest of them all and when I went to put them in their coop last night, she was missing. I told my husband I'm ready to sell the whole dang farm.

I used Chatgpt and it suggested Premiere 1 fencing. I have thought about using it temporarily to keep them from going over to the property next to us. I'm thinking if they get tagged a couple of times by the light electrical shock, they won't try to go over there, even when I remove it. I don't know. I'm just so bummed right now.

All this to say, and I know I'm a couple months later, but I'm so sorry. I know we have invaded the coyotes space and I don't want to kill them. I just want to stop them from having access to my flock.

That's so sad. Killing wild animals is always a last resort option for me, but coyotes are like deer in terms of becoming over-populated. Since we killed off all the wolves, they've moved in and you can't blame them for their natural behavior. And, as you say, we are rapidly taking away the habitats of wild animals. But you also have to protect your flock. I'd try the electric fencing if it were me, but I wouldn't completely rule out having to kill them (and I hate that I'm even saying that).

 

[Seaslug]

I don't know -- if the habitat can support them, I don't know if killing them would make a difference. The population will just rebound.

That is why I do not kill anything that is just roaming on our property and never have traps set out for the casual roamer. The worse thing you can do is eliminate the population that you have that is not causing a problem.
I recognize that is not the case here -- that there are predators that are causing a problem. I do agree with others that, if at all possible, eliminating the opportunity for successful attack is the best option because too often eliminating the predator (if you even get the offender) just creates a false sense of security, as your birds remain susceptible to future attacks.
Best of luck. I can completely understand your frustration.