Coyote just took a chicken 10 feet from our house in mid afternnon

[aprophet]

Quote:
Good idea... a pig can tear up a dog!!... and if they get attacked they are LOUD! you'll hear them....
I dont know if anyone has said this yet... but human urine will scare them off too...
a lot of people (usually males... lol..) pee around their coops/yards to keep predators out...
*i know..sounds weird..*

just an idea...

OMG Redhen, pee around the coops?!?!? That is such a grossly FASCINATING idea! Ugh- its just seems sooo gross, but honestly? Yep, I'm going to be asking my hubby to do a little extra detail around my coop! * Just in case, ya know* I havent had an issue with predators inside my actual coop perimeter in almost 2 years, but I figure the extra 'line of defense' cant hurt, right? I guess I might never know if it really works, but I will probably have a nice giggle over the memory of him pee'ing for me and my chooks!!

It does kinda make sense since most animals use urine as a way to mark territory, why not us? As for it being a male who does it- that makes sense too since males are by nature more aggressive due to higher testosterone levels (in humans, I mean) and the hormones do show up in urine....might send a strong message to predators.

Really, I hadnt heard of it before, but your idea makes sense! Thanks!

this may work for wolves they are a little ways away from me ( 50-100 miles) it works better with domestic dogs it does not seem to work for red fox or greys here they have a food source they come right into the yard oh yea my wife changed a few things about me I actually eat vegetables these days but I still ain,t yard broke

 

[silkydragon]

Quote:
with some of my bantys i cannot keep them pinned up my sebrights keep flying into the windows/wires of my coop if i dont not let them out at 10am they are a bigger risk to themselves being penned up then the predaters in my area

 

[Yardbirds286]

Quote:

 

[Murphys2009]

Lots of hunters out there looking for places to hunt Coyote. Place an ad on Craigslist.

 

[21chicks]

I recently had 8 hens, 1 rooster, and a dozen eggs taken in about a 2 hour time span on a beautiful spring afternoon.... with only a few feathers left behind. (no blood, body parts or broken shells) After asking fellow BYC followers what predator does this, we came up with either a coyote, fox, dog, or person. We free-ranged during the day and put them up at night without any previous problems other than losing two wyandottes to hawks (this flock was about a year old). I recently read an article about a dedicated chicken keeper who stated that 'a free range chicken is a dead chicken'. My solution is to trap and relocate/ kill what we can, keep the chickens in a large outdoor pen when we are home, and let them free range when I am working outside and have the time to round them up or wait until they return to the coop on their own. I have also quietly sat outside with a gun watching and waiting.
We recently got a new set of chicks, and I am constantly preoccupied with keeping my eyes on the tree line. Based on the boldness of the predator I worry about my kids, Corgi, and barn cats. For me, its been difficult to try to overcome the dramatic loss of my first flock, but being active in protecting them helps. We love our birds and will continue keeping them, we'll just be more diligent.

 

[junglebean]

The coyotes have pups and hungry mothers to feed right now...during the day.

 

[Stonerowfarm]

I don't know if it's a possibility for you and your situation, but a donkey or a llama is excellent protection against coyotes (as well as domestic dogs). The biggest problem is that neither of them will differentiate between a 'wild' dog and your neighbor's pet who wanders into the yard. They will kill both. I've also seen llama's chase off fox.

Just a suggestion for keeping your flock safe and letting the eco-system take care of itself.

 

[Santa Cruz Red]

There is one other approach to the predator problem. A good stock dog. Australian Shepard, Border Collie, Cattle dog are my favorites, but there are also the big guard dogs, Swiss Mountain dog and the like. Trick is to get them to pay attention to their guard duties all day long. One approach is to get them real real young, like before weaned, and raise them with the flock or herd. Another is to buy one that is already trained, this will be expensive. Or if you've got young kids, get them a stock dog puppy from very good lines, need not be fancy, just from very good lines. Then raise the pup right with the kid. Same room, crib, bed, whatever. Make it the kids dog. Then at least if the coyote gets the chickens he won't get the kid. Nor will one of the two-legged varmits, which are actually much more dangerous.

Just be sure you get a real stock dog, from working lines. Most dogs are from hunting lines, and will just run all over h.... Kill chickens, run the neighbors stock etc. A good stock dog, raised with a kid, will always be there.
Raise it with the flock, it might work. At least you'll have a good dog and a good friend.

 

[speckledhen]

This thread is a year old, but timely, since at this time of year, coyote mamas are feeding pups so are very likely to take extra daytime risks in order to do so; just check out the thread in Pictures and Stories of my Chickens entitled "Why have a rooster?" by Cetawin for one such story.

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

Each year about this time coyotes are in the news by taking small dogs on leashes being walked in the early am and pm by their owners!! very ritzy neighborhood with 3 golf courses. People have been advised to carry golf club or walking stick to beat them off of fee fee

...if it were me I would carry! and not a cane