Coyote snatched a chicken yesterday :(

[Allthefloofs]

Yesterday I ran some errands and left the girls out, like I have most days for the 3 years we have had them. Well, today at 2:39 a coyote jumped our wall and grabbed one of our ladies. Most of our walls are 9 or 10 feet tall and I had just neglected to notice that there was one section that was closer to 7 ft. I have the culprit on camera, and can see the corner that it went to to jump back over, when I went to check height I can get about 3 inches of fingers past the wall, and I am only 5'2". I'll do an official measurement, but when I went to the other side of the wall I realized that I can get almost 5 inches of my fingers up past the wall so I know the base outside of the wall is higher than inside, so even easier. My question to people here is, has anyone used the coyote rollers? I'm willing to invest the 200/300 dollars for the length of wall that is the shortest if they work, it would be way cheaper than making the wall higher. What say you, good people of BYC? Coyote rollers, anyone tried them? Opinions? Input?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Have you investigated what you could do with electric fencing?

 

[Allthefloofs]

Have you investigated what you could do with electric fencing?

Not yet, I don't know if it would be useful in our situation, but I suppose I can reconfigure the yard space, it's definitely a thought!

 

[Allthefloofs]

My only thoughts on electrified anything is that these are chickens for kids, so the kids are out there a lot, which I think is why I was thinking of the coyote rollers, but I want to know how well they work before buying.

 

[Jabebee13]

I have researched this. I think it's a good idea. I haven't tried this. I recommend it. Go for it. Hope it works and hopefully someone who has used it with success story comes around.... I had chickens for 4 years. Racoons attacked mine.

 

[Allthefloofs]

I have researched this. I think it's a good idea. I haven't tried this. I recommend it. Go for it. Hope it works and hopefully someone who has used it with success story comes around.... I had chickens for 4 years. Racoons attacked mine.

Ohhhhh, raccoons are so vicious! We have a few here and I'm really careful about our run because of them. I'm so sorry that happened to you! I feel like we got off really lucky with only one girl taken. I was gone until 4, the coyote had plenty of time to murder all of them if it had chosen to do so. I don't really want to hurt the coyote for doing what it naturally does. I'm more mad at myself for not seeing how short the wall is than at the coyote for being a coyote. I feel like my options are the rollers, two or three layers of the 8 inch concrete blocks on top of the finished wall, or the electric fence around the yard fence.

 

[Jabebee13]

I feel you..... I understand. I had 25 chickens and raccoon took 4. It's not about me. It's about you. I could make my own post if I desired. I believe that coyote will come back for more. One every night. Easy meal. Do you have a shotgun? Scare it off.

 

[Allthefloofs]

The coyote will most definitely be back. Our run is pretty secure, we bought it with bobcats and raccoons in mind and I maintain it to make sure it isn’t breaking down. I don’t have a shotgun, and I don’t really have an interest in having one, but I understand the utility. We are in a pretty populated place and I doubt the neighbors would love a shotgun going off . I might get an air rifle to give it a sting on it’s way out, and I am realizing I can also do spikes on the wall too...that might be enough.

 

[Jabebee13]

Sounds good. Can I get one too. I have bipolar.... I need to be able to protect my flock as well. I have a boyfriend who doesn't have bipolar. He can help me out. Or help the chickens. I read other people do this.

 

[Jabebee13]

I will get a machete to go with my garden hoe and big knife collection. Watermelon knife I have. Fish knives my boyfriend bought. Big kitchen scissors... Snakes .... Sorry I had mountain dew two hours ago.