Coyote.

[chicken4prez]

My neighbour spotted a coyote recently a few doors down. He said it looked hungry and straggly. What can I do to make sure it doesn't get any cats and especially chickens?

 

[townchicks]

Keep your cats indoors and your chickens in a fully enclosed run.

 

[chicken4prez]

Are there any scents or anything that the coyote wouldn't like?

 

[BlackHackle]

Not that I know...do you have a door on your coop with a lock?

 

[BlackHackle]

I have a lot of coyotes around my place, and the last time I had an attack was 4 years ago when I would completely free range my chickens

 

[townchicks]

Wolf urine might discourage them, but I wouldn't rely on that alone. Especially if it's scroungy and hungry. A big LGD would help, but you'd need to get an adult to take on a coyote, and that's a whole new expense and responsibility and it would need to be out there 24/7.

 

[chicken4prez]

Not that I know...do you have a door on your coop with a lock?

It's like a normal door for a house with a round door handle. Is that what you mean? It can lock (we have a key) but we normally don't do that. They're in the pen right now. We just heard about the coyote about 2 hours ago and the hens were already out. They'll be in the coop all day tomorrow and possibly till we get rid of the coyote.

 

[chicken4prez]

I have a lot of coyotes around my place, and the last time I had an attack was 4 years ago when I would completely free range my chickens

I have houses being built around me (just started last year) and we were thinking that that would drive the packs out and I thought it did because I didn't hear any at night like we normally would but like I said before, our neighbour spotted a straggly one this morning. Before they had plenty of food because it was just all forest but now the workers have driven out all the rabbits and things the coyotes would normally go for so that's why this time I'm more concerned for my chickens.

Wolf urine might discourage them, but I wouldn't rely on that alone. Especially if it's scroungy and hungry. A big LGD would help, but you'd need to get an adult to take on a coyote, and that's a whole new expense and responsibility and it would need to be out there 24/7.

One of my neighbour's has a gun and he said he'll keep an eye out for it.

 

[BlackHackle]

I would say you'll be fine if they are in a pen. Coyotes are rather small. I used to hunt them and they are a bit bigger than a house dog.

 

[BlackHackle]

Tell your neighbors that you can actually make $25 CAD if you sell a coyote pelt at a taxidermy shop . Lol