We have coyotes living in a den a half mile from my house. When I had my German Shepherd, they never came in the yard at all. Since my male GSD died, I've seen them more often, and in my back yard. I put up a fence, they jump over it. They are not at all impressed with the two dogs I have now, both pit mixes, both females (don't know if that's why) and I have been seeing them more and more. They have not gotten to any of my birds, but a friend of mine was outside with her husband and watched two coyotes run into her yard, grab a chicken each, and take off for the woods again. She lost 8 or 9 in one week. My chickens only free range the yard in late morning/early afternoon, with my dogs in the yard with them, and usually I'm out there too. The only time I see the coyotes is early morning or right before dark, so my chickens are locked in the run during those hours.
Neighbors have been telling me lately about foxes snatching birds in the middle of the day, so I'm hoping my dogs will keep them away. And according to the local game warden here, it is illegal to trap and relocate any wild animal, so if I catch them, I have to kill them. Had a problem with raccoons before I got the chickens, after my GSD died and before I got my two dogs, so had to have a talk with him. Also talked to him about my "imaginary" coyotes, which I now have him convinced are real, but he told me not to worry about them because they don't like dogs. He's not the brightest bulb, in my opinion, but he does know the law. I don't want to have to kill anything just because they're hungry, so I keep the place secure enough so nobody can get to my chickens. So far, so good and the only inconvenience is that I have to walk the dogs on leashes at night, cuz I won't let them in the yard loose at night cuz I don't know what's out there.