coyotes stalking my hens

[cmom]

Send them here, we have a lot of them.

 

[rod5591]

If the coyotes were denning on my land they would be dead by now. (I think!) But all they have done is stalk my place and eye my birds from outside my fence. I chased them off each time I saw one and I haven't seen one jump the fence or dig under it. My property is fenced, with 5 foot chain link fence, so I couldn't even set a trap or bait an ambush on my own property. My neighbor wouldn't let me hunt the coyotes down on his land when I asked. Worried about the houses bordering his land he said. The neighbor has about 25 acres with a pond on it and does not actively ranch his land any longer. His land is all fenced in with 3 strand barb wire. He used to run some cows there but no more. He grew hay last year and then left the rolls of hay to rot out in the rain. The coyotes found a place where they are not disturbed, they have water there and the pond and vicinity seems to be the center of their range. There apparently are no laws requiring private property owners to control wildlife predators on their property. Guess I am going to have to go the electric fence route.

 

[cmom]

This was several years ago but I had a coyote jump over a 5 foot fence and some of the birds went across to get out and the coyote too. He killed a couple of birds and I found one injured out in the pasture but it died the next day. I had some bird shot in my gun. I aimed at the coyote and I'm sure I hit it but it ran off.

 

[PattyNH]

I've recently had some fox show up. I'd seen one this past summer but it was alone. Now I hear them out yipping once it gets dark. It's definitely keeping me on edge. So far my barn has remained secure but every time I hear them I go out with my air rifle and manage to scare them off, although only temporarily it seems, as they keep returning. I'll have to up the ante to keep them away for good. Not what I was hoping for but I have a flock of chickens, 2 ducks, and my NG babies to keep safe.

 

[Bamabexchicks]

If the coyotes were denning on my land they would be dead by now. (I think!) But all they have done is stalk my place and eye my birds from outside my fence. I chased them off each time I saw one and I haven't seen one jump the fence or dig under it. My property is fenced, with 5 foot chain link fence, so I couldn't even set a trap or bait an ambush on my own property. My neighbor wouldn't let me hunt the coyotes down on his land when I asked. Worried about the houses bordering his land he said. The neighbor has about 25 acres with a pond on it and does not actively ranch his land any longer. His land is all fenced in with 3 strand barb wire. He used to run some cows there but no more. He grew hay last year and then left the rolls of hay to rot out in the rain. The coyotes found a place where they are not disturbed, they have water there and the pond and vicinity seems to be the center of their range. There apparently are no laws requiring private property owners to control wildlife predators on their property. Guess I am going to have to go the electric fence route.

We are in the process of putting an electric fence around our coop until we can afford to do the whole 2 acres. First got a charger that would do 2 miles it packed about 0.07 joules. Now considering that I want a 3 strand hot fence, it occured to me to study on how this translates into how strong the charge would be overall. Took it back unopened and got a 15 mile box that packs a 0.7 joule jolt. We are dealing with large dogs (1 is a deaf pitbull) coyotes are around: we hear but don't see them,and foxes. We will be able to extend a 3 strand fence around the property and the coop with just 1 box. Worth the extra bucks.

 

[rod5591]

Last few nights my GSD has been sensing coyotes scouting our chickens, figuring how to get in and get them. Tonight I went out in a light rain and shined a bright flashlight around. I saw the reflected eyes of two coyotes, watching from the edge of the tree line about two hundred yards away. I took the best photo I could with my iPhone, which wasn’t very good, but I can recognize two coyotes, even though the camera merges two reflected eyes into one. They are right in the backyard of my nearest neighbor. Too far for a shot with iron sights, and with a neighboring house in the line of fire. One photo is cropped & enlarged, the other not.

 

[rod5591]

Two stray dogs tried to get into the chicken yard last night. One checked the gates and the other began digging under our fence. Our security cam alerted us, as did Rosie our GSD. I hurried outside to confront the dogs. As soon as they saw me they skedaddled. One howled like a coyote, but these were two large mixed breed dogs, both were black with white socks (litter mates?) The picture below is a screen capture from our security cam.

There are more predators than I anticipated here on the Cumberland Plateau in central Tennessee. My neighbor down the road has lost her entire flock (of 6 birds) twice this year--once to a raccoon and once to a fox. She has dogs also, but keeps them in the house, to protect them from the coyotes. I have 16 birds, but haven't lost a single one to a predator. It's probably because our GSD is out in the yard quite a bit, and we have a 5 ft fence surrounding our place.

 

[HeyHo]

Now I hear them out yipping once it gets dark. It's definitely keeping me on edge.

Isn't listening to the predators the worst?! A pack of coyotes were out howling two nights ago and it sounded like there was 100 of them! When the floodlights were turned on they stopped, for a little while. They just started up again a little farther away. Shiver.

 

[NewBoots]

Sounds like a horror movie. I suppose they'd stay out of range of paint ball gun.