coyotes/stray dogs

[()relics]

I am sure you have all heard this before but for those who haven't here goes....When I first moved to this new farm I had terrible dog/coyote problems. Now being a dog lover with a full time job I didn't have the time or desire to kill or scare them away. I continued to lose a chicken or two a turkey or three a duck here and there and several injured goats/kids. This couldn't be helped, I thought, because at the time all my animals free ranged with the horses and spent the night in a stall.
The last straw....coming out of the house in the morning to see a coyote/dog literally dragging a new born foal through the pasture with the mare in hot pursuit. The predator met his maker and the colt survived but What if I wasn't there.....
The solution...I bought donkey, a standard a jenny. No more dog/coyote problems...haven't lost a bird at least to a dog/coyote since....they really don't like the canine species or really anything strange to the pasture, people included....prob not practical for the chicken coop but works for the pasture.

 

[peeboo]

glad things have let up since getting your new buddy. mules/ donkeys and the like are a godsend in these situations

hope everything works out wel for you and the animals.

 

[39jdeere]

Alot of people out west use Llamas for coyotes an they will do a great job

 

[sandypaws]

glad it worked for YOU... but it doesnt always work...
the donkey i got(for that reason,, protection).. trys to KILL the goats... he stompes them with his front feet ans kicked them with his back feet.... he also did kill my duck,, as i was trying to catch him to take him OUT of their(goats, ducks, some chickens) part of the yard, he saw the duck trotted over and stomped her to death,, by this time most of the chickens had ran for the coop or cover,, the goats are running for their lives.. took me a while to corner and catch the donkey.. i put him with the horses and he is just useless to me... i feed hi and he is CUTE, but that is all..... he needs a new home,, anybody want him?? he is, FREE!!!
the picture is years old,, about a week after i got him,, i had not brushed all his hair out yet, so he looks scroungy

 

[()relics]

I had heard that you should only get a jenny because a jack is to "ornery"...Mine was very young when I got her and she is not huge maybe 400 lbs...but she holds her own with the horses. I have never seen any misbehavior with anyone else in the pasture...except the occasional colt/philly that needs a lesson in conduct...better with her than me...

 

[sandypaws]

hhmmm.. nobody said anything about getting a jenny.. i was told it did not matter,, so i got the hairy one..he was only 9 month old (the picture)when i got him and wild.. he is tamer now at 4years old, i wont put him back with the chickens...
well i am glad it worked for you..
i just wanted to add , it doesnt always work....

 

[cw]

you will get the urge to kill em, I didnt like the idea of it at all at first. till they got my little girls beagle puppy right in front of the house now i have gone to great lengths to get em. dont know about the rest of the state, but since they removed the bounty they have become over populated.

 

[sandypaws]

oh yes.. at first i did not want to shoot the coyotes... i would even yell at my husband for shooting at them.... i tryed planting cactus all around the fence almost ALL 2 1/2 acers...
after the coyotes INSISTED on digging under my fence no matter how much cactus i planted around the outside of the chicken yard.. i started to pick up the rifle myself... the first coyote i shot.. i shooed her off the fence TWICE, in broad daylight,, eveytime i went in the house she would trot back over and continued to dig.. i would run out of the house screaming at her and throwing rocks, she trotted off and hid behind a bush,, when i went back into the house she came over and started to dig again,, so the 3rd time i came out of the house i had the .22 i aimed and fired and dropped her where she stood... my husband came running over (hearing the shot) he was amazed, i shot her and i was a perfect shot... and since that first coyote, i have shot about 3 coyotes,, 3 bob cats,, 2 neighbor dogs,, (in the last 15 years).. i WONT shoot them unless i catch them in the act of digging or killing.

after loosing many many many MANY pets and livestock, you will change your mind

 

[cmom]

I put up an electric fence and no critters have tried to get in since. The lowest wire is 4 inches off the ground with 4000 to 6000 volts. Shocking!!! I have accidently touched the wire and got a good shock through my pants leg.

 

[charlotteda]

Its sorta like needing a good electric fence here to keep the Black Bears out of your bee hives