Coyotes took 10 birds in broad daylight

[IamRainey]

I'm very sorry for your loss. So far since we have owned our house we have never seen or have a witness to foxes being around. That said we have coyotes, coons and possums. I hope you trap and eliminate (or what ever you choose) to protect your surviving babies! Best of luck.

We never see our most successful predators. That's where their success -- their ability to breed and hunt -- lies!

One night I was up very late and heard a noise at my trashcans. I went to the door and saw a raccoon that was stretched up to about 4 1/2' to reach the top of the can. I waved a broom at it and it looked back at me in total contempt.

The next day I called Los Angeles Animal Control and the AC officer told me raccoons were a major presence all over the city and they couldn't respond by trapping such an overwhelming and omnipresent population fed by our trash and our fruit trees. He said I was probably on the raccoon's regular route and I had never seen it because it was nocturnal and I wasn't.

Same with coyotes. Only the very bold and very desperate ones appear during the day but we're more aware of them because of the blood-curdling cries they issue when they're announcing their territory to others. And I learned what the expression "blood-curdling" really means the first time I heard a coyote in my immediate area!

PS The Animal Control folks tell us that killing and trapping coyotes only upsets their natural order and makes the territory we temporarily open up subject to more intense breeding and encroachment from new packs. Our best defense, as humans, lies in a stable coyote population and good deterents like fences topped with rollers -- lengths of pipe strung between uprights -- that trip them up when they try to leap over the fences.

 

[MountainGaurdian]

Coyotes can be tough to deal with. When I bought this farm I was seeing them right up close to the house regularly. Once I brought a over a few of our Alaskan grey timber wolf cross dogs and put them each on 100 foot runs around the house and outbuilding area the coyotes stuck to the hay field and forests.

One good sized and preferably big deep loud barking dog on a 100 foot or so run will keep a pretty good sized area clear of coyotes. I just use an old retired 1/2 inch logging cable they are common and easy to find around here. I put a 2 or three foot pipe into the ground and leave it one inch or so above ground and bolt the ends of the 1/2 inch steel cable to the pipes. Then I bolt a chain around the cable add a good swivel on it and give the dog a 20 foot cable attached to that. This gives them a run of around 4,000 square feet or so. Also handy as you can simply drive over the dog run, where in the air it becomes a pain when you have to run a tractor or vehicle through the area of the dog run.

I also fire off the shotgun when the coyotes get close, you don't have to hit any of them, just make a loud noise and hear the steel practice shot drop into the field. After a few times they create a small no go zone bubble in their territory for you.

From my experience coyotes have always been the easiest for me to deal with. Coons, weasels, hawks, eagles, kites and owls have always been a bit trickier for me.

I had a red tail hawk move back in just yesterday, it is concentrating on small prey out in the hay fields so far and with any luck it will contain itself to hunting wild prey out there. I have enough small wild birds nesting around the house and outbuildings that it is a pain for it to get too close to the house. There were two small birds going after it yesterday above our eastern forest, funny how tiny birds can be so annoying to a red tail hawk. I herd the hawk out screeching this morning and the birds nesting in the front wall of my house were tweaking out. I went out to check and the hawk was flying just over the tops of the grass in the hay field hunting so it is behaving itself thus far.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

View attachment 1862546 View attachment 1862536 I only got one pic off before my phone died. The fence is about 150 feet from the left tree line.
But the coyotes came from the trees behind. You see the faint tire tracks in the grass? Not the most noticeable ones. Just to the right of those is the path they entered and departed.

Damn, SON! That's quite a beautiful property you have....... livin' large I see!

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

We never see our most successful predators. That's where their success -- their ability to breed and hunt -- lies!

One night I was up very late and heard a noise at my trashcans. I went to the door and saw a raccoon that was stretched up to about 4 1/2' to reach the top of the can. I waved a broom at it and it looked back at me in total contempt.

The next day I called Los Angeles Animal Control and the AC officer told me raccoons were a major presence all over the city and they couldn't respond by trapping such an overwhelming and omnipresent population fed by our trash and our fruit trees. He said I was probably on the raccoon's regular route and I had never seen it because it was nocturnal and I wasn't.

Same with coyotes. Only the very bold and very desperate ones appear during the day but we're more aware of them because of the blood-curdling cries they issue when they're announcing their territory to others. And I learned what the expression "blood-curdling" really means the first time I heard a coyote in my immediate area!

PS The Animal Control folks tell us that killing and trapping coyotes only upsets their natural order and makes the territory we temporarily open up subject to more intense breeding and encroachment from new packs. Our best defense, as humans, lies in a stable coyote population and good deterents like fences topped with rollers -- lengths of pipe strung between uprights -- that trip them up when they try to leap over the fences.

Yup I know the clever racoon annoyance, and know exactly when the coyotes are in the area. It gave me creaps the first few times I heard them.

 

[Folly's place]

I like hearing the coyotes sing! Better than having a local wolf pack, and without them, rabbits would be hip deep out here.
We don't have tiny dogs, and our big dogs, although fenced, have discouraged the coyotes from coming close to the chickens.
When we had foals, they were up at the barn and paddock every night.
Mary

 

[Stepnout]

Coyotes are really professional killers. It is what they do to survive.
Here is an older report from 2009 of a young lady that died from a coyote attack. People managed to chase the coyotes but it was too late she died in hospital.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/coyotes-kill-toronto-singer-in-cape-breton-1.779304

 

[Folly's place]

There are coyote/ wolf or dog hybrids in some locations, that are larger than normal coyotes, and who hunt in packs, like wolves or dogs. Not good!
Mary

 

[Frogorf]

We never see our most successful predators. That's where their success -- their ability to breed and hunt -- lies!

Same with coyotes. Only the very bold and very desperate ones appear during the day but we're more aware of them because

PS The Animal Control folks tell us that killing and trapping coyotes only upsets their natural order and makes the territory we temporarily open up subject to more intense breeding and encroachment from new packs. Our best defense, as humans, lies in a stable coyote population and good deterents like fences topped with rollers -- lengths of pipe strung between uprights -- that trip them up when they try to leap over the fences.

It’s true what animal control says. The thing about predators vs prey when culling or relocating. Predators will produce more offspring after a major kill off. Meaning a litter of pups is usually 3-4 that’ll spike to 6-8 pups. Where prey produce the same amount as always. 1-2. For hooves animals 3-4 for rodents ( other than mice or rats)
I have no intention of going after the pack. There’s enough prey around for them here. I’ll just make sure my chickens aren’t readily available. Keep the peace keep the balance.

 

[Frogorf]

Damn, SON! That's quite a beautiful property you have....... livin' large I see!

I Wish!! My birds live here. I don’t. But someday....

 

[kissezmychicken]

You know how you get an uneasy feeling sometimes and you shrug it off? Well I had that feeling this afternoon while sitting at home. And ignored it.
Now first off, my chooks don't live in town with me. They're actually at my place of business ( except for the young chicks ) outside my friends house at the back of the property.
I was there this morning to let them out, into their electric fenced run. My friend saw them at lunch and again at 4 pm. I came to put them away at 7pm. And found I only have 3 birds left out of 13. Found feathers but no birds.
My Dogs and my friends dogs immediately circled the electric fence then took off into the tree line. so I think I may have just missed the attack. They returned about 10 minutes later with my poor deceased rooster and a young pullet, and a couple battle wounds.
No I don't openly allow my dogs to chase coyotes. I'll get into that on a different thread. Or later in this one.

This was completely human error! I messed up big time and I hope people can learn from my mistakes and not have to endure a massacre such as this.
Check your electric fence daily or more! Go buy one of those volt metres and physically walk the parameter. We have had thunderstorms and high winds for a few days. The grass is long on the outside of the fence and I didn't see the tree branch laying on the bottom strands of the poultry netting. Which in turn made my fence not work.
So I'm guessing the coyotes have never been near the fence before this. Or they test it daily?. Who knows. I'm guessing they'll most likely return now unless, the dogs reminded them, that this is their territory? So I'm leaving my remaining birds in their completely enclosed run inside the fence for a few days. And borrowing a friends game camera to monitor the area and find out just what the coyotes are up to.
Cheers all. Keep them safe.

So very sorry you had this happened to you.. Coyotes are just awful.. As are Hawks and owls!! Weasels, raccoons and dogs... Omg... Chickens are so hard to protect from preditors..