Coyotes

[karbear]

Well, after years of having chickens, cows, horses, cats, dogs and most recently ducks at my inlaws house a coyote got off with a couple of our chickens last night. grrrrrr. Our ducks whom we have had about a year and a half disappeared 4 or 5 days ago. But we just figured maybe they went off to set on eggs. I am betting the same coyote took off with them too. So upsetting. My father in law beefed up the electric fence that runs the property. We did find a hole where it must have come through the fence. It is just so sad to think of how terrified they must have been. So upsetting.

 

[duckyfromoz]

The electric fence might keep them at bay- but do you lock them up at night as well?? By this stage of winter they would be getting more cunning as they look for food- with spring not to far they will soon have babies as well- so your FIL might have to do more than beef up the electric fence to keep them safe.

We dont have Coyotes here- but the foxes are bad enough - whats worse is they were an introduces species to Australia. Rabbits and Foxes...We could well do without them both.. No-one out here has ever complained about a Kangaroo taking a chicken.

But you guys have got bears- and mountain lions and bobcats - and possums.. OMG there are so many. I think I would be too scared to leave any animals outside with all the predatory animals you have in your country.

I hope you dont loose any more- I guess you could still hope the ducks may come home- there have been a few stories on these duck pages lately of happy homecomings.

 

[karbear]

Everyone is locked up at night with the exception of the ducks who freeroam at times they sleep in the coop and sometimes they don't. Last night my mom in law went out to close up the coop and the door was already closed so she assumed I had been over and had shut them up for the night. When she got up this morning to let them out. There were chickens outside that had obviously spent the night outside.

Then she found the feathers spread out throughtout the pasture and out the other side. My ducks at my house are in their pen at night and when I am gone. But I live in a neighborhood and not a farm area.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I live in the suburbs too- but still worry about their safety. There is a creek just the other side of the highway form me where I know there are foxes. An easy mistake for your MIL to have made- maybe the door blew shut in the wind or something.

 

[Snipes]

Oh noes, not more! So a coyote, not a raccoon then? Wow, an electrified fence and something still go through?! How was the hole made, just dug under?

 

[The Duck ABC's]

Coyotes are good jumpers. They can leap a 5 foot fence (sometimes even a 6 footer). They do that all the time on my property. The bad news is we have 3 packs around us. All I can do it lock up the ducks at night into their duck house. In the daytime it is a different issue. I basically take a chance and hope that my 4 dogs keep them out. The ducks currently free range on 10 acres with a steam and pond. All fenced, but not a match for a coyote. No point in putting electric wires up, since they just leap over it.