Keeping out Coyotes

[orpington13]

Oh! You're right! We do have foxes! I'd never though of suspecting them. Would they jump a 6 foot fence?

A little bit ago, we had a chicken taken by something, but found the body (what was left of it) at the bottom of our property, right by the fence. Just a side note.

They do not jump, but they can dig and squeeze. I would look around your fence for any feathers.

 

[SueT]

Yes it can come back and you may never know what it is. We lost 2 hens, both in the daytime, almost 3 weeks apart, with similar circumstances to yours. On one forum, the writer describes a similar circumstance, and then next day actually saw a coyote grab a bird in front of him. Last week after we closed our free rangers up, I saw a coyote trot thru our pasture 50 ft. from our chickens and am guessing that's our culprit. This is the first time in a decade on this farm that we've lost any poultry in the daytime and it's quite a shock. Good luck with figuring out what to do next and keeping safe...

 

[SuperChickRuth]

I just found this article, What Killed My Chicken- great article, said the same thing as you, orpington13, fox or coyote.

Here's the link for anyone who's having similar trouble.

http://www.avianaquamiser.com/posts/What_killed_my_chicken__63__/

 

[SuperChickRuth]

Wow, SueT, right in front of you? Our coyotes haven't been that brave. ...Come to think of it, though, I was outside, walking around the property that very day, like maybe an hour before she got nabbed.

We have two acres, by the way, with avocado trees, rats, mice, and rabbits. With all that bait, I'm now surprised we haven't had more predators.

 

[SuperChickRuth]

So, if it is a fox, what do you all suggest? We could just block up holes, but won't he just dig new ones? Some people have recommended before getting a big livestock dog. ???

Thanks so much for the quick replies, and the suggestions. Really helpful!!!

~SuperChickRuth

 

[SueT]

We have two acres, by the way, with avocado trees, rats, mice, and rabbits. With all that bait, I'm now surprised we haven't had more predators.

(I wish we had avocados!!! ) Yes we also have all kinds of little wild critters, rabbits hopping around the yard etc. Too bad the predators don't catch them instead. Well maybe they do actually, I wouldn't be able to tell. Our neighbors raise cattle and say the coyotes will only get a calf if there are twins. So they always bring in one twin. We have often seen coyotes in the day, but as I said, this is the first year we've lost any birds in the daytime.

 

[SueT]

There are forums on livestock dogs. The dog has to be watching his flock, and not hanging out in the house with the family....

 

[orpington13]

The dog is an excellent idea. The Great White Pyrenees is an awesome breed. It is kid friendly, and was used to protect sheep, but can protect other livestock as well.
In case it is a coyote, it will not want to pick a fight with this dog. The GWP is known to tear apart coyotes. The only downside is that it is hard to get.

Maybe you can get an electric fence/cord to go around your fence. You may also put cinder blacks around the fence.

If you are scared that it will get in your coop, a motion-detector light is the best.

 

[Weehopper]

Coyotes and foxes both will dig under. I know coyotes prefer to go under rather than over. Doesn't take much of a hole either. Probably the same with foxes. You need to walk your fence line looking for even the smallest of holes, and fill them. Preferably with the heaviest rocks you can find. Also, if you have dogs, it would be nice to have them out there to alert you to any goings on. No matter what it is, it will keep coming back until it no longer is rewarded with a meal.

 

[SuperChickRuth]

So how long should I wait to free range my girls until the coyote decides he's not going to get another meal?