Oh no, the coyote's back!

[ChickenDogDuck]

The coyote up here start having their pups about mid April thru early May. It's not unusual to see them out and about during the daytime. I posted a picture of one I shot last year, in another thread, that I saw snooping around our chicken yard. This time of year I don't let mine free range unless I'm outside.
I wouldn't be surprised if yours was a she and not a he.

Time to start getting in some target practice!

Good luck.

 

[MoodyChicken]

Quote:
I thought that might be the case. I hate the thought of the pups starving to death without their mama, but I gotta do what I gotta do for my birds. I think I know where it's living, so maybe I can find the pups in the event I do kill it. I locked my birds up last year, but they were miserable during that time.

 

[Polish Chickens]

It would be best to get a dog or two to protect your flock which would be able to chase away coyotes and other predators

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Have you tried scrounging around for free materials to build a more secure coop and run for them?

I have a fear that the coyote will hurt your birds, and I don't want that to happen to you again.

 

[MoodyChicken]

We have an awesome guard dog... when she's awake. lol. When she's awake she'll take on a pack of coyotes and win. But she sleeps soooo much! lol

Their coops are very sturdy, it's just the rooster day runs that aren't. My show birds and my layers are locked up safe and sound in Fort Knox, but I have to let my roos out in the day to exercise. I might be able to rig something up... I just had a lightbulb moment. lol.

 

[Polish Chickens]

Quote:
Perhaps entertaining your dog with will probably keep her awake when the coyote shows up

 

[mxpres]

a shotgun is easy to aim,,much easier than a pistol,,point and shoot with a shotgun,,sounds like you can get close enough to use a shotgun,,a 20 gauge loaded with#4 shot will put one down at 40 yards ,,no problem,,if you remove one coyote another will be around sooner or later,,so buy extra ammo,3 inch magnum

 

[TheDuckCrew]

kill it. i had a coyote take my baby chubby. if i had a gun and i saw it again, the thing would be rotting in the ground. if you can't shoot, find someone who can. i have a friend who offered to kill anything that became a problem again. god, i love good friends! hope your babies stay protected and you get that blasted coyote

 

[cmjust0]

I was bushhogging the pasture one day and had just turned to make another pass when I saw a big, huge, gigantic, german shepherd sized coyote standing right in the swath I'd just cut. Not 100' away. I revved the tractor up and put it in 3rd to try to scare it off, thinking it had just wandered into the wrong spot...it stared at me. I got to within probably 50' and it turned around and walked off.

Not ran...WALKED.

A few weeks later, I saw a big doe whitetail prancing around on a neighbor's farm.. She was really upset, and I watched for a minute to see what she was so mad about. All of a sudden, there was movement and a big coyote charged at her. She turned and ran for a second, and the coyote stopped.. She turned back around and started pawing and prancing again.. I went inside and got my rifle, but by the time I got back out they were both gone. I walked over and found a dead fawn with its throat torn out and big deep puncture wounds right on the top of its head.. Needless to say, it belonged to the big doe and was probably taken right off her side. It was still warm and flexible, so it had to have just happened.

Pretty sure it was the same coyote I'd seen in my field.

Then last summer, we got woken up to the sound of deer being attacked right across the road from our house, on a little piece of land we own over there. Our goats weren't more than 100 yards away, and there were at least four coyotes working. I took a shot in the dark at one, but didn't hit it. We found a severely injured, but still living fawn laying in the weeds later that morning. It could still walk, but was bleeding badly from its hind quarters.

We got a big livestock guardian dog shortly thereafter. We wouldn't be without one, and we're planning on getting another at some point just so big Ivan will never have to tackle a pack by himself.

I hate coyotes with a passion.

 

[cassie]

I live in the San Joaquin Valley of California. We have LOTS of coyotes. We see them nearly every day. They don't bother anything on our place. There are probably two reasons for that. One, there is lots of natural food for them, and two, our dogs have a fit if they get too close. Coyotes are opportunists and territorial. Meaning that if they think getting to your chickens is too much work they won't bother. And the trouble with shooting a coyote is, that since they are territorial, if you kill one, another will just move into the vacancy. You are better off with a permanent resident that won't bother the chickens. The best deterrent is a stong fence and a large dog. You can run a strand of barb wire along the bottom of the fence so if he tries to dig under he will hit the wire with his paws.