We are bothered by coyote and they are very friendly. Even have them come on the front porch of our house. When I work in the garden a coyote may join and watch me for a few minutes. We like to let the older hens out of their pen a few hours a day. One hen loves to go out in the pasture with the cattle and they keep her safe. However. recently this hen went out on her own away from the cattle and a coyote got her. My wife and I walked the pasture and found only a patch of chicken feathers as the coyote may have a den nearby. No longer raise sheep as lost 32 to coyotes.in one year, State of California sent out a crew to get the coyotes and killed 5 so I and neighbor farms were safer..
Today, we have 26 hens and a rooster, all in a pens with 400 sq ft of enclosed fenced yard. Also closed on top to keep buzzards out as they like small chickens. The hens are of two ages, with 6 being 3 years of age, and 20 now 12 weeks old.. They get along well with the older hens who make sure everyone is in the chicken house before dark. A few of the younger hens have learned to roost but most still sleep on the floor. The older hens wanted to sit on eggs but since we added the younger chickens for them to care for, , the old hens keep on laying 3 to 4 eggs a day. We give the eggs each week to members of our church that need eggs, as brown eggs sell for around 7 dollars a dozen in our area. We like to share and a church family bought the 20 pullets as a gift to us last week.
