should i give up on poultry?

[perfectly_polish]

I just don't know what to do anymore. In the past four days I lost 11 ducks, 6 roosters, 8 or 9 hens, 5 chicks about 3 pullets, and a sheep. And again today I heard my rooster(my last one) screetching and I ran out and see that huge coyote once again, it screamed at it and it ran right past me, luckily it droped my rooster and I found him in the neighbors yard about an hour later. I have lost almost all of my birds in less then a week. I have been keeping them inside for the last couple of days, but some of them find ways to get out. I would shoot the coyote but I'm sure there is more then one and I don't have a gun, and if I hired a trapper that would cost a lot of money also, that right now we just can afford. I have walked about 3 miles in the woods with my dogs, they constantly marked everywhere, and about a mile into the woods I found my oldest roosters feathers. So I know that they are in the area. I also found a dead mother rabbit, and 5 babies(which are doing good and eating). I don't want to give up on poultry completly but its just so much of a shock when I lost so many animals in such a short amount of time. I have no idea what to do about the coyotes, even if I did enclose the birds I'm sure they would find a way to get in. So if anyone on here in/around CT has a gun or knows of someone who hunts and wants to come down here and help please let us know.

 

[MRNpoultry]

Don't give up! I felt like giving up when these dogs kept coming up here getting my chickens. I probaly lost a chicken every week. Then my friend gave me a rooster and he was killed the day after I got him. Me and my dad are starting to coyote hunt. Some one in your area would shoot them for free probaly.

Sorry about all your animals

 

[arwmommy]

Sorry.

Unfortunately, if you live in an area with a lot of predators, you will have to invest time and money into a Ft. Knox style coop. Sometimes that is just not possible, so you may have to wait until you can afford the time/money to make them safe. I am sorry. That just sucks.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Predator proof your coop--and/or invest in a Livestock Guardian dog. We lost 11 fainting goats three years ago, along with 2 Boer goats (babies) and a cat. It was due to coyotes.

Since we got our 1/2 Anatolian in the fall of 2005, we've not lost ANY goats, ducks, chickens, or cats.

So if you can't super-duper predator-proof your coop, shoot the coyotes or build another coop--get a BIG LGD. If you don't do something, the coyotes will just keep coming back & picking off your birds. It's an easy meal for them.

 

[ChickNLittle]

Unfortuately, I agree. I lost soooo many birds last year and ducks! We already have a Fort Knox Coop put up for my grown Leghorns and Barred Rocks. As I type my husband is working on another coop for my silkie babies that are growing and the others hatching next week. I will have three coops when he gets done. One for the leghorns, one for the barred rocks and one for the silkies. It can get expensive if you have to have a #1 rated coop, meaning "new"wood. But....if you go to www.freecycle.com and join the groups around your area. You can place a wanted ad on there for wood. I'm sure you'll get enough that someone needs to get rid of, or would like off their land or yard. Don't give up. I could have given up last year, but I didn't! I wanted my chickens! Even though last year both my favorite pekin teenager ducks were eaten, and my favorite rooster. Not to mention my a LOT of my great laying hens.

 

[DuckyBoys]

Can you shoot the coyote??

Just a thought if you're far enough away form town to fire a gun. Coyotes = open season all year long. I'd wait up for him myself.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

posion, traps or shoot them.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I would be heartbroken...

IF you don't have a gun and can't afford a trap or to pay a trapper..Call your animal control office and ask for a loaner live trap. Here they will come and set it up and pick up and relocate the animals.

But we will shoot anything on our property, that is trying to get our animals. We 'SSS' (Shoot, Shovel, Shut up)..

Try the electric netting.. it is not too costly and you can place it around the coop/run area.. Good luck..

 

[jackiedon]

Maybe if you could invest in some donkeys. My neighbors got them to keep wild dog and such away.

I am so sorry about your loss.

jackie

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

If you have trappers in your area ask them to help. Lots of them will help out especially in the off season, like now, when the only time they can trap is at request on private property. They mostly want the coyotes that are in full winter coat. Anyway one came here and loaned me a few leg hold traps and showed me how to set them up. As you have dogs be sure that you get the rubber jawed trap so your dog will not be hurt if they get into it. You will need to have a gun handy to kill the coyote if it works, or someone to call to do that. I used what is called a hay set so that I was not attracting new problems and that got rid of my chicken plucking coyote. Basically a hay set is taking the bedding out of a nest box (straw or hay is best) with lots of feathers or some egg shells and putting it out where you think the coyote travels to enter or leave the property, with the trap set within it. Make sure you try and keep your dogs clear of this area. Best if this is in some natural cover or where a coyote would feel safe to investigate. Since it already loves chicken that bait is all that is needed. If you set meat like I did first it will shy away suspicious of the change.

I second a LGD too, a year after that we saw an ad for one needed new home, had been abandoned and we have not lost a bird since. So either we trapped the only problem coyote (not likely for this area) or he is doing a great job.