We have coyotes. Legions of coyotes!

[centrarchid]

Electrified poultry netting if it does not violate neighborhood rules.

Underground wire will require fitting all coyotes with collars which will prove problematic.


I am not sure we are really considering what others are posting here, rather shouting out ideas without much thought.

 

[HotDesertChick]

Thanks, for more comments, everyone. These coyotes are clever devils.

Ole and Lena: Professional trappers in our general area, usually resort to leg-hold traps, which are forbidden in our development. The local USDA office can use big live traps to remove coyotes in our development, but they aren't very concerned over the ever-present varmints. The trapper/staff would have a full time job just trying to pick up a kazillion coyote live traps? We're pretty much on our own, to deal with Wiley.

Thanks, for the advice on the gravity door. Do you have any pics posted on BYC? I intend to have an automatic "guillotine-type" door on the coop itself, which will hopefully secure the chix within their home each night. My main concern remains with coop/run perimeter break-ins. If you can outwit a raccoon with your door, it must be foolproof (raccoons are NO FOOLS). We have never seen a raccoon in our present location, but we do get the occasional skunk. I kinda sunk myself with that statement?

Katbriar: (Howdy Neighbor!),...Your input, as a fellow "NM coyote owner" makes me feel more confident. The hardware cloth buried in the floor is a grand idea, not only for coyotes, but rats as well. Thanks very much, for offering wire size, and width of apron. This might be pretty pricey to do within an 8 x 32 foot run, AND a 2' extended apron surround. In addition to the rest of the expense of a nice-looking chicken setup. Like you, I at least have the benefit of a "barn", to add safety for the chicks, only one one/long side though. I am very confident that our determined coyotes WILL try to dig in. Our guys have proven to be quite persistent.

Centrarchid: Our wonderful Architectural Committee would never approve of highly-visible electrified poultry netting. I may be able to resort to a "less visually-intrusive" electric wire though? My horses are basically secured by an unobtrusive wire, as we have had loose dog problems in the past. Aggressors seen by us, and/or caught on Candid Camera. Oddly, the county animal control will pitch in, if "livestock" is involved (although this has not been a very practical solution either). Re, electric fencing... It would be more difficult to hide an electric wire on the outside of the chicken flight pen. We want to keep my future chicken establishment looking good, for the benefit of our "Judges", and fellow neighbors. We don't want to look like the Beverly Hillbillies (Dates Me!).

Looove, the thought of fitting all those coyotes with E-collars. Good one! Wanna play 'Catch' ?

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I live in the mountains of Colorado where we have bears, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, bobcats...raccoons, owls, hawks...some sort of weasle. I've only lost one hen to a bobcat during free ranging time but I've lost several of my juvenile meat birds to raccoons. My coop is pretty predator proof and my hens are locked up tight at night when the worst threat occurs. I did add and Anatolian Shepherd to my family afer the bobcat carried off a pullet in broad daylight. He is outside when the hens are free ranging and takes his job very seriously. If you consider going this route, please be aware that while Anatolian Shepherds have fabulous instincts for livestock guardian work, they are not machines and do require training and maturity in order to be successful with their jobs. It isn't an instant fix, but I haven't lost a bird since purchasing my dog.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

"....want to play 'Catch' ?"

A coyote must only get lucky once for you to loose every bird that you own.

Your chickens on the other hand must be lucky everyday to keep from becoming coyote scat.

Perhaps a nice big wolf pack would thin the coyotes out a tad for you. They will also take care of that big black dog problem that you may

have, and are certain to cut down on children running outside and making noise in your neighborhood. This is something that it sounds like

your HOA is sure to favor. About 20 adult wolves would also prove very beneficial for controlling improperly clad joggers and door to door

magazine salesmen.

I don't know what your state's policy is on snares but in the right hands they can be coyote catchers. Observe..............................

Coyote society is based on territory. You may not have as many as you perceive, but you keep seeing the same ones multiple times.

I don't know how to contact the person in this video, that's up to you.

 

[blucoondawg]

Best solution for me would be relocation to an area without communist rules.

 

[Beekissed]

Around here folks are using burros/donkeys to guard their sheep now, as the LGDs tend to roam and can't be contained out on pasture and they must be fed a different feed than the sheep. These burros even deter the black bear that are heavy in the area. Since you already have horses, why not add a burro and place your coop well within the fencing of the horses and burro?

If not, I'd go with the suggestion for a LGD on a wireless containment system. You'll not have a problem with 'yotes after that.

I also like the suggestion of moving to an area that doesn't want to control your every fart.

 

[cafarmgirl]

A couple strands of hot wire around the base of your coop run would work well and would not be considered an eyesore, it's not even visible really unless you walk right up to look at it. That is probably the easiest option as well. I have used that method for years, works very, very well. Critters that are interested in digging in will most always do a cursory sniff around the place to check it out and to pick the best place to dig. Wet nose on hot wire is a deterrent most critters don't care to try again.

 

[rides2far]

You've been given some great advice for building your coop. Go to the forums page & you can get useful plans/ideas to predator proof your coop. You're right about the chicken wire. Most people recommend hardware cloth. You can find info on the depth to bury the cloth, etc. I have gotten all my info from the various forums in BYC.

 

[HotDesertChick]

Thanks rides2far for your comments. I would prefer to NOT use hardware cloth for the run, as I would like see our chickens trotting about a nearly 27-foot run, from a distance. The "cloth" would make it difficult to see the chix from very far away. The cost would be prohibitive as well, especially when using the wire all the way up to the eaves of the barn (coop/run will be a lean-to addition to the tall 40 foot barn). I hope to have fancy bantams, which I would enjoy watching as much as possible, and yet have their diminutive bods secure. I have always had bantams, ...love them, but they may need ultra-protection in our "high-intensity-predator" location?

Chicken fort Knox,...we need. And still appease the Powers That Be.

Please keep the comments flowing,...I will gladly trade it out in coyotes, packrats, ...whatever. My Aussie works hard, but is not out at night.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Thanks rides2far for your comments. I would prefer to NOT use hardware cloth for the run, as I would like see our chickens trotting about a nearly 27-foot run, from a distance. The "cloth" would make it difficult to see the chix from very far away. The cost would be prohibitive as well, especially when using the wire all the way up to the eaves of the barn (coop/run will be a lean-to addition to the tall 40 foot barn). I hope to have fancy bantams, which I would enjoy watching as much as possible, and yet have their diminutive bods secure. I have always had bantams, ...love them, but they may need ultra-protection in our "high-intensity-predator" location?

Chicken fort Knox,...we need. And still appease the Powers That Be.

Please keep the comments flowing,...I will gladly trade it out in coyotes, packrats, ...whatever. My Aussie works hard, but is not out at night.

My laying hens' run has three levels of security. The coop itself will keep out anything but a determined bear and in four years I've never lost a chicken once it is tucked away for the night. The coop is raised 2 feet off the ground and has a 12'X4' run, plus the 4'X8' under the coop that has hardware cloth on the bottom 3' and then chicken wire above 3' and also on the top. I thought this might be a good cost reducing compramise. It protects the lower half from a stronger predator like a coyote and while the upper half is more vulnerable, I figure the only thing that would climb up above 3' and possibly chew through the chicken wire would be a racoon which are nocternal, which is when the chickens are locked in their secure coop. There is a man-sized door into the run from the side where I deliver food and water in the morning, but also a little chicken door that opens into an extended run made mostly of 10' chain link dog run panels (making use of the side of a building and the garden fence as well. Most days the chickens have access to all of this, but I have the option of keeping them confined in the smaller section if I'm on high predator alert. Again, so far no losses while in the enclosure, only one during free-range time to a bobcat my first fall with chickens. Now the Anatolian Shepherd is outside while the chickens enjoy some free-range time.