Chickens and coyotes...

[FTG-05]

My neighbor across the street from me has lost two chickens to a coyote. Just yesterday she lost another one. Our chickens are out all day everyday but have never been bothered (yet).

I believe it's because we have 3 large dogs that would quickly maul a coyote(s) if one ever came into the yard. I think the coyotes stay away both by sight and smell of the dogs.

The ironic part is, they would quickly eat the chickens too if they could get to them, but the coop is right on the other side of the fence and they know not to go mingle with the dogs.


We are going to be moving soon, further into the country, and I'm thinking about putting in a large fenced area for the dogs, and then within that, another fenced area for the chickens. I would be pretty much guaranteed nothing would get to them then.

It's what I did with my chicken coop:

- Hardened the coop itself, hopefully against most predators
- Repurposed my old dog kennel into an expanded chicken run
- Put the coop and kennel/run inside my dog's new fence. Dogs are free to run inside the fence; anything wanting the chickens has to get through the dogs first.

Pic below shows the dog house and coop/run but not the fence that now surrounds both.

 

[FTG-05]

You implying I don't have common sense or that I don't 'belong' in the country? Pretty rude.

I'm not offended by the 'killing everything in sight' comment, because I enjoy that part.

~Moses

Yep, very.

 

[TomSeller]

I'm not offended by the 'killing everything in sight' comment, because I enjoy that part.
~Moses

Killing to eat is normal. Killing for enjoyment is sick, that is what serial killers do. I trust your made that comment in jest?

 

[greenmojo]

It's what I did with my chicken coop:

- Hardened the coop itself, hopefully against most predators
- Repurposed my old dog kennel into an expanded chicken run
- Put the coop and kennel/run inside my dog's new fence. Dogs are free to run inside the fence; anything wanting the chickens has to get through the dogs first.

Pic below shows the dog house and coop/run but not the fence that now surrounds both.

Two good looking chicken protectors at the base of that tree! I do like the dog line of defense approach. Now my brain wheels are turning.

Killing to eat is normal. Killing for enjoyment is sick, that is what serial killers do. I trust your made that comment in jest?

Yes, my sense of humor doesn't come through on the keyboard as well as it does in person.

~Moses

 

[TomSeller]

Yes, my sense of humor doesn't come through on the keyboard as well as it does in person.

Fair enough. Carry on.

 

[dirt ditch]

Our pen is completely enclosed with chicken wire (even over the top). Chicken wire is buried 2-3 inches deep, and 2 feet out from the base all the away around it to keep predators from digging under the fence. We built another smaller pen beside this one but did not bury chicken wire around it. Coons dug under the gate and killed my wife's guineas. We have expanded metal in front of the gate now but I plan on pouring a small pad of concrete under that gate.

View attachment 477196

 

[EddieWalker]

After losing some of my ducks to coyotes, I added three strands of hot wire around my small pond and pasture. I try to kill every coyote that I can, but like others have said, there is no limit to them. Worse day was when we found four dead ducks just laying there another missing. The only thing that makes sense is a coyote got into a killing spree, then could only carry one off. I know others who have had livestock killed by predators that did it just for fun, but that was the first time it has happened to me.

I've had the hot wire up for about a year and a half and the only loss that I've had was from a hawk or owl. When coyotes kill, the animal usually just disappears without any sign of it unless you find where they ate it, then there is a neat pile of feathers all in one spot. When a hawk or owl attacks, there are feathers all over the place!!!! What's really nice is when I go for a walk around the fence after it rains and I can see their tracks walking along the fence line, then going away.

 

[Clay45]

My neighbors seem to lose more to skunks. Coyotes do run thru but not hang around here.

 

[FTG-05]

Our pen is completely enclosed with chicken wire (even over the top). Chicken wire is buried 2-3 inches deep, and 2 feet out from the base all the away around it to keep predators from digging under the fence. We built another smaller pen beside this one but did not bury chicken wire around it. Coons dug under the gate and killed my wife's guineas. We have expanded metal in front of the gate now but I plan on pouring a small pad of concrete under that gate.

View attachment 477196

Chicken wire isn't designed to protect chickens; it's designed to keep chickens in - and that's it.

A raccoon, never mind a dog or coyote could go through that chicken wire like it wasn't even there. On top of that, it's easy for a raccoon to reach in through the chicken wire and grab chickens at will, same with hawks as well.

A couple articles:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/11/coop-security-hardware-cloth-vs-chicken.html

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/07/11-tips-for-predator-proofing-chickens.html

For the bottom part of my chicken coop, I used 1/4" hardware cloth over 2"x4" horse fencing and then another layer of 1/4" hardware cloth on the inside; hence making the bottom of the coop and coop run triple layered.

I also forgot to mention above that the coop and coop run are now surrounded by a .5J/2000 volt electric wire. This wire also runs on the inside of the dog run to keep the dogs in (one dog in particular likes to dig under fences to get out; electric fence is the only thing that will keep her in).

when I get my permanent fence, it will have electric wire both inside (to keep the dogs in) and on the outside (to keep raccoons, coyotes and other pests out).

Good luck!

 

[greenmojo]

Our pen is completely enclosed with chicken wire (even over the top). Chicken wire is buried 2-3 inches deep, and 2 feet out from the base all the away around it to keep predators from digging under the fence. We built another smaller pen beside this one but did not bury chicken wire around it. Coons dug under the gate and killed my wife's guineas. We have expanded metal in front of the gate now but I plan on pouring a small pad of concrete under that gate.

View attachment 477196

Really clean setup, I like it.

~Moses