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Barnyard Buddies:  Coyote Chaos  |
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FARMALLChick
True Blue Farmgirl
978 Posts
Lora
Alexandria
IN
USA
978 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 02 2012 : 12:22:06 PM
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Since the fire, we haven't been able to stay at our property more than a few hours at a time. Usually its just a few minutes - to pick up the mail, feed the chickens and cats and haul more burned debris to the side of the road for weekly pickup.
My husband noticed the last few times he's been to the house there seemed to be fewer and fewer chickens. He asked a neighbor to keep an eye out to see if someone was stealing them or if critters were getting in.
A few days later that neighbor sent a text showing a picture of the coyote he killed in our barnyard! He stopped in to feed his beagles and they were going crazy. That's when movement caught his eye. The coyote was trapped in the barnyard and the only way out was through the gate, which was blocked by the truck. Brad didn't waste anytime taking aim. When the deed was done, he walked in the barn and there were feathers everywhere. My poor girls are traumatized! We have just 5 birds left. Brad reinforced the door to the coop as best he could until I can get out there Saturday to make repairs. Mystery solved. Just one more reason I can hardly wait until the house is done!
Lora
If it ain't red, leave it in the shed.
www.CountryFriedAcres.etsy.com
www.farmallchick.blogspot.com
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2012 : 12:39:10 PM
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What a wonderful neighbor you have to take care of that for you...such a shame you lost chickens but glad thats one less critter to harm them....I am also sorry about your fire but glad to hear you are all safe & can eventually get it all worked out & back home....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622
http://theoldbatzfarm.blogger.com |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2012 : 1:27:21 PM
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if you are interested, and you would like info on protecting your animals with a simple and fairly inexpensive deterent regarding coyotes/dogs and any other animal that climbs fences, just let me know...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2012 : 1:36:34 PM
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oh tina, you cant leave me hanging. what are you doing? i have heard of urine for a deterrent? what do you know that i dont?? LOL happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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foreverbooks
True Blue Farmgirl
514 Posts
Carole
Tombstone
AZ
USA
514 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2012 : 1:43:18 PM
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Lora, I'm also sorry to hear about your fire but am glad to hear you are safe and sound. I didn't realize that coyotes were all over the United States. I thought they were basically in the Southwest USA and Mexico. I doublechecked their range and their range consists of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Very interesting. I hope you make it into your house soon.
Carole
Arizona Farmgirl Sister #2556 |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2012 : 4:05:09 PM
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Sherry, they are called coyote/dog rollers; you get some old water pipe, an inch in dia., and then pvc pipe that is 2 ins in dia., insert water pipe in pvc pipe, attach water pipe on the ends to top of fence, so it will roll freely, when an animal jumps, they will hook their paws on roller, and it will roll back around and dump them on the ground, now you can customize this to what you have avalible, materials and diameters, we around here use well syphion pipe that has gone holey, with differant lengths of pvc that is leftovers or also gotten holes, you can do it all of of used/free/recycled peices, and even paint it if you want...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2012 : 5:13:28 PM
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i have been thinking about you all day. did you share with the girls you had a fire? i am so sorry if you did and i missed the post. it would be a hard thing to bear up under. i hope the time goes fast and you get settled soon. sending hugs and love and a prayer to you sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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MEWolf
True Blue Farmgirl
358 Posts
Margaret
Byers
Colorado
USA
358 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2012 : 7:23:11 PM
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Oh goodness Lora, what a terrible thing. I am glad you are safe.
We have been having coyote issues out here too! seems it is the time of the year. Had one in my corral the other morning. I am sure it was scoping out my chicken house. My poor girls want to be out so badly...but not until we get these critters under control. My Hubby and some of the neighbors are organizing a hunt, hopefully in the next week or so.
Margaret
“Kind hearts are the gardens, kind thoughts are the roots, kind words are the flowers, kind deeds are the fruits. Take care of your garden and keep out the weeds, fill it with sunshine, kind words and kind deeds.” ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1808-1882)
Farmgirl #3020
www.grey-wolf-farm.com |
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queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Mar 03 2012 : 08:05:15 AM
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Sorry that you had a fire. It's terrible to lose everything. I'd see if there were any trappers in the area that could set up a few coyote traps. If it's not coyote season, you maybe able to get the local game warden to approve trapping for nuicance animals. Under the circumstances especially where you are a farm and the coyotes are enroaching on your livestock, where you cannot live on your property at this current time, you might be able to get a waiver for this.
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Mar 03 2012 : 08:26:04 AM
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Just remember, if you kill off all of your local coyotes, what they have kept in check, i.e.- rodents, their population will grow and the balence will be off kilter...try non-lethal deterants first, thats what my late hubby and I did when we moved here 40 yrs ago, and with some tweaking and new ideas, I have never lost any livestock or poultry to coyotes, dogs yes, but never coyotes.
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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MEWolf
True Blue Farmgirl
358 Posts
Margaret
Byers
Colorado
USA
358 Posts |
Posted - Mar 03 2012 : 08:48:38 AM
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Out here in our part of CO, it is illegal to use traps, so it is shoot them or live with them. There is no specific hunting season for them, they are such a nuisance.
As for what the coyotes have been keeping check..they have done nothing for the rodent population here. Too many jack rabbits, I guess and those numbers have gone down. The neighbors have tried non-lethal deterrents, which have not worked. We have two standard donkeys which have done a fairly good job of keeping them at bay, until recently. I don't think taking out a half dozen coyotes will unbalance the eco-system. There are quite a few. If it deters them from coming closer to the farm I am all for it.
Margaret
“Kind hearts are the gardens, kind thoughts are the roots, kind words are the flowers, kind deeds are the fruits. Take care of your garden and keep out the weeds, fill it with sunshine, kind words and kind deeds.” ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1808-1882)
Farmgirl #3020
www.grey-wolf-farm.com |
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Woodswoman
True Blue Farmgirl
512 Posts
Jennifer
Altamont
NY
USA
512 Posts |
Posted - Mar 03 2012 : 4:22:25 PM
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We have packs of coyotes around here, but they've never bothered the chickens. We keep them in a coop with a run made of cattle fencing. we buried it one foot deep and it is covered on top by that same fencing. The chicken can come out with us when we are home, but have some outdoor access when we aren't. Friend who have had problems tend to have more problems with foxes or raccoons than coyotes.
I guess I like seeing the coyotes out in the field hunting mice - one less mouse that will make it into my house!!
Jennifer
Farmgirl Sister #104
"Nature brings to every time and season some beauties of its own".
-Charles Dickens |
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acairnsmom
True Blue Farmgirl
1319 Posts
audrey
cheyenne
wy
1319 Posts |
Posted - Mar 03 2012 : 8:44:25 PM
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One less mouse in my house is right Jennifer! I was having my morning tea yesterday and looked out the back and there were a pair of coyotes right where I had just come in from walking the new doggy! They were a nice looking pair! Must be well fed. We've seen them but usually several acres away, never on our property.
I'm about a week away from getting my first hens so the sight of them raised alarms in my head! Hope we don't have too much trouble with them and the hens.
Lora, hope you're neighbor solved your problems and you can get back to monitor things soon.
Audrey
.jpg) Good boy Hobbs! I love and miss you. |
Edited by - acairnsmom on Mar 03 2012 8:46:14 PM |
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Bella
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Karen
USA
274 Posts |
Posted - Mar 04 2012 : 3:49:16 PM
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So sorry about the fire. Hope you are doing well. Donkeys will take care of coyotes. I've heard that they won't come near a farm where there's a donkey. Mules, too, I believe, are good guard animals.
"Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have freedom, sunshine and a little flower." -Hans Christian Anderson |
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FARMALLChick
True Blue Farmgirl
978 Posts
Lora
Alexandria
IN
USA
978 Posts |
Posted - Mar 05 2012 : 07:36:06 AM
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Llamas are good guard "dogs" too. We had a couple a few years ago and we never had a problem. Thank you for all your well wishes. It is very hard to lose "stuff", but it's just that, stuff. Most all of it can be replaced if we choose too. I was a bit of a pack rat (dh called it hoarding), so I most likely had stuff that should have been gone a long time ago. I have made a vow to not go there again. When something like this happens, its like a slap in the face that says "Hey - why did you have all that stuff anyway?"
As for the coyotes - I don't want them all gone. They are good at getting rid of vermin, but they just need to stick with vermin - not my girls or my cats! When we get back out there - I am going to try the roller idea. Especially since we are going to start keeping rabbits in the barnyard. DH and neighbor, Brad, are going to start training beagle pups to hunt. We have already put chicken wire along the bottom and buried about half of it. The fence was electrified and will be again. We've also heard that putting small red lights here and there looks like eyes in the dark and coyotes won't come near. We'll see.
Lora
If it ain't red, leave it in the shed.
www.CountryFriedAcres.etsy.com
www.farmallchick.blogspot.com
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magnoliakathy
True Blue Farmgirl
453 Posts
Kathryn
Magnolia
Texas
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2012 : 08:26:21 AM
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I use the little red blinking lights, NightGuard is the name. We have one on all four sides of the animal barn about 18" off the ground. Since we've had them, the only predators we have issues with are hawks. The little lights are solar powered, so you have to keep the tops clean to allow the cell to charge. I believe we have had them for 3 years now.
When you free your mind your heart can fly. Farmgirl # 714, |
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Barnyard Buddies: Coyote Chaos |
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Coyote Chaos
