My father has had free-ranging chickens since 2017 & didn't have any problems with coyotes until last year (2021).

My father is elderly & so now I have taken over the care for his chickens. Last year we lost 5 chickens to coyotes & now I am reluctant to let them free-range.

My father says the chickens enjoy their freedom & wants them to continue to be free-ranging. So, how do you keep them safe from the coyotes while still letting them enjoy being free?

I've been keeping them locked up through the winter. I know the coyotes are still here as they leave several tracks in the snow in the yard & my dogs find the coyote scat. There are also a lot of bunny tracks. I also spotted a raccoon with a mangled, broken tail. It's like the coyotes have turned the yard into their hunting ground.

Mine "free range" in a pasture fenced with woven wire fencing (originally designed for brood mares). It is coyote-proof. True free ranging here would not be possible due to predator pressure. We still lose a few to raccoons and hawks.

Wylie coyote never had much luck with birds anyways!

Do they come during the day time? Usually coyotes around here hunt at night, and the chickens are locked into their house for the night. In the summer when I sleep with the windows open I can hear their screaming howls, most often around 1 or 2 a.m. I have on one occasion seen one during the day wondering through the yard. I never let the chickens free range in the winter, there's nothing to free range on, no bugs or vegetation.

tveguy3 said: Do they come during the day time? Usually coyotes around here hunt at night, and the chickens are locked into their house for the night. In the summer when I sleep with the windows open I can hear their screaming howls, most often around 1 or 2 a.m. I have on one occasion seen one during the day wondering through the yard. I never let the chickens free range in the winter, there's nothing to free range on, no bugs or vegetation.

Yes, the coyotes come here during the day. Both times they have attacked our chickens was between 4:00 & 5:00 pm & a friend of my father saw one leaving our yard at 7:30 am one day. I have also heard them in the yard at night & have found 2 sets of tracks & scat on several occasions.

I grow a lot of brassicas that survive the winters here & the chickens love them. They also enjoy taking dust baths under a couple of boats my father has in the yard. They had a routine working their way around the yard & back to their pen. They kept this routine for 6 years undisturbed until last year.

Wow, I guess the only way to stop them is a solid fence that they can't dig under. They will keep coming back as long as they have success getting food. You could let the chickens run free on days when someone can be there to protect them, or you might think about a guard dog, but they have to be raised around chickens and learn not to hurt them. Coyotes have become pretty brazen and have almost no predictors. They just keep multiplying, and now are moving into residential areas as well. You might check with your local county officials and see if they might put a bounty on them to start thinning the population.

I think the root of the problem is that residential areas are overtaking the coyotes' habitat and normal food supply. Someone is currently building a huge subdivision across the river from us; where will all the wildlife go?

That's true, but there seems to be no way to stop that.

Actually, I'm pretty sure it's we who keep multiplying & moving into their areas I don't see why human solutions have to include the killing of non-human species

Electric fence?

To keep out predators or developers?

😂😂😂

sallyg said: Electric fence?

Cannot afford an electric fence

porkpal said: To keep out predators or developers?

I hear ya there!

porkpal said: To keep out predators or developers?

Great Pyrenees do a great job.

Maybe there's a middle ground where they can still enjoy some freedom but with added protection. Have you thought about installing a sturdy fence or using motion-activated lights or even getting a guard dog? It's all about finding what works best for you and your chickens' safety. If you need more ideas or tips, you might find this FAQ page helpful https://expertchicken.com/faq . Stay safe, both you and your feathered friends!