Help! Coyotes.

[Bhubbard]

The problem with chickens is they are the easiest dinner for a lot of predators

 

[Purelychicks]

How big is your coop? How many chickens do you have? How many are roosters? How many roosting bars and how long? I'm just trying to get a picture of how crowded (or not) your coop is.

You MUST do something immediately to keep them safe from the coyotes. I recommend locking them up and keeping them there, until you can erect a secure run. If you don't, your birds will all be coyote bait within a few days.

I live in Missouri, where weather is just a bit colder than yours. During the worst winter weather, I keep my birds indoors in their coop 24/7, sometimes for several days in a row. They don't like it, but they adapt after a day or so. I have 37 hens and 4 roosters, in a space that's about 8 x 22, with a 7' ceiling. Lots of roosting bars, perches, feed barrels, shelves, nesting buckets on a tall rack - lots of things to use the vertical space as well. I even put a feeder and water up on a wide shelf with a visual barrier in front of it, so my shy rooster can feed in peace.

They can't fight on roosting bars, or on any precarious perch space - neither can the roosters overmate the hens. So they get away from each other by using the vertical space, and going behind and on top of things.

I've found that my roosters fight less (at least mine do) when they're locked up. Let them out into the run, and the race is on. But lock them up and they each occupy a chosen space with their girls. Goldie has the floor in the back of the coop. Roofuss patrols the front part of the coop, or ranges along the roosting bars in back. (Front and back are separated, with an open door between.) Colonel Sanders hides on his shelf. Blackbeard hops along the front shelf and on the feed barrels, and hops down to sneak food and water when Roofuss hangs out in the back.

Anyway..... sorry to ramble. But locking them up CAN work, if you have the right set-up.

Our coop is 17x6 and the run is 6x12 we have tons of roosts, 10 nesting boxes, 2 feeders, 2 waters (1 gallon). We have 5 hens and the problem is 1 rooster is 4 years old, and the other 6 mo so they fight.. and the 6mo is trying to “flirt” with the hens. (Which our original Rooster HATES.) Our coop is not raised off the ground, my family thinks they don’t have enough space but I think they have to much. Is that possible?

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Our coop is 17x6 and the run is 6x12 we have tons of roosts, 10 nesting boxes, 2 feeders, 2 waters (1 gallon). We have 5 hens and the problem is 1 rooster is 4 years old, and the other 6 mo so they fight.. and the 6mo is trying to “flirt” with the hens. (Which our original Rooster HATES.) Our coop is not raised off the ground, my family thinks they don’t have enough space but I think they have to much. Is that possible?

That is PLENTY of space for 7 chickens! It's not possible to have too much space. Your coop is 102 sq ft, and the birds would need a minimum of 4 sq ft per bird = 28 sq ft. You have about four times the space they require, plus three times more in the run. They could stay happy and healthy locked in their run 24/7, and never free range.

So.... why are you reluctant to keep them locked up, again? Wait, how can the coyotes get to the automatic door? Isn't it inside the run? How secure is your run? Explain please.

They fight because you have too many roosters for only 5 hens. You need to either get rid of one rooster, or add about 10-12 more hens. Even then, your coop should be plenty of space if there's adequate ventilation as well.

So your coyote problem is easy to solve:
* Lock the birds inside their run, and make sure the coop opens only into the run. And keep them there.
* And get someone to dispatch your coyote pack.

 

[A Justice]

My dogs do a great job of keeping the coyotes away. They stay far away from the places my dogs go, even when they're inside. My neighbor said that before I moved in he used to see them in his yard all the time, now it's a rarity. Dogs are also pretty awesome in and of themselves.

They're also not stupid animals, if you buckshot a few of their friends, they will most likely stay away for a while. Make them associate your chickens with an early death.

I have a soft spot for coyotes because I love dogs, but I won't hesitate to blast one that's getting a little bold with my chickens, ESPECIALLY in daylight. Otherwise, as long as they stay out of my way, I stay out of theirs.

 

[Purelychicks]

My dogs do a great job of keeping the coyotes away. They stay far away from the places my dogs go, even when they're inside. My neighbor said that before I moved in he used to see them in his yard all the time, now it's a rarity. Dogs are also pretty awesome in and of themselves.

They're also not stupid animals, if you buckshot a few of their friends, they will most likely stay away for a while. Make them associate your chickens with an early death.

I have a soft spot for coyotes because I love dogs, but I won't hesitate to blast one that's getting a little bold with my chickens, ESPECIALLY in daylight. Otherwise, as long as they stay out of my way, I stay out of theirs.

The young coyote comes out at around 11am in my FRONT YARD.. right by my porch.. he’s pretty brave. He’s to fast for me though

 

[nuthatched]

They pick one off almost every day

I'm not trying to be cruel but if this happens every time they go out, why do you keep letting them out? I know you said that the roos fight but why not let out the extra roos for the coyotes to deal with so you don't have to? Your flock is literally dying from having too many roos.
If I knew where our local coyotes den up, I guarantee that we'd have less coyotes around here. But I'm comfortable dispatching predators and I know it's not for everyone.

So your coyote problem is easy to solve:
* Lock the birds inside their run, and make sure the coop opens only into the run. And keep them there.
* And get someone to dispatch your coyote pack.

Bingo, bingo, bingo.

 

[A Justice]

The young coyote comes out at around 11am in my FRONT YARD.. right by my porch.. he’s pretty brave. He’s to fast for me though

Hide somewhere and shoot it when it comes back. An animal acting like that is genuinely dangerous.

 

[Bhubbard]

Hide somewhere and shoot it when it comes back. An animal acting like that is genuinely dangerous.

I’m assuming you could drink your coffee in your pjs and shoot it off the porch as it trots up to you based on the info

 

[A Justice]

I’m assuming you could drink your coffee in your pjs and shoot it off the porch as it trots up to you based on the info

Lol, yes. I've never lived somewhere where it was illegal to shoot a predator, I guess I take it for granted.

You could also use a bow or PCP airgun. There's traps that are pretty effective as well. My neighbor is a big trapper, it definitely works.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My flock is free range during the day, and a coyote family keeps running out in our FRONT YARD when our chickens come outside the coop to try and snatch them. They have taken 5 already and almost got one today. (They grabbed her tail feathers, but she got away missing a few.) what do I do? If I leave my chickens up in the coop together, the roosters will probably kill each other, and the hens will squabble because they’re used to having their own space. I have no extra space really to separate anyone because my 4mo chicks are taking up a pen. and don’t have the heart to shoot a coyote, and also don’t have any traps big enough for them. There’s really no solution. They killed my neighbors 30 chicken flock. Every one of them. Now they’re coming after mine. Side note, we live on 50 acres.

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles.

I agree, you'll need to keep the birds locked up. Probably for way more than 2wks if the den is nearby and you've seen juveniles entering the den.
Coyotes will be patient and check your flock frequently to see if a bird is loose.

Finding someone to help you reduce your predator load may be helpful. Ask your neighbor or if you have a friend that traps, they may be willing to help out as well, but you'll also want to check your state and county laws/ordinances/regulations about trapping/hunting coyote, etc.