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seramas

Free Range with coyotes in area

seramas
15 years ago

Several friends stopped free ranging their chickens due to coyotes. One lost 18 of her ISO Brown hens in one afternoon and over the previous 2 months another 40 or so hens. Has anyone out there experienced this problem? The DNR has reestablished the coyotes in the area and many people are loosing their cats and small dogs to them. I have mostly Seramas-they have a very high mortality rate when free ranging due to the fact they opt to roost in trees instead of the coop. They end up being taken by owls and raccoons.

Would those new kind of electric poultry fencing keep the coyotes out? Has anyone used this fencing and how well does it work? We want to free range the larger verities we have, but would hate to loose them to predation. Currently we let them out while we set and watch them-but this way only allows 2-3 hours of free ranging/day.

Comments (5)

  • carmen_grower_2007
    15 years ago

    We have lots of coyotes around here but they hunt after dusk and before dawn when the chickens are back home locked up for the night. We had 75 free range chickens for three years and never lost one to a coyote.

    Lost several cats though.

  • beegood_gw
    15 years ago

    I've had a baby goat and full grown turkey as well as chickens taken in broad daylight by coyotes. They just wait till you leave for a few minutes and then it's like Gas & Dash.I've chased them and by the time you get back to the house they're right back yipping at you.I used to let my Shepherd chase them but now I have a Boxer and he wouldn't have snowballs chance in hell against them

  • seramas
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I have seen two adults with three 1/2 grown kits (or pups-not sure what they are called) at 3:15 pm on Friday. They are beautiful animals. They were trotting along the tractor lane adjacent to the back of our property. I later checked the lane for their tracks and it appears they use that path often. The path is just 40' from the back chicken runs, but they haven't investigated them yet. We afraid that our neighbor who lets their 4 small dogs (pugs and Boston bull terrier) run loose would not survive an attack. We have been exploring different fencing options. Our fence guy said we could put up a 10' deer fence but they can climb over them in a blink of an eye. He has never used the electric poulty fencing and doen't know how well they would work. That is why we're asking for others experiences with the electric poultry fences.

  • robin_maine
    15 years ago

    Do you have a dog that will keep coyotes away? Our working farmcollies have eliminated loss due to predators.

  • seramas
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    We only have 1.84 acres here and I would not want a large dog free range over to the the neighbors and bother them. Our intention is not to drive the coyotes away but to create a 1/2 acre fenced and covered area for the poultry to 'Mini Free Range' safely.

    Heard back from wire company that manufactures hex poultry wire. They said they are willing to make custom 3/8" stainless steel hex poultry fencing. Back in the seventies they made this for me when I built a 3 acre 51' high aviary for some exotics. It still looks like new 33+ years later. Wish my wife would quit work so we can move back to the farm-she loves her job and wants to wait a couple years.

    Thanks for your imput.

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