It is a well-known fact that coyotes are a major problem for chicken farmers. They can do significant damage to your chickens, and they can even kill them if you let them. If you have been considering what it takes to keep coyotes away from your chickens, then this blog post will help! We will go over the various ways that people have found success in keeping coyotes out of their chicken coop and we’ll also discuss which methods might not work as effectively.
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What’s a coyote?
A coyote is a type of canine that lives in North America and Mexico. They can be grey or reddish-brown in color, and they will eat anything from small rodents to larger animals like deer. Unfortunately for the chicken farmer, their favorite prey is chickens! Coyotes aren’t too picky about what time of day it is when they want to go hunting either; whether its dawn or dusk you should double-check your coop before letting your hens out into the yard because if there are any left outside at the wrong time then chances are some sneaky predators have already gotten them all by themselves! It might not surprise you that many people who keep chickens end up losing quite a few every year.
How to find out what killed your chicken
When you find a dead bird, the first thing to do is determine whether or not it was killed by predators. The easiest way to tell this apart from other causes of death like disease or injury is what you will see if there are any bite marks on the chicken itself. If its body has been de-feathered (which can happen with coyotes) but no signs of blood anywhere near it then that’s probably not an indicator that something else besides another animal did it in! Coyotes also tend to eat their prey where they kill them so make sure to take note of whatever area would be most likely for your chickens since you might notice some feathers around there too next time when checking up on things.
Will coyotes attack chickens during the day?
Yes, they will attack chickens during the day. Chickens are more vulnerable to coyote attacks when it is dark because their eyesight isn’t as good. Chickens that have been attacked by a coyote usually die from suffocation or blood loss rather than being eaten alive.
Fencing
Keeping chickens in a securely fenced area is the best way to keep coyotes away from them. A fence must be at least six feet high and have a self-locking gate in order for it to work properly. Keeping your flock inside an enclosed pen will protect them from being attacked by predators or catching diseases that spread through contact with wild animals such as parasites, ticks, and Lyme disease. The only problem with fencing is that if there are holes in the fence then you might not know until after something has been killed or injured. You can line your fences on both sides with electric wires which creates an impassible barrier but also keeps chickens contained safely within their enclosure where they cannot get hurt.
Lighting
Lighting at night is another way to keep coyotes away from chickens. Coyotes are extremely sensitive to bright lights at night which can cause them to fear or even temporarily blind them. One example of this would be shining a very bright light into the eyes of an approaching coyote, freezing it in its tracks and making it unable to continue toward your flock.
Noise
Coyotes are also scared of loud, sharp noises. One way to keep coyotes away from your chickens is by using a noisemaker that makes an extremely loud noise when activated. These can be purchased or made at home and will scare off any approaching coyote every time the sound goes off because it is so startlingly dangerous-sounding in nature.
These three simple ways to dissuade coyotes from coming near your flock should give you peace of mind while allowing them free range without fear for their safety within their pen space. Chickens need the fresh air and sunshine but keeping them safe requires diligence on our part which means not giving up easy access to open areas simply due to fear!
