Best ways to keep your chickens safe from coyote's. Natural enemy of coyotes, coop security, things coyote's don't like, and how to make your property less attractive to them. List of coyote deterrents and repellents plus best buys on coyote repellents.
How to protect your chickens from coyotes. Photo by Oscar Sutton on Unsplash
Coyote's run in packs, so if you see one there are many more close by. The natural enemy of the coyote is donkeys. If coyotes smell or see a donkey they will not come near. If you want to protect your chickens from coyote's-getting a donkey, either a gelded male (Jack) or a female (Jenny) is your best bet. Make sure your coop is secure so they cannot dig under or climb over it. You can put hardware cloth along the bottom, extend it out approx 8-12 inches on the ground. This will prevent the coyote from digging into your coop or run. Make sure all holes are securely covered, all doors and windows are securely locked at night (preferably with padlocks). Make sure the roof and walls are secure and that you have strong fencing around the coop and run. Coyote's do not like open spaces, lights, and noise. See video and more helpful tips below.
Coyote Deterrents: Tips to Keep Coyote's Away
Make your property less attractive to coyotes by removing trash and debris, clear as much space around your coop as possible by removing brush, piles, and trees if you have alot of them. Coyotes do not like bright lights and loud noises. A security camera with motion detector which has a siren and bright lights will quickly frighten a coyote away (solar powered models are available).
If you know there are coyote's in your area these tips from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife will help you keep your chickens, cats, and other small pets safe.
If you know there are coyote's in your area these tips from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife will help you keep your chickens, cats, and other small pets safe.
- Never feed coyotes! Report neighbors that are feeding them
- Remove all food and water sources from your yard (or chicken coop and runs) at night. This may include pet bowls, bird feeders, fallen fruit, barbecue grills, and trash.
- All trash should be contained in trash containers and stored indoors with secure lids. Trash should not be placed on the curb until the morning of pickup.
- Encourage your community to utilize wildlife-proof trash containers on school grounds, in parks, and in open space areas.
- Keep cats indoors.
- Pets should be supervised when outside and should only be left unattended when they are secured in a kennel with a covered top.
- Trim vegetation and mow tall grass; remove or thin brush and rubbish piles so as to eliminate cover for coyotes and their prey.
- Avoid over feeding birds. Coyotes will eat the birdseed as well as the birds and rodents attracted by the feeder. (Make sure you do not over feed your chickens if throwing feed out on the ground. Feed left out over night will attract rodents and rodents attract coyote's, snakes and other predators)
- Secure livestock and poultry with wildlife-proof fencing with a secured top.
- Completely enclose gardens and compost piles with fencing.
- Seal-up openings under porches, decks, and sheds with welded wire that is buried at least 18 inches below the ground.
- Homeowners can encourage local entities to screen culverts and open drainage systems near homes, schools or trails so coyotes cannot access these areas for potential den sites or thoroughfares (1).
Coyote Repellents
Coyote's can be repelled by using wolf urine, motion activated pest repellents which make noise and light when a predator gets too close can be placed on all four sides of your coop and run, solar powered night eyes make coyote's think another animal is there, and electric fencing can aid in protecting your chickens.
References:
- Coyote Exclusions, Deterrents and Repellents Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Area 5. https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/WildlifeSpecies/LivingWithWildlife/Coyote-Exclusions-Deterrents-Repellents.pdf
- Coyote in wasteland photo by Oscar Sutton (@o5ky) on Unsplash. (2019). Unsplash.com. Retrieved 2 March 2019, from https://unsplash.com/photos/opuSVZbNLGg
