Any ideas for coyote repellent?

[Matryoshka]

We have a coyote going after my guinea fowl. Yesterday the female got separated from the male, and we thought she'd been taken, but she showed up a few hours later. I suspected she might've gotten chased by something...

 

This morning we heard a huge ruckus by the coop, and I ran out, and sure enough there was a coyote sniffing around. Looked like a young one. Their coop is pretty well secured (after a few tragic break-ins showed us where the weak spots were), but we usually let them free-range during the day - we slept late and hadn't gotten around to letting them out this morning. We've never had problems during the day before this.

 

There are goboodles of bunnies and stray cats - this coyote should be eating them!

 

Other than getting a big guard dog to patrol the yard (which really isn't an option, and it would probably go after the birds itself anyway...) any way to tell a coyote to stay the heck away from my yard (at least in the middle of the day?) Do you think the thing could be sick ro rabid, hunting mid-day? I thought they usually were out dusk-dawn?

[hornblower]

We have coyotes here & they're out at all times of the day. Seems to me urban coyotes are no longer predominantly dawn or dusk animals. I see them very frequently.

 

A livestock guardian dog (LDG) imprinted on fowl would work. Pyr, Akbash, Maremma, Tatra Sheepdog - they're all the same genetic root & look similar: big white dog :D. Bred for centuries to guard livestock.

 

Other & cheaper alternative which might work: motion detector sprinklers or a hot fence around the perimeter. If you have tall fencing & they're jumping over it, google "coyote rollers". These are commercial ones but you can make your own with wire stretched taut & pvc piping.

Edited August 18, 2010 by hornblower
homonyms!

[celticmom]

I would be very concerned about the possibility of rabies or other illness in the coyote. That you actually saw the coyote enough to tell its age seems unusual too. On the other hand it could be young and stupid and the poultry could be easier to find and catch than the cats or rabbits. The coyote could also be small due to malnutrition in which case it is desparate.

[dirty ethel rackham]

We have coyotes in our suburban neighborhood. I saw one in my yard one day and called animal control. They told me that, since coyotes are native to the area, they can't do anything unless he looks ill. They told me to make noise to discourage him from hanging around. Pots and pans can be good. However, they said the most effective thing was a "noise bomb." I was told to take an empty soda can, fill it half-way with coins and duck-tape it closed. Whenever I saw the coyote, I was to throw the can so it would land a few feet in front of the coyote so that it would run in the opposite direction. The point was to make our yard inhospitable. We only had to use our "noise bomb" once. He hasn't been back. Earlier this summer, I did see a pair of coyotes down the street at the school (out for the summer.)

 

My neighbors were mad at me for calling animal control. They rather liked "Wile E." because he kept the rabbit population down, which was good for the gardens. (If only they ate chipmunks.)

[Matryoshka]

I would be very concerned about the possibility of rabies or other illness in the coyote. That you actually saw the coyote enough to tell its age seems unusual too. On the other hand it could be young and stupid and the poultry could be easier to find and catch than the cats or rabbits. The coyote could also be small due to malnutrition in which case it is desparate.

 

Well, fortunately we've all had our rabies shots, but I still wouldn't relish being attacked... it did run away as soon as I came out, which I guess is a good sign...

 

The coop is behind our detached garage, so from our back door I only had to run 40-50 ft - it bolted as I got there, but I got a good enough look to see that it was too big to be a grey fox (and its legs were too long for a fox as well), but I thought on the smallish side for a coyote.

 

I'm hoping it's young and stupid. There are TONS of rabbits around - although the girls just pointed out we haven't seen one in the past couple days - usually we see three in the yard at any given moment.

[gaillardia]

Donkeys or llamas are good guards against coyotes, or so they say. Many people in this area (central TX) have a donkey or llamas and say it works to keep the coyotes at bay.

[hillfarm]

Here's a strange thought that just might work. See if you can acquire some fresh llama dung from a nearby llama farm. I read a study a long time ago that said that experts thought both the llamas themselves and the unfamiliar odor of their dung helped keep predators at bay.

 

Of course, a LGDog or actual llama would be preferable, but if you don't have those options, then you have to improvise...

[Matryoshka]

Here's a strange thought that just might work. See if you can acquire some fresh llama dung from a nearby llama farm. I read a study a long time ago that said that experts thought both the llamas themselves and the unfamiliar odor of their dung helped keep predators at bay.

 

Of course, a LGDog or actual llama would be preferable, but if you don't have those options, then you have to improvise...

 

I don't think our one-acre lot will accomodate a large animal (dog or llama), not to mention the cost of acquiring and keeping said large animal, but the llama dung is very intriguing... I know there are people around here with llamas. Hey, and it fertilizes, right? :tongue_smilie:

 

I've thought it would be fun to have some dwarf goats, but they'd probably just be more coyote food, huh?

 

Our one acre backs up to about 12 acres of woodland, so there are lots of critters back there. We've had the coop breached before by what we think were foxes (digging) and raccoons (popped the latch). Our neighbor lost all his chickens to a weasel or fisher that got through the wire (apparently can get through 1" wire or larger). We've reinforced against all those forms of entry, but I do want to let them out during the day to do their primary job of tick-eating.

[DianeW88]

Well, we've had friends who've had good luck with urine around the coop. I don't want to know how they did it, but I suspect it may have had something to do with their six boys. :lol:

 

Diane W.

married for 22 years

homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

[Remudamom]

Use cougar pee.

[Margo out of lurking]

Well, there was the gun thread the other day.

 

You'd have to check out your local laws though.

[gaillardia]

Well, we've had friends who've had good luck with urine around the coop. I don't want to know how they did it, but I suspect it may have had something to do with their six boys. :lol:

 

Diane W.

married for 22 years

homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

My brother said that works to keep bunnies out of the garden.:D

[DianeW88]

My brother said that works to keep bunnies out of the garden.:D

 

I think boys just want an excuse to pee outside. :glare: :lol:

 

Diane W.

married for 22 years

homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

[Marie in OR]

I was told by Animal Control that cougar pee would indeed scare away coyotes, but would attract cougars. Um, no thanks.

 

I have used "Liquid Fence", which is made from coyote pee (it is the nastiest smelling stuff on the planet! Then it dries and is OK.) to keep deer away, and it seems to also work for coyotes. Maybe they think the territory is already taken.

[mhg]

Donkeys or llamas are good guards against coyotes, or so they say. Many people in this area (central TX) have a donkey or llamas and say it works to keep the coyotes at bay.

 

 

My father bought 2 donkeys as he had trouble with coyotes attacking calves. They solved the problem.