Deb, That's the biggest problem with free ranging, they like to stand and gossip on the porch and let loose with other things too! I've got a buff and a leghorn that can fly over the 6 foot high fence but I'm not going to trim them as they stay pretty close to the others who can't get out of the pen.
The coyotes don't come up into the front area where th epen is, they hang out in the woods in back of the house, which is where they got the last 3 who were exploring. It had rained for a week straight and their pen is on level clay so the area was swamped. I felt bad for them so I let them out at 9am to free range and they headed for the backyard in a group. The coyotes must have their den down by the pond in the back, and saw their opportunity. Either that or it was a couple of dogs. All we found was 3 piles of feathers so we know it wasn't a hawk, as they tend to leave presents so that they can lighten themselves to carry the new load.
