My father has had free-ranging chickens since 2017 & didn't have any problems with coyotes until last year (2021).
My father is elderly & so now I have taken over the care for his chickens. Last year we lost 5 chickens to coyotes & now I am reluctant to let them free-range.
My father says the chickens enjoy their freedom & wants them to continue to be free-ranging. So, how do you keep them safe from the coyotes while still letting them enjoy being free?
I've been keeping them locked up through the winter. I know the coyotes are still here as they leave several tracks in the snow in the yard & my dogs find the coyote scat. There are also a lot of bunny tracks. I also spotted a raccoon with a mangled, broken tail. It's like the coyotes have turned the yard into their hunting ground.
