|
|
Post by Callie on May 4, 2015 0:35:38 GMT
Yesterday, DH and our son went to see a movie in town. When we got home the neighbor called and said a huge coyote had been pacing along on her side of the fence dividing our properties. It was 6 p.m. Her acreage is a newly planted alfalfa field. My pasture has 7 alpacas inside. The fence is cattle panels- 4 ft. I know they can jump over them. I also know they can dig under. This one didn't try to go under, just paced the fence line until the neighbor went out and made a loud noise with a pan and spoon ( I have a great neighbor). Last night, I pulled the alpacas in close to the barn. But I can' t keep the there forever. Today, I have the males behind the barn nearest to the where the coyote was - they will stay closer to the barn where the girls are now forced to hang out. The girls will graze all the way back to the fence...but that fence is really only 3-400 feet from the barn. Our property is only 200 feet wide and a couple 1000 ft long. It is all cleared- no trees or brush.
I have an electric charger and think I will run the electric back over there. However, running it down low will be a problem since I don't have a weedeater to keep the grass off of it.
When do coyotes hunt the most often? If I just put them in front of the barn at night- will that help or do they hunt during the day also? I thought coyotes hunted in packs- but this one was alone. I think the alpacas can take care of one...but not sure if there are more and don't want to find out.
What else can we do? I have a shelter that I might be able to put them in at night but I don't think it's any more secure since it's build of cattle panels and covered. Is it worse to pen them and have them scared to death with a coyote pacing the outside of their shelter even if it can't get it? ARG!!! I had sheep for 4 years and never once had a coyote problem. I've had the alpacas for 2 months...2 months!!!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 4, 2015 1:41:48 GMT
I am no yote expert by any stretch of imagination but I do know more about them than I do alpacas. Alpacas are a fairly large animal, one that I would consider to large for a single yote or pack of yotes to challenge. Yotes mainly go for house cats, small dogs, newly born fawns and smaller game. IF I had alpacas at my place I'd personally never worry about yotes messing with the adults.
I have anywhere between 10 and 14 yotes around my place. The only one I see during the day is a big female. At night I have seen as high as 5 together coming in to sniff around for my chickens and 2 outside cats. My 2 medium size dogs do their jobs and keep the yotes at bay/back to the woodline verses coming into our yard. We have around 4 acres of "yard" around our house, some trees mixed in and then it's pretty much forest in every direction.
In the spring through fall I get very little coyote action around here, however when January an February roll around they are here nearly nightly as it's pretty slim pickings for resources in the wild and they come in after my cats and chickens. I just let my 2 dogs do their job. Gets a bit aggravating getting up in the middle of the night from dogs barking, but I just think it's part of living out in the sticks...and my dogs are earning their keep.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 4, 2015 1:56:11 GMT
A friend who has alpacas always keeps a llama or donkey to protect hers. We have lots of coyotes here. Lots of cats and even BIG dogs have gone missing. . .
|
|
|
|
Post by Callie on May 4, 2015 14:41:12 GMT
I have thought of a llama...however, I don't know how effective they or donkeys are at keeping a pack away. They can take care of one or maybe 2 but I am doubtful that they can take on many more than 2 alone. We hear coyotes all the time here but I have never seen one. 4 of my alpacas are less than a year old. I think the one male wouldn't be intimidated by a coyote but the others would. I have 2 older females also. If the 3 worked together I'm sure they would be okay but I don't know if they will. WE don't have a dog but the neighbors do- on both sides of us- however, they are fenced in.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bear Foot Farm on May 4, 2015 17:29:35 GMT
I run all my bottom wires high enough so the deck of my riding mower will slide underneath
Add some cut-off switches for the Winter snows so you can keep the top wires charged
I'd also consider setting some leg-hold traps (check your regulations)
Coyotes will hunt when hungry, day or night, and a pack could take down an adult but would be more of a threat to any crias.
They can be shot any time, and aren't too hard to call in or bait, so you may want to try that method also, but traps are the most efficient
|
|
|
|
Post by katievt on May 4, 2015 21:17:02 GMT
My parents had quite a bold pack. They have 2 LGDs, so the sheep were fine, but they would come into the barnyard (right next to the house) and steal chickens. They'd also poop right on the opposite side of the fence - they knew the dogs couldn't reach them!
They arranged for a trapper to set his traps on their land. Six coyotes were trapped in a week or so!
They haven't had a problem since. They had no problems with coyotes for years living just 8 miles away. That was the second time they've had a trapper set traps in 4 years at the new place.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ozarks Tom on May 4, 2015 21:49:08 GMT
I've only seen one coyote in 14 years here, and he basically committed suicide in my front yard (stood there too long). LGD (Great Pyr or Anatolian) will intimidate all but the most desperate predators. In our area there are coyote trapping/hunting clubs who will come out for free, if you've got enough to interest them. Otherwise, I'd recommend looking into setting a couple snares out. Snares have stops on them, so the animal doesn't choke to death, and you don't end up killing a neighbor's dog. They're cheap by comparison to a steel trap, and safer all around.
|
|
|
|
Post by mollymckee on May 5, 2015 13:06:30 GMT
I think it partly depends on the size of the coyotes in your area. Here they are good sized and could easily kill an Alpaca. In some areas they are much smaller and would not be much of a threat. They are pretty smart and can be hard to get rid of. A lone coyote is not near the threat that a pack is, but they usually don't stay single long.
If you cannot shoot it, I would find someone that will, unless your state has a law that says you can't. I would not use poison or trap it, you may kill or hurt badly the wrong animal. I would look into getting some guard dogs.
|
|
|
|
Post by Callie on May 5, 2015 17:50:27 GMT
..................... They arranged for a trapper to set his traps on their land. Six coyotes were trapped in a week or so! ................ This is a great idea. I have a friend that traps animals for their pelts..... I feel rather silly that I didn't think of it sooner. |
|
|
|
Post by Callie on May 5, 2015 17:52:14 GMT
I think it partly depends on the size of the coyotes in your area. Here they are good sized and could easily kill an Alpaca. In some areas they are much smaller and would not be much of a threat. They are pretty smart and can be hard to get rid of. A lone coyote is not near the threat that a pack is, but they usually don't stay single long. If you cannot shoot it, I would find someone that will, unless your state has a law that says you can't. I would not use poison or trap it, you may kill or hurt badly the wrong animal. I would look into getting some guard dogs. I only have 2 open acres for the alpacas to roam around in. I think a guard dog would be bored. I'd love one that could stay in the house and just bark if something was out there though. Is there such a thing - a dog that could sense an predator several 100 feet away while lying inside the house? |
|
|
|
Post by mollymckee on May 5, 2015 20:32:57 GMT
Our dogs will bark if a strange animal or person come into our yard or pasture. They can see out the glass door but even if they are sleeping in the other room something seems to alert them that something is around.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bear Foot Farm on May 5, 2015 21:27:10 GMT
Not really.
To be effective they have to be outside all the time, and even then they can miss things
Traps and shooting are the way to go
|
|
|
|
Post by Maura on May 5, 2015 22:48:52 GMT
Donkeys work quite well. Coydogs will pack up and take down larger animals, like wolves do. Coyotes generally don’t. While llamas are bigger, alpacas will defend themselves. A coyote wants lunch, not a fight, which is why donkeys and llamas are used as guardians. One of my friends with alpacas reports that coyotes will come into the alpaca pasture, hang out, then leave. They give each other space, but the alpacas never take their eyes off the coyotes.
|
|
|
|
Post by Callie on May 6, 2015 1:47:16 GMT
I've been spending some time outside every night in the dark listening. So far, I've heard no coyotes again.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 7, 2015 3:44:31 GMT
There's a pack living close by...once in a while one or two of them will come into the yard, but they sound off just about every other night. My chickens, ducks, and turkeys are secured well, so no problems so far.
|
|
|
|
Post by Callie on May 7, 2015 17:24:07 GMT
That's what I used to think too. No sign of them in a while. We have a friend that likes to trap and tan....maybe he'll come out and see.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 8, 2015 20:09:28 GMT
Coyotes are very adaptable. Different populations are going to behave differently. Not a "one size fits all" thing at all.
I don't think you should automatically exterminate coyotes just because you see one. They have their niche in nature to fill. However, if they become a problem then don't feel the least bit guilty about killing them. They are not endangered and they will likely become an even bigger problem in the future because they'll teach their pups the bad things they have learned.
|
|
|
|
Post by Callie on May 8, 2015 20:41:22 GMT
They aren't endangered around here. I will give them every chance but their chances diminish if they attatck my alpacas. If they stay on their side of the fence we will get along very well as we have for the last 6 years. It is only because it was pacing the fence, crouched down that I am concerned. Before, we have only heard them.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 8, 2015 22:04:37 GMT
Don't know about your area, but they have become a problem here in parts of my state (WV) to the point people can't let their pets out in broad daylight without supervision. This week I've found coyote scat right by my back door and the young ones have kept me up yipping every single night. I'm thinking they are learning to hunt. We've seen them along the sides of the interstate just before dark.
|
|
|
|
Post by katievt on May 9, 2015 0:32:00 GMT
Yes... Leave the coyotes alone if they are leaving your animals alone. Killing them leaves a void that another coyote pack will fill. That pack might like the taste of alpaca!
My parents lived for 12 years with very little coyote trouble. (One adolescent male ended up as a rug after wandering into the paddock.) Then they moved 8 miles across town. In the 4 years since, they have had 2 groups trapped after they messed with the animals.
|
|
