Ideas for deterring coyotes??

[Kim]

Is there any way to deter coyotes from coming into the pastures? Has anyone tried those lights that supposedly scare coyotes away? What about any kind of urine??

I just lost my second barn cat in six months. I am assuming, although not certain, that she fell victim to a coyote. They are around. Both cats were semi-feral and refused to be locked in (in fact, one climbed the wall and escaped through the ceiling when I attempted to lock her in)…so that was not an option. I am just so sad, and obviously do not want to take another cat in if they will end up meeting the same fate.

[Canaqua]

A livestock guarding dog? Great Pyranees or the like? The dogs’ mere presence might scare them off. Llamas? Maybe donkeys?

[Mara]

A mule, maybe?

[HenryisBlaisin]

Get a donkey or three. Almost everyone with livestock around here has two or three of them. They are very territorial and the coyotoes won’t mess with them.

[Derby_Lyn_Farms]

I saw a truck going down the highway the other day and it said something coyote hounds on it. Never knew they hunted coyotes with dogs. This website even suggests greyhounds. Who would have thought. Not my cup of tea. Stick to the donkey idea.
http://discovercoyotehunting.com/coyote-hunting-dogs-the-best-breeds/

[Murphy_s_Mom]

Tiger poop. Yes, it works but break time is over so the explanation will have to wait until tonight after I unload hay.

[drmgncolor]

[QUOTE=HenryisBlaisin’;6597508]
Get a donkey or three. Almost everyone with livestock around here has two or three of them. They are very territorial and the coyotoes won’t mess with them.[/QUOTE]

I’ve heard Donkeys are good for this line of work. As are llamas, I believe.

[jawa]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/sports/26greyhounds.html?_r=0

[cowboymom]

Nothing is going to work for long unless it’s something that will threaten bodily harm to them each and every time they show up.

That just about has to be another animal, be that donkey, llama or dog. Out here, a donkey or llama doesn’t stand a chance-we have wolves and mountain lions in addition to coyotes.

I have a Great Pyrenees and haven’t lost a creature to a predator since he came on the job. They have an affinity for cats and will take them in as something to guard but there is a lot to them.

That coyote hunting page mentioned Blackmouth Curs and I’ve had two of them. They are very protective and mine have been great with the other animals but she can’t stand cold weather and has to be in at night in the winter so she’s only a marginal guard dog.

IME nothing beats a GP but you have to be knowledgeable and set up for them.

Coyotes will get around every trick you have. Something might deter them for a while but if a real tiger never really shows up they will eventually ignore the tiger poo. Or wolf urine, or whatever else you try.

[FatCatFarm]

LGD (Livestock Guardian Dog: Maremma, Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd - or combination); donkey; llama.

LGD’s will require perimeter fencing as they tend to have wanderlust if not securely fenced in. Llamas and donkeys are successful depending on the individual as not all make good guard animals.

We have 17.5 acres entirely perimeter fenced with field fencing and keep 2 or 3 LGD’s; currently one Maremma and 2 GPs. We like the Maremma best. Stays put and doesn’t view the fencing as a personal challenge. Of the GPs, we’ve had the best luck with males vs. female. The females actually work harder but have proven to more often see the fencing as a personal challenge to escape from. The good thing about the LGDs is that they have the run of the whole property where a llama or donkey would only be able to do that in whichever pasture it/they were in.

We had the same problem; coyotes discovered our barn cats and decimated the population and all were fixed and vaccinated, so they ate a lot of money. LGDs pretty much stopped it, but we sill bring the few barn kitties that remain, in at night, as the coyotes can still be pretty crafty.

[Nezzy]

Geese, but i think i’d rather deal with a coyote than geese on a daily basis.

[crosscreeksh]

Coyotes in our area are getting very bold. I haven’t lost a cat in a while…all mine are locked up at night or house cats, but I’ve lost count from over the years. I’ll see them along our far fence lines, but donkeys, a Gr. Pyr. and a very gamey Boxer keeps them away from the house and barns. New neighbors a 1/2 mile south of here almost lost their old Llapsa dog from right in the yard near their house. Daughter was out with the two dogs when two coyotes came right up to the house and grabbed the older dog. Screaming, yelling and chasing the coyotes caused them to drop the old dog, but the vet bill was over $300 to sew the poor dog up!! There is a big, coyote killing “challenge” set for next month in our area. Winner is the one with the most bodies!! This is major cattle country and the coyotes are killing newborns regularly. They get them when they are only half born and the mommas can’t fight them off. Ugly!!

[My_Two_Cents]

The coyotes at my daughters house have become quite brave. They come to her arena fence and watch her ride. They come into the yard to “play” with her Catahoula/Aussie cross.

[riff]

My Two cents, tell your daughter they will stop playing with her dog one day and try to attack. I have llamas. They prefer sleeping at night when the coyotes are most active. But they do help some. You really need a LGD. I have had Maremmas and Great Pyrenees. Like both. I used to have free range hens and my Pyrs did the job of protecting. Never lost one to a coyote. I always keep at least two dogs at a time. But you do need a good fence.

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

Second the Great Pyrenees recommendation. They’re great at discouraging predators and normally sane enough not to eat the mailman. However. You must have a perimeter fence. And you must be prepared to put up with a lot of noise. And so must your neighbors.

Many (although I’m sure not all) pyrs guard by policing the perimeter of their territory and bark-bark-barking to let the coyotes know “you shall not pass.” Pyr territorial limits always far exceed the area the humans had in mind for them to guard. If you live anywhere near a paved road, the dog will eventually get hit by a car. Or may get shot by a neighbor for trespassing. So you gotta fence 'em in. And put up with a lot of barking at night.

If all you’re worried about is cats - I think it’d be easier to keep the cats indoors or just don’t get another.

[5chestnuts]

^ Yes, they do bark-bark-bark. My neighbor has a GP and a Maremma - both are on electronic collars for invisible fencing. And they do stay put. They are only “guarding” his house and yards, not his horse pastures or hay fields. They are really good at spotting things “that shouldn’t be there”, and barking that deep rythmic low throated bark (a true bass “WOOOOF!” <pause> "WOOOOF! <pause> “WOOOOF!” ) to let you know they are on the job. I love them - and have taken care of them for my neighbors when they go away. Such wonderful sweet loving dogs. Very low maintenance…except for the coat. Lotta care is needed to keep it looking nice. But I have rough collies, so I know coats.

Also I don’t have cats. Or fowl. So no tempting morsels at my place.

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

5chestnuts - I also love Maremma. Although I find that some are not as good-natured as pyrs. More likely to eat the mailman than a pyr, but not so likely as, say, an Anatolian. :lol:

Re the coat: I have a border collie/pyr cross, so we’re not drowning in floof. Just partially suffocating. But then I keep mine in the house so it’s my own fault.

[FatCatFarm]

I bought heavy duty Oster shears for doing sheep for shaving my LGDs in the late spring. A good, once a year, shearing really helps to get rid of all the hair they’re trying to shed and any mats they’ve devloped, not to mention keeping them much more comfortable during our hot and humid summers.

[cowboymom]

I bought a cheap knock off of the Furminator that resembles a gardening claw and it is plenty to keep up with my GP. He looks better after a good brushing than any bath! He doesn’t get mats, he has a wiry coat… glows in the sun.

I don’t know if I would ever clip him all over b/c he really does fight with coyotes and neighbor dogs and that coat helps to protect him. If anything I would just do his belly so when he digs a hole (in the flowerbed or garden, naturally) he can cool off with the dirt on his belly.

I love my GP-he’s a ton of work and a lot of dog but I tell you what, when I needed him he was there. Neighboring young dog was chasing the horses, I couldn’t shoot into the horses, I was home alone, at a loss, the horses were nearly into the fence when I thought F-it, and turned Galoot loose from his goat pen where he was going nutz. He made short work of that young dog that didn’t know even how to fight. Kept knocking him down waiting for me to get there and when the dog wouldn’t hold still he finally chomped on his leg and held him there until I told him to let go. And he’s super good at breaking up cat fights without hurting a cat! And he’s funny and silly and kind.

[Emilia]

I would recommend any mountain dog that has been historically bred to stay in the hills with the herd by itself (or with one shepherd). They can battle a bear, if need be.

It seems from other posters that the Great Pyrenees dog is the most known and probably accessible in the US.

Other fierce mountain dogs include Hungarian Kuvasz, Slovak Cuvac, or Caucasian Mountain Dog.

Caucasian Mountain Dog can be really dangerous, because they were bred to be loyal only to their family. One family for one lifetime. However, they are really, really good stock guard dogs and fearless. They have different lines- more hair, less hair, bigger, smaller.

They are not city dogs.

It is important to always look for working lines and not just conformation show lines.

I am not sure, how it is in the US, but in Europe, there can be a big difference between these two groups. You won’t get the job done by a conformation show line.

Coyotes are closing in on us, too. I dread the day, they will chase the remaining foxes away and I will have to put a special protection for our minis.