Devastated, coyote attacked our lamb

[sufficientforme]

I woke up at 4:30 to a sound unfamiliar and did a quick animal check to see two coyotes run off at the flashlight, I thought I had caught them in time but the baby was bleeding from the neck, I brought her in the house and washed out her wounds but I believe they got her vein, she is bleeding internally. We are devastated and took great lengths to secure a pen before getting them. They went over the cattle panels and the mesh fence surrounding the panels. I will electrify in the morning around it, WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO ENFORCE THEIR PEN???? We are so SAD here this morning....

 

[FarmerChick]

WOW that is just awful!! Sorry for your troubles.

Coyotes to that extent? UGH

best to put them up at night in a real barn type situation.....lock them up in stalls. That would be your best defense if coyotes are jumping over the fence.

Depending on pen size, maybe you can put chicken wire across the top...to make a cage? Ugh...that might not be doable....so they key would be to put them in a barn at night and go on lock down.

Yes that is a very sad situation but your coyotes sound very smart.

Either cage the pen or stall the animals at night for lock down.

 

[2dream]

So sorry about your lamb. Its always devastating when we loose an animal to predators.

Everything you do helps but as far as I know nothing is completely predator proof. The main thing is to make it as hard as possible in the hopes the predator will give up and go somewhere else. But sometimes if there is no where else to go they can be pretty persistant.

Do what you can. And with all things SS - hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

 

[SKR8PN]

Call the coyotes in, then dispatch them. A wounded rabbit call works well. You could also use the sheep as "bait" to draw the 'yotes back to within rifle/shotgun range. Getting rid of the menace is a sure way to protect your herd. Another option is to get a guard Llama.


Sorry to hear about your lamb.

 

[justusnak]

Oh no...I am so very sorry. That is one of my biggest fears...yotes..and of course feral dogs. THATS why we got the GP. Unfortunately...now I have to worry about MY dog..hurting the sheep. :/ Electric may work...but I think locking them in a barn at night would be a good idea as well. Maybe getting 2 LGD too!?

 

[freemotion]

Sooooo sorry...

I don't know if I am just fortunate....I don't think so, because I have been here over 7 years now and the coyotes are thick as thieves. I see their tracks and poo along my fence often, and hear them and see them regularly. The neighbors report to me, too...they've had coyotes looking into their sliding glass door!

I have four foot high horse fencing, 2x4 woven wire, with electric wire on the top. I saw the neighbor's dog climb that fence, and touch that wire with all four of his feet well-grounded on the metal fencing. YIPE-YIPE-YIPE!!!! And he wouldn't even stand up near the fence anymore. I suspect the same happens to the coyotes.

I wonder if they would dig, though, but it hasn't happened here and I walk the fenceline regularly and haven't seen any signs of digging, except where the groundhog goes into my garden. And stays safe from the coyote.

 

[Dace]

I am so sorry about your lamb. Did she make it?

Unfortunately, now that they coyotes know where food is they will be back. I think the barn shed idea is what you are going to need.
Although I know nothing about electric fences, they seem to work well for others.

I agree with FC that your coyotes do sound brazen, they must be hurting for food. Which again, means they will come back.

I like SKR8PN's idea of luring them back and dispatching them, but there will be more I woudl guess, so a more secure area sounds like the best thing.

 

[sufficientforme]

No she did not make it, the vet just left. They had broken her trachea and punctured between her ear and throat several times. She was dying a slow painful death it sounded like she was drowning so we made the hard decision all animal owners make and let her go to greener pastures.
We live in an incorporated 2 acre lots, we can not use a weapon, only airgun or pellets etc so that is not an option for getting rid of them. The vet said she has 4 this week alone on goats and sheep in our area, bad year they are on the hunt early evidently. This is the first time we have had issue in two years living here.

 

[Dace]

 

[ksalvagno]

I am so sorry to hear about your lamb.

It is never easy and you made the right decision not to let her suffer.