# Coyotes and goats



## 7blessings (Jun 30, 2013)

We are fairly new to goats this year, and also moved this past May, to a rural little country town in WA State. We raise LaManchas and Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats. No bucks, but we have 5 does.

My question is, how common are coyote attacks on goats? Within the last half hour we just had a coyote trot by the front of our house, which is on a dead end road. Do we need to take extra precautions in protecting our little herd. They are fenced in our backyard, with one calf hutch that our 3 pregnant does like to sleep in, and a small goat barn, that is like a 3 3/4 sided shelter with a doorway. No door. 

Even with it nearly temperatures in the singe digits, we still have one LaMancha and one Nigerian who sleep outside of their shelters! (That drives me nuts, but thats a rant for another thread!  )

Thank you for your feedback in advance.


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## Electra552 (Aug 23, 2013)

Very serious to goats....lock your goats in at night and you need a livestock guardian.....a dog, donkey, or llama. I would have a rifle ready. If you have a dog have it urinate in your pasture fence perimeter. Also have any males in your family urinate in the same areas if possible. You might want to see if you can purchase wolf pee at a hunting store to do the same.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree.

They are at high risk.


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## Casa_la_Palma (Oct 15, 2013)

We've had coyotes come over a 6' chain link fence and carry off full grown geese. Given the chance they will go after your goats too, for sure.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

No problem for them to scale 6' fence. Or dig under. I agree with locking them up at night. Can you rig up some kind of door?
Plenty yotes around here.
Everyone sleeps outside but we have LGDs with them.


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## OakHollowRanch (Jun 6, 2013)

We have tons of coyotes around here. They are devastating our chicken flock, but I am not too worried about the goats during the day. I lock them all up at night.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Yep I agree. I have electric fences here, and I'm the only one in the neighborhood who hasn't lost livestock as of yet,but I always lock mine in the barn at night, my neighbors don't either. If rather be safe then sorry..


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## run1251 (Jun 4, 2013)

Coyotes are devils. My best friend had one come into her yard at 7 am and grab one of her Schnauzers. They found her collar and carcass in a ravine that looked like a bone yard about 300 yards from their house. There was a GPS tagg attached to the collar. My friend saw what happened from her kitchen window but couldn't do any thing to stop it. She was crushed. Coyotes devastated our deer, goats and chickens two years ago. We had to have professional trappers come and it took six months to get their numbers down to a manageable level. We lock all our animals up at night and have big incandescent lights on all sides of the barns and chicken house.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Coyotes are not devils and if you want to keep your animals safe from them you cannot take their attacks personally. Taking it personally clouds your judgement, prevents you from being detached and interferes with being able to see all angles. You are out for revenge, whereas they are just trying to survive. They are here for a reason, and they serve a purpose. The only way you will deter them and keep your animals safe is to approach the situation from their perspective because they are also damned smart! Get on the internet and do your research. Know how wild fires, floods, forest fires, and winter affect their usual prey. Google how to coyote proof your fences. Learn everything you can about them so you can better predict how and when they are likely to attack and can be ready. I know my response will not be well received - it isn't the first time and it won't be the last.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I say it depends on the coyotes you have in your area. The ones here are not to bad.I have just a 4 foot ffeels fence and no issues with jumping or digging. They have yet to go after the herd when I let them out to graze but will pick off a small kid if they can. But I remember when I was little and we were at my uncles in or. And his cow was in labor and they went after her. He put her in the stock trailer and the next morning there were claw marks all around it. I do swear by the wolf pee and after I bought some and sprayed it on my kids when I let them out to graze lost no more kids. I also no longer put my dead afterbirth and such where they can eat it.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

GoatCrazy said:


> Coyotes are not devils and if you want to keep your animals safe from them you cannot take their attacks personally. Taking it personally clouds your judgement, prevents you from being detached and interferes with being able to see all angles. You are out for revenge, whereas they are just trying to survive. They are here for a reason, and they serve a purpose. The only way you will deter them and keep your animals safe is to approach the situation from their perspective because they are also damned smart! Get on the internet and do your research. Know how wild fires, floods, forest fires, and winter affect their usual prey. Google how to coyote proof your fences. Learn everything you can about them so you can better predict how and when they are likely to attack and can be ready. I know my response will not be well received - it isn't the first time and it won't be the last.


Yeah, they do serve a purpose, as in when they are around there are not a lot of rats, and rabbits running around. My neighbor shoots the pack leader, and they kept away for a long time, but man oh man, rats, rabbits EVERYWHERE. My mom pointed out that's what happens with no coyotes around..., so he stopped for awhile, and the rat and rabbit population was under control again. He still shots them every once in awhile. I am the only one in my neighborhood who hasn't lost livestock to coyotes, but I'm the only one with good electric fences too I have a coyote den about 15 feet from the bottom fence line my neighbor has a camera down there, and nothing has gone through the fence at all. They tried once awhile ago and zap! We haven't seen one since. I do understand your point.., just saying. I don't hate coyotes, but at the same I know why people hate them too...


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yes I too fully agree but still any coyote that eye balls my goats or comes in the yard is dead in my books. My goat pen is in the middle or 800 acrs 1200 to the north of us and 700 to the south so there is enough room and rodents to keep them happy without bothering me or my animals. Not only animals but my small children and I don't like it when they are that brave.


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