Coyotes and Calves

ufo_chris · #1 08/26/10, 02:37 PM

I've been talking to a woman that keeps getting her newborn calves ate by coyotes. Now these are highlands with horns!
I have never been to her place ,don't even know what type of fencing she has .
She does have quite a few but I know cows go off by themselves when they calve.
My question, I have a Highland cow due soon and I'm getting worried because we do have coyotes( but so far have not had a problem with them)
and I was going to separate her and put her in a pasture closer to the house to make sure. Now I'm wondering if she'd be better off staying with the others (1 bull w/ horns, 1 older heifer,2 yearling bulls all no horns) you know ,like strength in numbers. Of course again,they do go off by themselves....
When she had the twins last year I got there right after the first one was born,early in the morning, and buried the afterbirth and stayed with them almost all day,don't know if that helped.
I'm worried because when I got her she was supposed to be bread and got fat as if prego ,especially on her right side,and then she never had a calf...or so I thought! This was my first cow ,could I have missed her giving birth (I always checked on her at least morning and evening) and it got ate?
DH says no, I say it's possible. She still had her long winter coat,hard to see the udder, and If I didn't see her till 10 hours after, she could have been all cleaned up. I did not notice her belly getting smaller all of a sudden ,but then it's not that fast.
Just makes me worry now, I am moving them to a bigger pasture that has some woods in a few days.(Rot. grazing)
I did get good last time she gave birth, I thought she was close and was right.She was not in active labor yet but was just acting different. It seems they are harder to move once it gets close though if I wait till then.
I have 6 strand HT ,every other hot ,one hot pretty low. But there could be a den in the woods inside, because we seen one when we fenced around it.
Thanks for any thoughts,
Chris

CCCJerseys · #2 08/26/10, 04:04 PM

I think that coyotes are different in different parts of the country but here, the only calf a coyote gets is a sick one or one born dead. I know that this is a very "hot" subject with some. But I have zero problems with coyotes. A pack of wild dogs is different they will kill in a heartbeat. Or wolves.
When someone complains of coyote damage I say look at other possiblities likey the coyote gets the blame because he happened to be cleaning up something else's damage.
Sheep and goats yes they will get.
JMO

agmantoo · #3 08/26/10, 04:06 PM

Ditto what CCCJerseys stated

JanO · #4 08/26/10, 04:33 PM

Here coyotes don't get anything much bigger then a chicken, but wolves and dogs will kill calves if they can. Fortunately we don't have a big problem with them anymore since more homes have been built in the area. Is there anyway you can enclose her until she calves? I never had Highlands, but I tried to keep my Jerseys and Holstiens inside when they were about due. Of course, I had mine for milk so it only made sense for me since I worried about keytosis milked them as soon as possible after I was sure the calf got a good start.

CrashTestRanch · #5 08/26/10, 04:46 PM

sure it's yotes and not feral dogs?

commonsense · #6 08/26/10, 06:17 PM

When I know one of my cows is close, I bring her inside at night. We're surrounded by coyotes and loose neighbor dogs. It's just not work the risk.

Madsaw · #7 08/26/10, 06:18 PM

How populated is the area you are in? Here in southern WI we have alot of coyotes, but seldom see any calfskilled by them. Make sure its yotes not dog. Dog are worse then yotes when causeing damage to cattle in more populated areas. If you see any dogs during the day running at large then that gives you a good clue what goes on at night.
Bob

Bret4207 · #8 08/26/10, 06:41 PM

My neighbor has lost calves to coyotes. They get big up here, I've trapped them nearing 60 lbs and in a pack they are lethal. Some people say they don't hunt in packs but that's pure bull. They do, all the time. You get a newborn calf barely able to stand and a timid cow and you have the makings of coyote dinner.

ufo_chris · #9 08/26/10, 07:56 PM

Thanks guys! I see the answers going both ways.....
This woman lives about 50 miles from me ,it just got me thinking.
She seems to be sure they are coyotes.
I know we have them but like I said no problems yet that I know of.
They can't be too aggressive because I have chickens and ducks that freerange in the daytime and have not lost any to coyotes (knock on wood).
But they do stay pretty close to the house most of the time.
I also can't see my cow not defending her calf but if there is a whole pack, I can picture one distracting her while others get the calf.
I hear them howl at night sometimes ,it's eerie.
Everybody has always told me to leave them outside when they calf. Also, she has never been inside so I wouldn't wanna stress her.
I'll just have to watch really close and hopefully catch her in time and call of work or stay up if I have to!
Thanks,Chris

randiliana · #10 08/26/10, 08:01 PM

Coyotes will, and often do hunt in packs. It really isn't that common for them to attack calves, at least so long as there is enough smaller prey out there. They are very hard on sheep however.

If a coyote attacks a calf as a single animal, chances are that mama will fight him off and the calf will be fine, of course if she just stands back and watches in fear, you'll likely either lose the calf or he will be seriously injured. However, if a pack of coyotes attack a calf, it would be pretty hard for mama to fight them off. One will draw her off while the rest get the calf. It would take one heck of a cow, or very weak or inexperienced coyotes to save a calf in these circumstances. As far as taking the afterbirth and disposing of it, I really don't know if that would be the best thing to do or not. We don't dispose of it, my thoughts are that the coyotes will find it an easier meal than fighting a cow for a calf. Of course in my situation we are talking about 100 head of cows, not 1 or 2. Any coyotes in the area know where they are and what is going on. In the case of 1 or 2 cows, disposing of the afterbirth might very well be a good idea.

Another thing we have heard about coyotes, and I am rather inclined to believe, is that if you have one or two in the area that are not causing problems, you should leave them alone. The theory is that they are territorial, and will keep other, possibly destructive, coyotes out of the area.

We have not had problems with coyotes at calving, or any other times of the year. But, I do know many people that have had. This spring, our government came out with a program to pay people for any livestock lost to coyotes, this included cattle. So obviously coyotes are a problem animal for cattle.

wr · #11 08/26/10, 09:13 PM

Realistically, if she's lost that many calves, she need to review her calving situation. It might help if she moves her cows closer to the house or maybe puts those close to calving in the barn or a smaller pen.

I never had problems with coyotes but a lot of my neighbors did I had a nice herd of fairly rangy longhorn cows that seemed to keep coyotes and stray dogs thinned out quite nicely.

CCCJerseys · #12 08/27/10, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bret4207

My neighbor has lost calves to coyotes. They get big up here, I've trapped them nearing 60 lbs and in a pack they are lethal. Some people say they don't hunt in packs but that's pure bull. They do, all the time. You get a newborn calf barely able to stand and a timid cow and you have the makings of coyote dinner.

You are right Bret, I lived in New England for a time and the coyotes are HUGE up there. I think they are a type of wolf instead or coydogs. They look nothing like coyotes here. And I mean nothing, except maybe the coloring.
And yes they hunt in packs but no where as many as it sounds when they are out and about.

Ebenezer · #13 08/27/10, 12:49 PM

Get a donkey. Get a good one, however.

Shoupie · #14 08/27/10, 01:18 PM

Would it hurt to move everybody up to the closer pasture? Coyotes are smart and only go for small yippy dogs in my area, but I still like to have whatever mama close by so I don't have to trudge out to the back pasture in the dark of night or lug obstetric equipment out there if there is a problem.

ufo_chris · #15 08/28/10, 01:58 AM

Shoupie,well on my rotational plan they are going to be in the back pasture , but I will watch her closely and at the first sign ,like bagging up ,I will move them all to the closest one!
According to vet I have a couple of month but he checked her at 2month so I guess it could be sooner.
Thanks all,
Chris

Woodroe · #16 08/28/10, 02:34 PM

Yep, Guard Donkey will do the trick

Trisha in WA · #17 08/28/10, 03:41 PM

ufo chris,
Your high tensile electric wire will help keep them out too. I had 5 strands with the bottom one not hot and it kept out the coyotes and neighborhood dogs. We have since moved and I miss that fence.

ufo_chris · #18 08/30/10, 01:42 PM

I'd love to have a Donkey but I read the thread a few weeks back and a lot of people said that they can kill a new calf because they see it as an intruder.
I will mention it to the woman that keeps loosing calfes though, might still be better for her!
Thanks,Chris

CCCJerseys · #19 08/30/10, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ufo_chris

I'd love to have a Donkey but I read the thread a few weeks back and a lot of people said that they can kill a new calf because they see it as an intruder.

This is true. Unless they are raised with the animals they are supposed to protect. And just use a Jenny and not a Jack. And NEVER use a mule.

Bret4207 · #20 08/30/10, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CCCJerseys

You are right Bret, I lived in New England for a time and the coyotes are HUGE up there. I think they are a type of wolf instead or coydogs. They look nothing like coyotes here. And I mean nothing, except maybe the coloring.
And yes they hunt in packs but no where as many as it sounds when they are out and about.

My understanding is that the north eastern coyotes do have some wolf DNA. It's not that far to northern Quebec or Ontario from here and it's known several domestic wolves have been released "accidentally" over the years. Of course NYS DEC says it's all a story, but.....