Everyday Rae Rae: Coyotes killed my babies (Caution Pics)

“Coyotes account for 65 percent of all cattle and calf losses to predators and 61 percent of sheep and lamb predation (ADHIS.usda.gov) Wildlife Services (a program within the USDA’s and Animal and Pant Health Inspection service). “

Quinny gotten by a coyote

We have four calves. They started out with rough lives either by the mother dying or not wanting them. One of them we bottle fed since birth. The other three we bottle fed when the mothers didn’t want them.

You can look at it the way of money. Each bottle fed calf is between 500-600 dollars and that’s only because they aren’t even weaned from their mothers and need supplements for months. So 600 times 4. Then you add all the grain and formula to each cow. We were feeding them 26 bottles a day. I went out in the morning and night when they were bigger. When I first got Minnie she was only a day old so we fed her every 3 hours around the clock. We give them all grain everyday which is 10 dollars a bag. I am sure you can see the numbers adding up here. Its an investment for sure. Especially when you are already feeding 4 teens but all their friends. These calves were for us to have for our family, produce more calves or help sell for college funds.

Quinny and Tulu before we left

Then there is me…..I love my animals. They are my babies. I talk to my calves. I pet them. I give them probably too much grain because they love it. I take a million pictures of them so I can see them grow. They think I am their mom. They run to me when they see or hear me. They follow me around the yard when I am doing other chores. They all have names….they are my babies. Yes I know they are calves but to me it like a family pet too. I have put a lot of time and energy so they are raised well and growing. They are gentle and all our nieces and nephews and friends kids can just walk up and pet them without being scared.

We went camping for two days. Came back to mayhem. We double checked that everything had been fed and watered while we were gone. Which they were. As I walked over to the normal spot and called for my cows they weren’t coming. I went over to check on the pigs and then a yard away I see this.

I cried immediately Quinny was gone…..called for Ryan. He said,”oh no coyotes” and we started to search for the others. All the kids had flashlights, driving quads as we searched and searched. The calves never stray far from the house. We found Tulu hiding behind the hay bales. She was bit all around her neck, her face, her back leg and her ear was missing. She was alive! I don’t know how she stayed alive. My husband picked up this 100+ pound calf to get her into a horse stall so we could doctor her up, keep her from danger of anything trying to come back after her. She won’t be able to move much in there but we can doctor her up till she is better. We just prayed she made it through the night.

After 30 minutes we finally found RJ and Minnie. My panic subsided as I saw they were well. They had gone as far as I ever seen them go through hiding in a corner by the fences. They were our older bigger calves by 2 months.

I think the only reason the coyotes didn’t get Tulu after getting Quinny was because we have dogs that probably scared them away. The dogs are always around the calves and we have never had any problems. The dogs usually keep the coyotes away. We have been hearing coyotes come closer and closer. They are definitely hungry if they are coming this close to our homestead. Our neighbors have been having big coyote problems too with their sheep. The coyotes went after the two youngest because they are weaker ones.

I am so sad. We have been doctoring Tulu and she is surviving thankfully. We have washed each wound, gave her antibiotics, sprayed all the wounds to keep flies away and so she will heal. We even are giving her electrolytes to keep her hydrated. She is getting better and I hope she is going to survive.

I know that coyotes have their place in the world but I personally don’t like them one bit. They don’t have a place around me, my kids or my animals. If they are brave enough to come up to the house that is not okay with me.

Here are some more facts so we can be educated on coyotes.

1. Coyotes may only weigh 35 to 50 pounds but their jaws can exert more than 300 pounds of bite pressure.

2. Veterinarian bills, lower rebreeding rates, and loss of weight gain are all part of the indirect costs suffered by herds that have been hunted by predators

3. Coyotes kill $2- to $3 million dollars’ worth of livestock a year

4. Coyotes are not eating the entire animal, they are just eating the prime parts and leaving the rest of the carcass to rot.

5. They will eat the afterbirth right out of a cow that is calving. If hungry enough will eat the calf as its coming out. In most cases you lose the mother and the calf.

6. Coyotes will lure domestic dogs out to them and kill.

7. Coyotes kill for food, to teach pups and for fun.

We are taking precautions to help protect our animals. Please understand this is ranchers livelihoods and also to some of us our pets. These are the animals that you feed your children with. It’s a sad loss for everyone. We are really saddened by the loss of Quinny and pray that Tulu makes it. Here is a picture of them right before we left for two days to go camping.