Unflocking

So with the heat wave, projects, heatstroke avoidance, lazy farm dogs and lots of non farm stuff, my poultry has taken a major hit this summer. I am down to 10 hens, 0 roosters, 10 ducks. Was 21 ducks, 2 roosters and 20 hens. The culprit- coyotes with pups. Saw them, got one and still the hunt continues. They are smart predators and my best dog is too old and my younger dog is too lazy. This was unexpected. My husband is ok with it as it saves money on feed and time. But I feel cheated to loose all that time and effort.And I love my farm fresh eggs. Our birds are free range and come in at night. The coyote hit during the heat of the day. My birds are an easy snack as my neighbor no longer has goats. The rest are all cattle and too many for the coyote to deal with. So my birds take the hit this year. I always counted on my dogs for years. No dog no protection for my birds. Which is sad since I have always wanted to have my own flock. I am sad that is slowly going away. But my husband wants to travel and poultry and livestock keep you at home. So I guess that is the bright side, for now.