My parents have lived on a small farm right on the out-skirts of the city limits in a small town in Iowa. They have lived there for 35 years with everything nice and peaceful, until this year. I have raised lambs there for the past 15 years(with no trouble) This year during lambing season(January-March)when I was there lambing at 2 or 3 in the morning, I heard the coyote yipping and howling off in the distance quite a few times.
I also have(had) 10 barn cats that have all been spayed and neutered there that can go in and out of the heated part of the barn when ever they want and have food out 24/7. They are there to keep the mice under control, which they do a great job at! Around the same time I heard the coyote, I found my Jill in the hay badly injured and close to death. She was covered in what looked like dog drool, and had been bitten around the head and neck area. She survived with intensive medical work and weeks of spoon feeding. And after that the other cats started disappearing one by one(I have 4 left). About 1 month ago Speckles came out from under the deck holding her paw up and howling. When I went to see what the problem was, I found she also had been attacked by what looked like a dog or coyote(There are no dogs anywhere around though) Poor Speckles had to be put to sleep.
Then I discovered my lambs were disappearing and I found parts of them around in the woods that surrounds the property. I dont know what to do. DNR says that it's nature and the coyote are feeding their litters at that time, which I already knew and cant blame them for....
What would you do to keep them away and where they belong?
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