No? Here's another spot. Take a closer look.
THIS is coyote hair caught on MY fence. The first one is the fence on the South side of the back pasture. The second one is the fence on the North side of the back pasture. Coyotes are coming along the canal on the south side and using my property as a Superhighway to get to my neighbor's pasture. They are eating his Barbado sheep. He is officially "out" of the sheep business as of this week.
The guy only had a ewe and a ram. They were just stuck out behind his house. No protection. A baby was born. It survived for a while and then it was eaten. This week they got bold enough to take his ewe. He just gave the ram away before the coyotes ate him too.
It is cold. They are desperate. Not much stands between these hungry coyotes and my little group of baa-baa-baas.
It's a very thin Blue Line.
The sheep are moved into the barn each night. Briar is with them all night, but we do not expect her to provide much protection yet. She is little. They are many. I am considering the idea that she needs another dog for back-up. By next winter, she will be a forminable opponent, but she is still just one dog against desperate coyotes. It may be time to start looking for another puppy. Other Half is gonna defecate a brick when I tell him that. But he isn't home right now, and he isn't looking at the empty pasture next door.
Nooooo - do NOT get another guard dog because what happens is then THEY are buddies. You want her to remain buddies with the sheep. Our guard dog who was a Shar-Maremma cross became pretty darn effective at about six months. Fox was our problem not coyotes although those roamed around too. Since the neighbor's sheep are now gone, keep close watch on yours. Putting them in at night helps a lot.
In the absence of bears and wolves, your coyotes have no natural predators other than homo sapiens. Briar, even as an adult, is no match for a pack of hungry coyotes. That puppy needs back-up, AKA Man With Gun!