My two main predators are coyotes and coons. Coyotes tend to attack in the daylight, and coons at night. Yesterday, something tore up my rooster. He looks terrible and maybe blind. No tail feathers left. He is 18 months so full size. His feathers are in a huge pile. There does not appear to be feathers anywhere else.
I had 7 young birds and an old biddy hen with three chicks. Last night I had two pullets roosted up, the rooster staggering around not far from the coop. They had been out free ranging, after several days of being in lock down due to us being gone. This morning, the broody came out of the brush, without chicks. So I have 3 pullet/hen and a beat up rooster.
Five highly flighty that frequently flew to the top of a 7 foot run, quicker than lightening birds that are gone, plus the 3 chicks. The chicks I can see, and to be honest, I was surprised to see the broody hen this morning. I kind of thought, maybe the young ones ran off into the crick, and would come back tonight, but nothing.
My question, is while I have over the years had a coyote get a single bird, not 5 at one time. Coons have often wiped me out, but that is in the dark, trapped in a coop with body parts all over. What could have gotten 5 active birds after the fight the rooster obviously had? You would think the pullets and hens would have been fleeing in all directions.
Maybe, they are down in the crick, maybe at least some of them will come back, but it was quite a loss in the middle of the day. Not a feather or a body.
Could have been a family of coyotes?
Mrs K
I had 7 young birds and an old biddy hen with three chicks. Last night I had two pullets roosted up, the rooster staggering around not far from the coop. They had been out free ranging, after several days of being in lock down due to us being gone. This morning, the broody came out of the brush, without chicks. So I have 3 pullet/hen and a beat up rooster.
Five highly flighty that frequently flew to the top of a 7 foot run, quicker than lightening birds that are gone, plus the 3 chicks. The chicks I can see, and to be honest, I was surprised to see the broody hen this morning. I kind of thought, maybe the young ones ran off into the crick, and would come back tonight, but nothing.
My question, is while I have over the years had a coyote get a single bird, not 5 at one time. Coons have often wiped me out, but that is in the dark, trapped in a coop with body parts all over. What could have gotten 5 active birds after the fight the rooster obviously had? You would think the pullets and hens would have been fleeing in all directions.
Maybe, they are down in the crick, maybe at least some of them will come back, but it was quite a loss in the middle of the day. Not a feather or a body.
Could have been a family of coyotes?
Mrs K
