What killed my rooster?

[Lenihan Farms]

Thank you! And I'm so sorry about your roosters.

Before the next breeding season my husband & I wrapped the tree truck with Aluminum Flashing. To prevent the raccoons from climbing the tree with the nest box. We've actually did it to the base of all our trees with nest boxes.

That's so smart, I really hope it works.

 

[Tami2]

That's so smart, I really hope it works.

Thank you! It has, the Barred Owls have been successful in 2021 & 2022. I was so grateful they came back. I didn't think they would after their nesting site was breeched.

 

[TOR]

We are purchasing one today. We've lived here for 4 years and have never dealt with a mink or a weasel before, so we dont know how to deal with them if it were one. There are no signs of injuries on any other chickens, but we will keep an eye out. Thank you

Check the dead roosters for other biting like in the back of neck. Could be a one off coon. Mink, weasel family lap the blood and or try to drag the animal away if they can.

 

[Lenihan Farms]

Check the dead roosters for other biting like in the back of neck. Could be a one off coon. Mink, weasel family lap the blood and or try to drag the animal away if they can.

So, the head and neck was ripped off of both roosters. No bite marks anywhere else and no blood anywhere.

 

[McChooky]

If it was killed before its head was removed off there would be little to no blood.

 

[madsnbot]

It wasn’t a person that came and did that?

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Curious that only roosters were killed. I can’t imagine a predator would differentiate hen v rooster enough to only target roosters unless they were seen as the easiest, weakest targets among all others (seems unlikely).

 

[Lenihan Farms]

It wasn’t a person that came and did that?

We hope not, the heads were obviously ripped off so we doubt it.

 

[Lenihan Farms]

Curious that only roosters were killed. I can’t imagine a predator would differentiate hen v rooster enough to only target roosters unless they were seen as the easiest, weakest targets among all others (seems unlikely).

That was one thing that was weird to us as well.

 

[Lenihan Farms]

We have asked our friends who also have chickens and they believe it could be possums that killed our chickens. They've dealt with them before and they said they like to drink the blood from their victims but they don't eat the meat or anything else. Where if it were raccoons or minks some of the meat would be gone or at least the head would have been taken.