I agree, kudos to that deputy. When he returned the dog, he warned the owner not to even think about retaliating against my neighbor, period.
What a rooster can fend off really does depend on the predator and the particular rooster. Most do die in defense of their flocks when they do take on the fight. What I expect is for the flock leader to get his hens as well as himself to safety as the first course of action and to confront only if it cannot be avoided. I mean, if he dies, the hens then have no rooster, so if he can save most of the hens as well as himself by being cautious and alert, that is what I consider the best course of action, no matter how awe-inspiring some of these rooster-confronts-predator-saves-the-flock stories can be.
My own predator rich environment and my plan to continue free ranging in the face of an aging flock rooster has led me to raise up several of his sons to aid in overseeing the flock duties, especially watching out and if need be, defending against, danger.
What a rooster can fend off really does depend on the predator and the particular rooster. Most do die in defense of their flocks when they do take on the fight. What I expect is for the flock leader to get his hens as well as himself to safety as the first course of action and to confront only if it cannot be avoided. I mean, if he dies, the hens then have no rooster, so if he can save most of the hens as well as himself by being cautious and alert, that is what I consider the best course of action, no matter how awe-inspiring some of these rooster-confronts-predator-saves-the-flock stories can be.
My own predator rich environment and my plan to continue free ranging in the face of an aging flock rooster has led me to raise up several of his sons to aid in overseeing the flock duties, especially watching out and if need be, defending against, danger.