What/who killed my cockerel? ***warning graphic pictures***

[realsis]

Have you checked the adbmon for spur marks? I highly doubt the silkie did this. I think once the silkie saw the blood then it went to eat it or investigate. That's why he has blood all over his face. Your large cockerel was likely defending the flock from something when he lost his life.... I'm very sorry for your loss. But I highly doubt the silkie did this. He just went to investigate after your bird was already gone. Very natural. And normal for them to do if they see blood.

 

[Triple Willow]

Do you think it is possible that your bird freaked out during the storm and flew into something causing the injury?

 

[shmccarthy]

Have you checked the adbmon for spur marks? I highly doubt the silkie did this. I think once the silkie saw the blood then it went to eat it or investigate. That's why he has blood all over his face. Your large cockerel was likely defending the flock from something when he lost his life.... I'm very sorry for your loss. But I highly doubt the silkie did this. He just went to investigate after your bird was already gone. Very natural. And normal for them to do if they see blood.

I hadn't even thought of that..
Well I went back out last night to check on everyone and most all the birds were sleeping in the coop. They usually sleep outside on the roosts in the run but the only ones that slept out there were a couple of the bantams including the silkie. I noticed blood on one of my hens so I took her to the garage to look at it.

Not sure what it's from but it wasn't fresh. She is molting right now and some of the pin feathers looked a bit damaged. She usually sleeps in the coop so I wonder if she came out to see what was going on and got some blood on her too. She's my second in command after my big rooster and she takes her job as lead hen pretty seriously.. Hehe
Well I looked at the spot again and it appears to have some kind of activity going on on the outside.

That's the spot where he died. He was laying on his side with his head up against the fence.

If you zoom in on this picture you can see a clear hole in the brambles that surround the back wall of the coop. I think this is where a predator would have come from.

This is the separating wall between the grow out pen and the bantam pen. The rest of the way up to the ceiling is chicken wire. I didn't notice this either yesterday but there is blood splatters all the way up, about 3 1/2 feet and some more most likely went into the bantam pen.
The silkie doesn't really have spurs. He's a year and a half, almost 2 years and the spur on one side is no bigger than a quarter inch and the other is about a half an inch. They are both very dull so I think the previous owner had filed them down or something at one point.

 

[centrarchid]

Blood splatter indicates struggle occurred in pen. Predator got in.

 

[shmccarthy]

Yeah that's what I was thinking too. I'm thinking it's where that hole in the bushes are. I looked all up and down my run and coop today and haven't found any other place where it could've gotten in. The only holes are the chain link which are easy for a mink or weasel to get through. I have never seen one in person here but I know we have them. I took the bird out of the trap because I don't want it decomposing in there. I put some pork that was not being eaten and will try my luck with that. Now assuming this a mink or weasel, how would I catch it? I'm wondering if I should put my camera at the spot I assume was the entry and see if it comes back that way.

 

[Triple Willow]

Not saying that that is what happened, but I have seen injured animals go nuts - bouncing off of walls, fences, trees, etc.

 

[Kyzmette]

You can pick up some really inexpensive traps and post them around the outside of the pen in addition to the traps you already have. Google raccoon hand traps. They're dog proof and trap the coon's hand so it can't get away. Very humane and you dispatch to your wishes. They're going to go all the way around my pen when it gets finished, along with a couple of cage traps built into the base of the fence. Walk the inner perimeter of your fence with an eye out for possible burrowing signs around the exterior, then place the hand traps in those spots.

If you can't bring yourself to dispatch with a killing shot, I suggest asking a neighbor. You'll probably find somebody in your area that will be more than happy to handle the issue for you.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Did you say what the top of your pen is covered with?

 

[shmccarthy]

The top of the run is a wooden frame and I originally used chicken wire (I know tsk tsk) but the vines that grow out there grew so thick that it was about 2 foot of brambles on top of the run and then 2 layers of chicken wire. I'm replacing it with 1/2" hardware cloth this spring. If only I knew not to use chicken wire in the beginning. But I did thoroughly check the entire run including the cover and there was no holes or anything. I found a really neat vintage electric fence box that someone was throwing out so I took it and plugged it in and it works. I'm going to set that up soon too.

 

[shmccarthy]

I am more than happy to dispatch critters myself. I usually keep and clean the skull and if I can use anything else on it, I will.