On Tuesday my main rooster lost all his tail feathers in an attack by an unknown critter. I figured it wasn't a hungry coyote because whoever it was had plenty of opportunity to grab another bird and no birds were missing. Just the poor rooster's tail.
Today I heard a major ruckus coming from the back yard. It sounded like an egg song on steroids, with the entire flock chiming in. All four roosters were competing for loudest alarm call. The main rooster had rounded up all the hens and the six cockerels and herded them under a tree in a far corner of the yard where they don't usually venture. Odd. A quick head count assured me all were present and accounted for. I looked around and didn't see anything, but the roosters in the bachelor pad were still carrying on. So were the birds in the breeding pens. I still couldn't see what they were upset about, so I opened the hoop coop door and stepped in. Found a dog staring at me across the coop, standing halfway through the pop door, with a snout full of grey feathers. Grey is good, my chickens are black. At least he wasn't eating a chicken.
When he saw me he pulled out of the pop door and took off THROUGH the fence. The remesh fence has 6" square openings. The dog was a large, goofy-looking Rottweiler type puppy. I cannot believe he squeezed through the pop door, let alone that 6" square fence opening. I was throwing rocks at him as he ran, but I wasn't able to connect. He'll try to come back.
Checked inside the coop again and discovered a dead, gnawed on mourning dove, which accounts for the grey feathers. Disposed of the poor dove. Then I reinforced the fence with smaller mesh wire. Tomorrow I will spread cholla joints along the fenceline to discourage digging under. Maybe it will slow him down enough he goes elsewhere to have fun.
Once again the chickens are safe, and my main rooster is a hero for protecting the hens. He is a keeper.
