Devastated after first predator attack. Looking for support.

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mrsmistoffelees02

mrsmistoffelees02

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Jun 7, 2022
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Hi everyone. I don’t usually turn to the internet for emotional support but I am feeling especially low right now. A predator (I believe a fox) decimated my entire flock, all except one, while I was gone for 3 hours this morning.

I have a run setup, but since it’s dirt, I would let them out to free range when I was at home. Since I was only going to be gone a short while this morning, and in my 2.5 years of keeping chickens I’ve never had a run in with a predator, I thought it would be fine to let them out unsupervised for a few hours. When I got home I noticed my roosters feather’s EVERYWHERE, along with a handful of feathers from my white hen. We found my white hen in the woods gravely injured and had to put her down because we couldn’t save her. Shortly after, a distance away, we found my rooster’s decapitated head - no body.

I had 5 chickens total, one rooster and 4 hens. I only found evidence of my white hen and rooster being attacked, no other feathers anywhere so I’m a little hopeful we may have some more survivors. It seems my rooster put up a fight, nearly every feather he had is strewn about my yard now.

Hours after we found the incident I had a feeling to go outside and check again, where I found one lone hen back by the coop. She’s unscathed but very shaken up. I’m glad she made it, but having one hen complicates things because I know they are flock animals. I really hope the other two are out there but I’m trying to be practical because I know it’s just as likely that they could have been killed as well.

My heart hurts. I’m so upset to know that the last time I heard my rooster crow would be the last time I’d ever hear him. I know I’m not the first person this has happened to and unfortunately I won’t be the last, but I am devastated. I lost not only a rooster that I bred and hatched, but my original girls from the very first batch of chicks I ever brought home that started my chicken journey. I don’t know where to pick up the pieces. How do you move on from something like this?

Photo of my Roo who fought so bravely. I hope he didn’t suffer.

Thank you.
 
Absolutely go looking in trees, bushes, etc in the nearest maybe 20-50 meters, maybe more. We had a hawk attack and only one bird got taken, but the others were so hard to find due to embedding themselves deep in bushes and not responding to my calls. It took me walking around slowly and quietly with bread to listen for their trills for an hour at neighbors houses to find them all!
 
I’m so very very sorry. Sometimes these fluffy little friends are so draining of us. Everything wants them and we love them so much. Cherish your memories and pictures of your flock and your sweet rooster. Find comfort in those memories. He sure was handsome. Share more stories and pictures of him with us if you like. The hen left, she needs you. She needs you to rebuild a flock with her.

I’m hopeful that more of your flock will come around. I will be praying.
 
I'm so sorry!
Any tracks? It might be a fox, or coyote, or dog. Make sure that your coop and run are really safe, set out bigger live traps, and a game camera would be a good idea. Whoever it is will return!
And i also hope you have a survivor hiding somewhere who's not injured.
When we had a daytime fox attack (seen by neighboring workmen!) the sick fox did return during the day, we couldn't get a safe shot at him, and I drove around visiting close neighbors, and neighbors within a mile who had chickens. He was killed a week later, a mile away, visiting one of the people with chickens.
Mary
 
What a brave boy to put up such a fight!!! I'm so sorry that you have to go through this. I hope some of the other hens are just tucked away hiding.

Go out and call to them if you've named them. Or shake a cup with treats or whatever might make them feel safe enough to come to you or make sounds so you can find them.
 
Hope you can be present before dusk to welcome home some who may return from hiding to sleep in their usual spots. I'd search the area for scat to better confirm what your predator is, and learn if your State Wildlife Dept allows you to trap and humanely euthanize the killer. A 22 might be easier, if you are in the country, with no kids about. An electric fence, motion activated sprinkler may help deter the racoons and/coyote or fox when they return. Making an outdoor large run like fort knox and covered for shade may be best for when you can't be there with them. A radio playing may deter the wild critters also. Do you have an online group so neighbors can know you are missing some? I let my neighbors know we ARE allowed to catch and dispose of the Killer who got some of ours this Spring. If it was racoons, they may come back to try to dig up carcasses for weeks. I had the awful experience of trying to re-bury parts daily, for 2 weeks. Dig DEEP, then cover the area with something heavy and wide like a large pallet. Best wishes for you as you re-build your flock. It IS worth doing, IMO. Yours lived longer than they would have in the wild...and more chickens live beause of backyard keepers than would ever have existed otherwise...so it is a gift to them to try, and do our best to support their adventure in life, no matter how long or short. I like to believe that butterflies (and moths) are chicken spirits that fly on - and come to visit us again.
 
mrsmistoffelees02 said:
View attachment 3897628Hi everyone. I don’t usually turn to the internet for emotional support but I am feeling especially low right now. A predator (I believe a fox) decimated my entire flock, all except one, while I was gone for 3 hours this morning.

I have a run setup, but since it’s dirt, I would let them out to free range when I was at home. Since I was only going to be gone a short while this morning, and in my 2.5 years of keeping chickens I’ve never had a run in with a predator, I thought it would be fine to let them out unsupervised for a few hours. When I got home I noticed my roosters feather’s EVERYWHERE, along with a handful of feathers from my white hen. We found my white hen in the woods gravely injured and had to put her down because we couldn’t save her. Shortly after, a distance away, we found my rooster’s decapitated head - no body.

I had 5 chickens total, one rooster and 4 hens. I only found evidence of my white hen and rooster being attacked, no other feathers anywhere so I’m a little hopeful we may have some more survivors. It seems my rooster put up a fight, nearly every feather he had is strewn about my yard now.

Hours after we found the incident I had a feeling to go outside and check again, where I found one lone hen back by the coop. She’s unscathed but very shaken up. I’m glad she made it, but having one hen complicates things because I know they are flock animals. I really hope the other two are out there but I’m trying to be practical because I know it’s just as likely that they could have been killed as well.

My heart hurts. I’m so upset to know that the last time I heard my rooster crow would be the last time I’d ever hear him. I know I’m not the first person this has happened to and unfortunately I won’t be the last, but I am devastated. I lost not only a rooster that I bred and hatched, but my original girls from the very first batch of chicks I ever brought home that started my chicken journey. I don’t know where to pick up the pieces. How do you move on from something like this?

Photo of my Roo who fought so bravely. I hope he didn’t suffer.

Thank you.
Click to expand...
No words. Just horrible.
:hugs :hugs:hugs
 

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