Devastated after first predator attack. Looking for support.

[Rosie the Rover]

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.

I feel your pain. I just lost my big Rhode Island Red hen this very afternoon to a fox. (I let them free range, but I check on them periodically to see just where they are. Which is usually around the barn or my house and its front porch.) One rooster cockerel and 3 younger hens managed to survive. Just as I was heading to the barn to feed the horses and put the chickens in their coop for the night, I heard sounds (probably Rosie's cry for help) coming from a lower field (where they never go) that made me race down there. I started calling for her, quite loudly, I might add. All I could see were 3 piles of white feathers, spaced about 10 yards apart. Then, I saw Rosie's feathers. Alot of them. I ran back to the barn, got on the tractor and drove around the field, until I found her. Just sitting there. Her breathing was rattled so I knew it was serious. She died a few minutes later, in her coop/stall. Probably from a punctured lung. I am heartbroken. Such a loss. But the others managed to hide. My Lavender Orpington lost alot of tail feathers, which resulted in an open sore, but she seems to be fine physically. Mentally, not so much. She's obviously traumatized, having lost her checkmate and barely escaping with her life. I hope she makes it through the night.
So, please know that you are not alone in your grief. We love those goofy birds and their individual personalities. But I'll be darned if they aren't the hardest animals to own when it comes to making sure they're safe and happy. "Cuz they take a piece of your heart with them when they leave us undeservedly.

 

[chickenmeg1]

I'm really sorry this happened to you. I lost my first chicken yesterday afternoon and am devastated - I have found comfort in reading comments in posts like yours. It's so hard. Sending virtual hugs.

 

[alinas2010]

I'm really sorry this happened to you. I lost my first chicken yesterday afternoon and am devastated - I have found comfort in reading comments in posts like yours. It's so hard. Sending virtual hugs.

I’m so sorry you are also going through this heartache. I hope you can also find a bit of comfort and peace in the memories and pictures of your chicken.

 

[2 Acres]

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.

Don't remember for sure... but missing head is either raccoon or skunk. At least in my neck of the woods.

 

[UncleDougsChickens]

First, sorry for your loss. I've had 2 incidents myself. One where I was really inconsistent locking the door to their house at night and the second was I always locked it but just went out inconsistently, IE some nights 8pm, others 9pm, you get the idea.

Nowadays I'm very strict with locking them down...but unfortunately these habits were formed from great loss. There's 2 types of chicken owners, those that just accept losses as they come and those who get emotionally attached to their chickens. I take it you're the later like me.

The way forward in my opinion is to beef up security or restrict them to a appropriate fence/enclosure. And depending on your feeling towards it, being proactive with trapping predators at night. In my case, I wanted more than an eye for an eye...

 

[2 Acres]

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.

Dead chicken with no head usually means raccoon.

 

[charlie1051]

I'm sorry

My thoughts are with you.

I know your guy put up a heck of a fight

 

[charlie1051]

Dead chicken with no head usually means raccoon.

You're right 2 acres !

Everyone says " oh raccoons are so cute "

NO they aren't. They're evil.

Luckily my Mastiff and Great Pyrnees hate raccoons. Sorry if I offend any racoon lovers but they're just evil for chickens.

Let me suggest a Great Pyrenees

She LOVES the chickens and at the 1st sign of trouble- She's on it and she hangs out with them. Great livestock dog.

 

[McChooky]

Hopefully shes only taking a break from raising chickens after her devastating loss and will get more later. She hasn't been back on byc since August of last year. Raising chickens isn't for the meek of heart.
They'll rip your heart out

 

[charlie1051]

Hopefully shes only taking a break from raising chickens after her devastating loss and will get more later. She hasn't been back on byc since August of last year. Raising chickens isn't for the meek of heart.
They'll rip your heart out

Thanks, I never look to see if a thread is old or not.