Help me identify a predator

[linsybird]

Got the crime scene picked up and the survivor taken care of. The poor guy has been through a lot, so he’s been getting some extra treats.

What do you do when something like this happens? I don’t want my rooster to be lonely, but I also don’t want to expose him to something an adult hen might have. I’d hate for him to survive this just to catch something from another chicken.

 

[pennyJo1960]

be careful he is in shock best to not offer but a little but give him some quiet too

 

[MROO]

I think it could have been a fox. They will if they have the opportunity and are very sneaky. If you have a game camera, put it up then you should be able to find out who the predator is. Most of the killers come back.

Fox was my first thought, too. Foxes will kill everything they can, then come back later for the carcasses. If your dog disturbed the fox, you'd see prints, too. If the dog saw the fox and lots of running squeaky-toys, it may have joined in ... but most house dogs would show some sign of the "game" - if nothing else, you'd find some stray feathers around.
Since you don't know, your best bet is to secure your rooster and future flock against all comers ... including your own pooch!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Use hardware cloth under the sides of the coop and run so nothing can dig in
run chicken wire sting barbed wire or such else hardware cloth again is most secure
free range is at their own risk

 

[Willowspirit]

This will sound weird but if you think it’s your dog, it’s probably your dog. They can get keyed up and start chasing and kill them out of sheer excitement. I’m sorry you lost your birds. I hope your rooster does okay.