Lost a couple of my 9 week olds :(

[Tala]

It's not really a predator story. One of them flew over the fence into the neighbor's back yard....and they have two dogs. I haven't clipped the little guys wings yet, so if anybody is to blame it would be me. He said it was one of the Leghorn crosses, I'm not sure yet if it was a pullet or roo (will do a full headcount after dark). I'm just glad he came and told me what happened. They are good neighbors.

Then I was out feeding and noticed a pile of feathers in the back corner of the yard. Found my RIRxRedstar cockerel and he's been dead at least a day or so (we have been out of town overnight). I'm THINKING that he lost a rooster fight with one of the bigger guys. I'm pretty sure that my Chow mix wouldn't hurt him, and if any other dog got in or if my Lab mix got crazy I'm pretty sure there would be a lot more bodies, or at least feathers and scared birds. The wounds didn't look like anything else might have done it either, so I'm thinking his dad may have done it.

At least it was an extra roo.

Just seems like there is a lot of death involved with raising chickens.

It's definitely not for the faint of heart.

 

[OHhappychicks]

So Sorry!

Yes, raising animals of any kind can be painful. It is hard to loose one, especially when it comes suddenly as yours. They become so much a part of the family. But that is the way of life. We've lost 1 to a hawk, we think as we never found a trace of it, 2 to dogs, so I know how hard it is.

 

[ICallMyselfCherie']

That is so sad. I lost my first hen to a raccoon, at least that's what we guess. I was sixteen at the time. Four years later, I still miss her. I feel so bad when I read here that people lost their babies -- it hurts so much. I'm sorry you are going through it.