Lost a Rooster Today - Graphic!

[BigBlueHen53]

No pics, just a somewhat graphic description, so if this might trouble you, you may excuse yourself now. We don't lose birds often so this surprised me, it was during daylight hours, probably between noon and two pm. We are isolated, no near neighbors, so not a dog. Conditions were quite cold, overcast and beginning to snow, very light, thin flurries that won't amount to much. I looked out my kitchen window and saw what appeared to be my not-quite year-old rooster, Littlejohn, lying still and dead. This was about 2:30. I grabbed a jacket and went out to check. This is the graphic part. Some of his tail feathers were pulled off, lying right behind him, and about half his head was eaten, starting with the eye. Does this sound like the work of a red-tailed hawk who killed him and then was unable to carry him away? I have seen a RTH in the vicinity lately. The only other daytime predators we usually experience are raccoons, but they typically show up around dusk and carry the birds through the fence. This was closer to the middle of the big yard. It wasn't time to free-range yet. I usually let them out about 3:00.

All the birds were huddled in the smaller pen and hen house with the older rooster, Silverwings. I think he hustled the girls to safety while Littlejohn did battle from the rear. Sigh. Now I need to find another good roo as backup for Silver. I'll be keeping everyone in the two little pens for a while until the RTH moves on again.

Thanks, I think I just wanted to talk about it. Now I'm sad. Anybody near me have a spare rooster that's not a jerk?

 

[boskelli1571]

No pics, just a somewhat graphic description, so if this might trouble you, you may excuse yourself now. We don't lose birds often so this surprised me, it was during daylight hours, probably between noon and two pm. We are isolated, no near neighbors, so not a dog. Conditions were quite cold, overcast and beginning to snow, very light, thin flurries that won't amount to much. I looked out my kitchen window and saw what appeared to be my not-quite year-old rooster, Littlejohn, lying still and dead. This was about 2:30. I grabbed a jacket and went out to check. This is the graphic part. Some of his tail feathers were pulled off, lying right behind him, and about half his head was eaten, starting with the eye. Does this sound like the work of a red-tailed hawk who killed him and then was unable to carry him away? I have seen a RTH in the vicinity lately. The only other daytime predators we usually experience are raccoons, but they typically show up around dusk and carry the birds through the fence. This was closer to the middle of the big yard. It wasn't time to free-range yet. I usually let them out about 3:00.

All the birds were huddled in the smaller pen and hen house with the older rooster, Silverwings. I think he hustled the girls to safety while Littlejohn did battle from the rear. Sigh. Now I need to find another good roo as backup for Silver. I'll be keeping everyone in the two little pens for a while until the RTH moves on again.

Thanks, I think I just wanted to talk about it. Now I'm sad. Anybody near me have a spare rooster that's not a jerk?

Sorry for your loss, sounds like a hawk. I have a few roos but live in NY - I'm sure someone can help you out tho'

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Sorry about your rooster I've lost several to hawks and they always seem to start with the head. It's very sad to lose them like this

Thanks. He would have been a year old about the first of March. He was one of three cockerels that showed up in a batch of 24 pullets (I know there will always be a couple) and I decided to keep him because his two brothers, though prettier, were even bigger jerks than he was at adolescence. He was shaping up to be a pretty good roo. He did himself proud in the end.

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

No pics, just a somewhat graphic description, so if this might trouble you, you may excuse yourself now. We don't lose birds often so this surprised me, it was during daylight hours, probably between noon and two pm. We are isolated, no near neighbors, so not a dog. Conditions were quite cold, overcast and beginning to snow, very light, thin flurries that won't amount to much. I looked out my kitchen window and saw what appeared to be my not-quite year-old rooster, Littlejohn, lying still and dead. This was about 2:30. I grabbed a jacket and went out to check. This is the graphic part. Some of his tail feathers were pulled off, lying right behind him, and about half his head was eaten, starting with the eye. Does this sound like the work of a red-tailed hawk who killed him and then was unable to carry him away? I have seen a RTH in the vicinity lately. The only other daytime predators we usually experience are raccoons, but they typically show up around dusk and carry the birds through the fence. This was closer to the middle of the big yard. It wasn't time to free-range yet. I usually let them out about 3:00.

All the birds were huddled in the smaller pen and hen house with the older rooster, Silverwings. I think he hustled the girls to safety while Littlejohn did battle from the rear. Sigh. Now I need to find another good roo as backup for Silver. I'll be keeping everyone in the two little pens for a while until the RTH moves on again.

Thanks, I think I just wanted to talk about it. Now I'm sad. Anybody near me have a spare rooster that's not a jerk?

that is sad, so sorry for your loss...

 

[sourland]

It may very well have been a hawk. Bottom line is that you have made a wise decision in penning them up. Whatever it was will return.

 

[member 158781]

Sorry for your loss, sounds like a hawk. I have a few roos but live in NY - I'm sure someone can help you out tho'

So sorry you lost him this way.

 

[Abriana]

Sorry about your rooster I've lost several to hawks and they always seem to start with the head. It's very sad to lose them like this

 

[Loosly]

No pics, just a somewhat graphic description, so if this might trouble you, you may excuse yourself now. We don't lose birds often so this surprised me, it was during daylight hours, probably between noon and two pm. We are isolated, no near neighbors, so not a dog. Conditions were quite cold, overcast and beginning to snow, very light, thin flurries that won't amount to much. I looked out my kitchen window and saw what appeared to be my not-quite year-old rooster, Littlejohn, lying still and dead. This was about 2:30. I grabbed a jacket and went out to check. This is the graphic part. Some of his tail feathers were pulled off, lying right behind him, and about half his head was eaten, starting with the eye. Does this sound like the work of a red-tailed hawk who killed him and then was unable to carry him away? I have seen a RTH in the vicinity lately. The only other daytime predators we usually experience are raccoons, but they typically show up around dusk and carry the birds through the fence. This was closer to the middle of the big yard. It wasn't time to free-range yet. I usually let them out about 3:00.

All the birds were huddled in the smaller pen and hen house with the older rooster, Silverwings. I think he hustled the girls to safety while Littlejohn did battle from the rear. Sigh. Now I need to find another good roo as backup for Silver. I'll be keeping everyone in the two little pens for a while until the RTH moves on again.

Thanks, I think I just wanted to talk about it. Now I'm sad. Anybody near me have a spare rooster that's not a jerk?

So sorry to hear this. He must have been a brave boy. Could it be a coyote? I once saw a raccoon chase a chicken at about 3 pm in May.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So sorry to hear this. He must have been a brave boy. Could it be a coyote? I once saw a raccoon chase a chicken at about 3 pm in May.

Thanks. No, I don't think a coyote can get into that big yard the chickens spend most of the day in, at least it's never happened in 10 years. Gracie, our Sheltie, does a good job keeping coyotes off the property. Pretty sure it was a hawk.

 

[hayley3]

so sorry for your beautiful "Littlejohn" and you. He must have been terr ified, poor darling. them
My girl had her neck ripped apart today by a hawk, I caught it in the act so my girl is alive but what a freaking mess her neck is. Ripped the feather holding skin away 3/4 of the circumference of her neck. cleaned her up, meds, etc. Trouble holding head up, maybe muscle torn too. No internal neck structures damaged I think. Reassess tomorro. She's in our house tonight. In so. NH.

Ouch...hope she gets better soon. Do you have Vetericyn? That stuff is a spray and heals wounds really fast. When Mable's skin was ripped open by the raccoon that stuff worked really well.