My 5 Month old Cockeral ran off with some Grouse....

[MildlyOffensiveChicken]

At least I hope. A crew of 6-7 grouse have been hanging about. Least skittish grouse I’ve ever encountered. They call to the chickens.

I have two 5 month old Icelandic cockerals.

I had to leave unexpectedly today. And could not get the less dominant one to go in the coop. I left him In the electrified run.

I was gone much longer than expected and it was dark by the time I got back. No sign of the Icelandic left outside. It is heavily wooded around the coop for miles in each direction.

There are birds of prey around - eagles, hawks etc. the electric fence appeared Undisturbed and no evidence of an attack in the run makes me think it wasn’t a ground predator. (Of which there are plenty)


He is bullied by the dominant Icelandic. Would he leave to find his own hens? Is it likely or possible he is just roosting in a tree if a predator didn’t take him?

I used an old thermal monocular I have but couldn’t find any roosting birds - it is a fairly low end one - fine for hogs out to 100 feet, but not a small bird. And a decent headlamp.

Are any feathers left commonly, when a chicken gets taken by a large bird?


Really I want someone to tell me he will show back up in the morning, if he is alive...

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Though I'm not overly familiar with grouse, I sincerely doubt your skittish rooster ran off with them.

It is highly probable you will find him in a tree or off somewhere weird in the morning. Most hawks don't haul a big bird away (only a small chick). You'd have to have a Great Horned Owl to carry that carcass off. Hawks dive bomb, kill, and eat in situ.

Raccoons also tend to kill (often just for the fun of it) taking the head, but leave the body.

Coyotes probably wouldn't climb the electric fence. Those would haul a whole carcass away.

So I think it is highly probable he is tucked away for the night. He might have followed the grouse, but just hunkered down until morning. I always find my skittish hazed birds sheepishly creeping back to the flock in the morning...unless I have kill signs.



LofMc

 

[MildlyOffensiveChicken]

found him this morning wedged in between the tarp and hardware cloth on the outside of the coop. He was none to happy and it took awhile to get him out.

Maybe he will go back in the coop next time...

 

[adstowe]

I've had the gate on my run get blown shut and lock my chickens outside. When I went to go lock them up after dark I found the gate closed and no chickens. I had to search every plant and possible hiding spot with a flashlight to track them all down. It was like an unwanted, pain in the butt easter egg hunt.