A couple weeks ago I lost my first rooster. I found him dead outside the coop... no blood but all of the feathers had been plucked from his chest and there were bruises the size and shape of beaks. Then tonight since I closed the coop up early I did a head count... all hens accounted for but no roosters. Last night it was dark when I closed up shop so I couldn't see to notice if they were missing. This morning the coop was locked when I let my dogs outside and it looks like my lab let the chickens out... he can nudge the door and get it open since I need to fix the lock. None of my dogs harm the chickens anymore, one of them did last year but she protects them now. I know I've seen the guineas chase the roosters but I'm confused because the rooster that I found a few weeks ago was from the same group as the guineas and the two recent ones were around before the guineas.
I probably should note that I've also lost two guineas in the last couple months as well... they just vanished too.
Has anyone lost roosters to their guineas? Does this sound like a wild predator instead? We are going out to cut firewood tomorrow so we will be able to get a little further away to look for the bodies of the missing roosters.
Either way they were beautiful Back Copper Marans
Looks like next spring we will be getting more birds... I've heard that now one of the hens will become a henster and I'm not really looking forward to that part... sigh
I probably should note that I've also lost two guineas in the last couple months as well... they just vanished too.
Has anyone lost roosters to their guineas? Does this sound like a wild predator instead? We are going out to cut firewood tomorrow so we will be able to get a little further away to look for the bodies of the missing roosters.
Either way they were beautiful Back Copper Marans
Looks like next spring we will be getting more birds... I've heard that now one of the hens will become a henster and I'm not really looking forward to that part... sigh
