Sad Rooster loss

[PhlyinPheBee]

I loss my Auracana Roo. His pic is my avatar. I just loved his rumpless self. I think it was an hawk. I cannot explain all the feathers outside the yard otherwise. I just cannot believe this happened. I am going to put fishing line over the yard with flagging tape on it. I hope that this would help. I cannot cover the whole yard. Any other ideas on what I should do???

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Awww, I am so very sorry. These roo-boys sure know how to work their ways into your hearts.

Now let me ask, was he lost during the daytime? Was it in his pen or out in the backyard? Was there anything left besides feathers? Were the feathers left in a sort of splash, or going in a line? Did you look around to see if he had been left elsewhere in the yard? I think the only other daytime predator would be a dog. Sometimes both hawks & dogs will carry an entire chicken away, but often they'll leave them where they kill them, or close by.

It's difficult to protect your entire back yard from hawks, the best thing there is to have lots of places for chickens to hide under in a hurry. For their pens you can use deer netting, or the fishing line hung with shiny things, the flagging tape, old CDs or DVDs, pinwheels, wind catchers, etc.

I wish your flock safety & success for you.