Second day, second rooster gone...predator or being pushed out of flock?

cinjoel

Songster
9 Years
Jul 26, 2015
42
14
104
Naples
We have 13 chickens, all about 4.5 months old. Guessing 5 pullets, 8 roosters. We've been eyewitnesss to 4 different crooners. We let them free range Ina large penned in area with our goats. Occasionally they squeeze through the fence or fly over it only to come rifght back onto the right side with the rest of the flock, last night, we go to put them away for the night and only counted 12! We looked and saw a small amount of feathers in one area ...not sure if that means a predator, again tonight we put them away and another rooster is missing. Is it possible the 'head' rooster is chasing the other roosters out of the flock?
 
Daytime predator likely to be a fox or coyote. If so, then it will also try for birds penned if they are not far from where previous birds where taken. Odds are it will come at about the same time. Then you will be able to ID it.
 
Sounds like a coyote, they will keep coming, they snag them, go eat them than return, they figure out when you're around and when you are not, wicked smart, lock them up or get hunting, I lost about 12 birds one year before he got some buckshot in his rear end.

Roosters go first because they run out to confront them or to save a hen.
 
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Thanks All. Husband is going hunting today...let's see if we can catch that sneaky creature.
 
Thanks All. Husband is going hunting today...let's see if we can catch that sneaky creature.
That might be satisfying, but likely won't solve the problem long term.

Confining your birds is the only real way to not lose any more.
 
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Predator.

If you had a dominant rooster chasing beta roosters off, they wouldn't up and leave the property. They'd hang out on the periphery of the flock, and definitely return to try to roost at night.

wish my predators would take the roosters instead of hens.....
 
My experience with coyotes is usually in the fall, I believe the year old ones leave the pack and look for easy meals, ours stopped after he got a good shot at it, it took a while and it took a night scope, but I haven't had coyote trouble since, but it is fall again, and the pack lives within hearing distance. I can not and will not lock my LF up, coyotes will always live around here.

I do keep a few lazy donkeys who sometimes go after them and sometimes let them walk right by, but I think it keeps the coyotes from going into my shed. They also bray when the coyotes howl, which makes the hound dog howl. You can't get rid of all coyotes but you can manage the problem.

I also keep multiple roosters, when one goes missing it's an indication to get looking and hunting, usually the roosters go first because they will run out to confront predators.
 

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