SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!

[DaleTheRooster]

I am new to this forum btw and also new to having chickens. I live in western Pennsylvania and I NEED TO KNOW what killed my Rooster. We was a rare specimen. We got him and he grew up with a very weird deformity. One of his legs was twisted backwards and he limped to get around. Anyway, I let them roam freely and I keep an eye on them and today at around 2-3 pm I walked outside and right near a tree where they sand bathe or dig in I found him dead. I dont know if its just me but I feel a special bond with all of these chickens, especially him because he was a special one. When I went to check his body, I found him (Dale) with his Neck eaten. I have since burried him, but it looked like something gouged one of his eyes out. There were few feathers around the area maybe 5-10. I really need closure. I took care of him and loved him. I couldnt stop crying and beating myself up. I could have been out there to save him, he was so defenseless. Please will somebody, anybody share ANY information about what predator could have killed Dale. I need to know so it doesnt happen again! Thank you.

 

[azygous]

Hawk. The pattern of kill is typical.

I'm so sorry about your sweet boy. Even if he had two normal legs, he probably couldn't have gotten away. Hawks are slick killing machines.

 

[DaleTheRooster]

Thanks for your input. From what I am understanding it looks like it was a hawk. However, I have been reading that hawks generally take the carcas or eat a good portion of it. I also left out that his beak had some damage as well.

 

[azygous]

Larger birds of prey like eagles will carry off a chicken, but most hawks won't.

I lost a sweet little Brahma hen to a red tail hawk four or five years ago on New Years Day. The hawk was sitting not three feet away from her body as I ran over to see what the commotion was about. Her body was untouched except for her head, which had been mangled and her eyes eaten.

Since it had been my first experience losing a chicken in this manner, I posted here and got responses from others who had experienced hawk attacks on their flocks. All agreed this was a standard practice of most hawks to leave the body, perhaps coming back to it from time to time until scavengers stole it.

This is the time of year of hawk migrations, and attacks on chickens are much more prevalent. Everything points to a hawk being responsible for your loss. Again, I'm deeply sorry you had to suffer this grief.

 

[DaleTheRooster]

Once again I really appreciate your help......do you have any suggestions about how to protect them? Would it be a good idea to keep them in the enclosed shed for a while until everything dies down? Also, will the Hawk be a repeat offender even though I buried Dale; will he come back to the scene of the crime body or not?
Thanks again.

 

[mich9510]

Ugh....darn hawks. I'm very sorry for your loss. I've had some circling overhead here and there (I'm also in western PA). One got one of my koi earlier in the summer but so far my chickens have been ok. I think having a large dog helps but he's not outside all the time. An owl attacked one of my Pekins last week when he got out of his house but he survived. I hope no one gets upset at my question but are you allowed to shoot a bird of prey? Red tailed hawks seem to be the ones I see most.

 

[DaleTheRooster]

I dont think its legal, from what i understand you can get jail time and/or a fine. I do want to find the hawk or predator just to be cautious, but if it were legal I would shoot it.

 

[mich9510]

I just looked it up. Birds of prey are federally protected. I thought so.

 

[Rambo34k]

I need help our advice on how to post pictures up I have a really bad problem inside my coop at night what ever itwas has broke through my rock barrier after two nights they killed two more hen's ripped off the head on one killed the other she's all in one piece and my rooster still alive but badly hurt covered in blood

 

[Rambo34k]

Mich9510 if hawk's our eagle's go after your bird's yes we can't harm a protective bird but to keep your bird's a OK if one happens to swoop down and snatch one throw a small rock our a stick at the bird to make it release your chicken's