Something got our rooster today...daughter is distraught...

[Britcheflee]

Well, had a traumatic afternoon - our 13 year old daughter came in the house in hysterics....something had taken our rooster 'pookie' whilst the flock were out in the pasture.....a trail of feathers led to some blackberry bushes and after a struggle I found his body in the depths of some brush.
Bloody thing....everyone was scared of him...there were times I wanted to kill him myself but he died protecting his girls who are all very quiet and nervous. I nearly started crying myself!!!!
Anyway, is it ok to get another rooster? I feel the hens will not feel comfortable without one. Any advice?

Thank you,


Lee

 

[tiffanyh]

Its really up to you if you want another, the girls will probably be okay without one. ARe your girls free rangers?? You may want to keep them in a bit because there is a good chance that yoru predator will be back again.

Sorry for your daughter.

 

[feather leg farms]

Thats what happened to us. A pit bull killed our buff silkie roo and the hens were ok. One hen was pacing along another coop and the other was hidden in the trees behing the coop the other hen was pacing around. Then a week later he killed 14 more. 12 of ours and 2 of my cousins. In our pen we had, frizzled polish, hattrick, showgirl, nice white silkies, frizzles, americann frizzle, turken, and other muts that were high quality.

My cousin had a buff roo and buff hen. We both have more but didn't hurt them. We think she goes after roos b/c they protect the gals. We had just gotten them the day before. I have a mini breeding farm of feather legged chickens.

Check it out to see what we have.
www.FeatherLegFarms.webs.com
www.ShiningStarShowgirls.webs.com - under construction

R.I.P. Little babies.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I wouldn't get anything else until you find out what type of preditor and do something to prevent it and other preditors from killing off your birds.

Do what you can to protect the ones you have.

 

[Britcheflee]

Thank you for your advice - when I found his body it was deep in brush but with no blood or signs of attack - some loss of feathers but otherwise intact...I must have got to him pretty soon as he was still warm. He was much loved by my daughter - who was the only one who could pick him up and hold him....for her it was a great loss....so, although some may think this too sentimental, he was buried in the pet burial area alongside my old Staffie.

We have set up a motion camera in the area - whatever it was it came out during mid afternoon in broad daylight and took him right by the coop if that is of any help.

Lee

 

[WriterofWords]

I bury all of mine, they deserve it.

 

[Judy]

Dog is probably the most likely candidate, since you could see no damage; they tend to play with them, and shake them to death, and not for food.

Let us know if your camera solves the mystery for you!

Here is a thread to help identify predators:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=18670

 

[Britcheflee]

I can deal with it if it was a fox, coyote or other wild animal as that is the nature of things...if it was a dog (which I kinda think not as his body was deep in some very spiky and thick brush) and that dog comes around again.....not sure what I would do at this point.

Lee

 

[Britcheflee]

This morning was very quiet without his familiar crow

 

[Mahonri]

Sorry for your loss.

Probably a dog.