Something got Rocky!!

[BayouPoules]

Olivia went out to check on the chickens at lunch time and found that our head rooster was gone!
We believe it was the eagle that was flying around the area last week,. it's the first clear sky we've had in ages and the chickens were enjoying the sun in the yard,.,. I saw a shadow pass over the window earlier and had a weird feeling but there was no noise or fussing and I didn't see anything
,... all that was left of Rocky was some pretty feathers,.. it's our first loss.
I feel so awful,. he was a great young roo,. very protective but unaggressive,.. the others are terrified and hiding under the azaleas and wont come out except for Desi Loo who was at the back door trying to get in the house.
Now we don't want to leave them alone,... We are determined that they get to free range,. so I knew this could happen,.. but it's just so sad.

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[TamiHunter]

Sorry about your loss...

 

[shellyga]

so sorry to hear about your rooster.. so sad

we enjoy letting ours free range too and are dreading the day that a hawk decides to select his lunch from our yard... thankfully our rooster is very diligent in his duties.

Shelly

 

[BayouPoules]

Well ya know,. we've had some run in's with hawks,. but they were small and usually left after looking,. but this big eagle was one of the largest I've seen in years and years,. when we saw it last week it was so big it gave me the creeps. We watched it circle the neighborhood,.I called my fellow chicken neighbor to warn her and we are both trying to keep our eyes peeled,. but it didn't help. Poor rocky,. I hope it was over fast. He was sooo protective,. and funny,. I miss him already.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Oh poor Rocky!

I'm so sorry to hear this BayouPoules. It sounds like he was a great bird; I can only imagine how you'll miss him.

 

[terrilhb]

I am so sorry for Rocky and all of you. Sorry for your loss

 

[BayouPoules]

Thanks ya'll,. I always felt so bad for those that lost chickens to predators,. now I know how it feels,... and boy do we miss him,. the flock is spastic without him ,. fighting and wandering off,. Rocky never let that happen,. the next roo in line is just being a bully and not protecting,.. gonna give him a chance to settle down though because he's so young and always had Rocky to keep him in line.

That hawk/eagle was back the yard the very next morning,. way up in the top of a tall pine,. he watched us and I watched him in the freezing cold,.. then thankfully some crows chased it off,. harassed it clean out of site!,.. for now.

I wonder how much room does a bird like that need to have in order to attack,. can they come straight down from the top of the pine or do they need angled approach?...Is the flock safer in the woods?..