Thanks everybody, I really appreciate the support.
I'm not out by a long shot, it's just a setback. It'll just take me a bit longer to get to where I want to be with them. The older rooster was what got me the worst, I had high hopes for that boy. :/
I still have a good cockerel to use and several nice pullets and hens so it'll all work out.
As for predators; I seem to get a slew of coons and possums hit about every other spring but never lose much stock unless it's some idiot bird that decided to roost outside or one of our ducks, guineas or such that free range. I'll be up every night for a week with a spotlight and the 12 gauge, kill 8 or 10, then I'll be ok for another year or two. I have lost a few small ducks and smaller growing birds to a owl but so far I've never had any problems with hawks although there are several pair of red-tails that nest in the woods behind our house. They almost cleaned a neighbor of mine out this last spring but they never bothered my birds. No idea why. Around here the number one chicken killer is stray dogs. When we had the property fenced it wasn't a problem, but for the past few years we have only had it partly fenced. A tornado hit us a couple of years ago and destroyed most of the fencing and since it was all over 40 years old and getting rough anyway, I tore the rest down and started over as money allows putting up all new fences.
I do need to get a LGD, but the last time I had one IT was killing chickens on the sly. So now I just lock them up at night.
