They got my roo

[cheirogloss]

Please say a little chicken prayer for my rooster Lola. They got him last night, but he died valiantly protecting his flock. We had no other losses. The little SOB that got him made it into the coop this time and Lola must have gotten down to defend the flock. It dragged him out of the coop and the only remains are a patch of skin with bloody feathers attached. I am so sad and my heart is sore. I feel so bad for Lola and just hope that he went quickly.

I have huge guilt that I could have defended the coop better, so today I am going to spend a lot of time doing coop protection. Whatever got him walked right past a trap and pried out a 6 ft long locust 4x4 post and dug under wire to get into the chicken yard. I have half a mind to sleep in the chicken yard tonight with a gun.

 

[The Chicken People]

Sorry for your loss! My DH took out my Rooster...now it doesnt feel like a farm..no crowing!

 

[jerseygirl1]

Oh, I am so sorry for yourl oss!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PortageGirl]

I'm sorry you lost your roo. That's the truth, and I mean it.

Now for everyone else who has never lost a bird, and thinks they are safe because it hasn't happened to them YET, WAKE UP.

Get up and step away from the computer and go outside and walk around your coop, around your run if you have one, walk around your property line, look up at the sky, look at the woods around and the yards nearby with dogs etc.

There's a LOT of critters around you who want a chicken dinner.

Look at your coop again, is the main door secure? Does the pop door fasten securely? Do you close and latch it every night? Is the fence run really varmint proof? Can things dig under it if you leave them in there while you're gone all day? Can a dog break through the wire? Do you need to replace any fasteners or fence posts?

I'm not saying any of this to make the OP feel bad, they feel bad enough and I know it VERY well, this is NOT at all meant as anything unkind. I've lost birds too, almost everyone here either has or will! That's just a fact, I just really hope people learn from cheirogloss' loss, and that they go out and look with fresh eyes at their own set up. Take a little effort now, maybe a LOT of effort to fix things up, so YOU aren't the one making this post next week or next month...

//end rant, and I'm really sorry you lost Lola Cheirogloss, please don't think I'm picking on you, I really don't mean to at all.