Trusting my rooster

[Crystal1970]

I am new to chickens, I had two silkie hens given to me built a great coop and run for them and then got a young silkie rooster. The other day, in the middle of the day, I found my one hen at the front of the pen dead the rooster close by but no blood on him. She had head trauma I've never seen him do anything really aggressive, chased slightly, but I'm guessing it was him and I'm devastated. The other hen is my layer and seems fine. The deceased was not a layer and I worried occasionally she wasn't well, but thought she was getting better. I had cured a sore foot and she seemed ok.
Do I need to rehome this guy???

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, Crystal1970, and ! Great to have you aboard but sorry about your hen. I know nothing of Silkie roosters but have heard the hens are ultra gentle. Not saying it couldn't have been him but that seems atypical to me. When you say trauma, what does that look like? Open wounds or just bruising? BYC is abound with stories of chickens who that have died for no known reason or have had an accident - like falling off the roost and breaking their neck. I would monitor him with the remaining hen...seems to me that if he is aggressive it wouldn't be selective and that he wouldn't just turn it on and off. Just my thoughts....others will likely chime in with other opinions. Whatever you decide, best wishes and thanks for joining BYC!

 

[N F C]

What an awful thing to lose 1 of your 3 that way. I have lost chickens unexpectedly and for no apparent reason, it does always make you wonder why. I can't say if it's your rooster or not so Redsoxs suggestion to monitor him for a while makes sense. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Teila]

G’Day from down under Crystal1970

Welcome!

I am so sorry to hear of your loss

I do not have any experience with roosters but if it was me I would also give him a second chance. Something else may have happened to her and it could just be coincidence that he was nearby. What type of wire do you have on the run? If it was some type of predator attacking through the wire, he may have been the one who chased it off.

I hope you enjoy BYC. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun. Unlike non chicken loving friends, family and colleagues, BYC’ers never tire of stories or pictures that feature our feathered and non feathered friends

 

[Crystal1970]

Thank you all for answering, it was a bloody head wound. She was on the snow near the front I keep a spot shoveled for them at the back and I've never seen either on the snow before. It's been a crazy winter here. The top is open but no sign of any other predator. No feathers either. The other hen never even left the coop or was upset.
Keeping a close eye, the two left seem happy and content.
So odd.

 

[redsoxs]

Although I have no alternative explanation, I'd sure think if she was attacked by a predator - or by your rooster - there would be feathers. I'm puzzled. You don't have a neighbor with a pellet or BB gun do you?

 

[Crystal1970]

No
I was wondering if she possible went there to die and the rooster pecked at her afterwards.
Darn I'm perplexed.

 

[Crystal1970]

Although I have no alternative explanation, I'd sure think if she was attacked by a predator - or by your rooster - there would be feathers.  I'm puzzled.  You don't have a neighbor with a pellet or BB gun do you?    

 

[Crystal1970]

No neighbours close by.
They were both in a part of the run that isn't shoveled, we have had crazy snow here this year. That's what first alerted me, where the were. I have very small chicken wire l, something could prob get over right because of the snow but I saw no tracks I'm perplexed for sure.

 

[drumstick diva]

Did the rooster have any blood on his beak, face or feathers?