Got up this morning to give the kids a little scratch and freshen up the water jugs at 7:30. I heard the hens in the coop making alarm sounds, so I knew something was up. When I got to the coop, all the hens (12) were still in the coop, which is very unusual for them. I figured out what was wrong when I saw my rooster dead in the run.
My rooster was a 7 month old Black Australorp, quite large, and VERY protective of his girls. He and I had a tussle a couple weeks ago after he tried to flog me, but since he was put back in his place after that episode, he's been respectful.
He was cold and stiff, so he had to have been killed during the night, and not after the sun was up. Whatever killed him did not eat him, except for the skin and meat around the neck and waddles. In fact, for about a 3" stretch, all that was left of the neck were the vertebra. There was also a patch of feathers missing off one shoulder, but the bulk of the carcass was undisturbed.
In the coop, there were no excess feathers scattered, no blood.
I gathered eggs last night after dark (7pm) and the light was still on in the coop, but all the birds were on roost and seemed calm. I didn't specifically see the rooster, but I'm sure if something had happened to him yesterday afternoon, the hens would have been just as upset as they were this morning.
A little about my setup...
The coop is 4x8x5', windows covered with harware cloth, but chicken door into the coop remains open at all times. The run is 5' tall welded wire approx 25'x 40'. There is no sign that anything dug under the wire or tore through the wire, so whatever killed the rooster must have either flown in or climbed over the run.
At this point, the only predator I can think of which could have climbed the wire and gotten into the coop would be a raccoon, but I would have thought a racoon would have eaten more of the chicken. I don't think an owl would have walked in through the chicken door.
Based on the carcass, it really looks like a dog killed the bird for sport, but again, there is no way a dog could have gotten over the wire without leaving some evidence.
I'm going to set up a trail cam and live trap tonight, but I'm certainly fearful for my girls now. I will probably go ahead and add the chicken door and lock them in the next few days just to be safe.
I have trapped 4 racoons over the past several months after I had 3 young pullets killed 3 months ago.
My rooster was a 7 month old Black Australorp, quite large, and VERY protective of his girls. He and I had a tussle a couple weeks ago after he tried to flog me, but since he was put back in his place after that episode, he's been respectful.
He was cold and stiff, so he had to have been killed during the night, and not after the sun was up. Whatever killed him did not eat him, except for the skin and meat around the neck and waddles. In fact, for about a 3" stretch, all that was left of the neck were the vertebra. There was also a patch of feathers missing off one shoulder, but the bulk of the carcass was undisturbed.
In the coop, there were no excess feathers scattered, no blood.
I gathered eggs last night after dark (7pm) and the light was still on in the coop, but all the birds were on roost and seemed calm. I didn't specifically see the rooster, but I'm sure if something had happened to him yesterday afternoon, the hens would have been just as upset as they were this morning.
A little about my setup...
The coop is 4x8x5', windows covered with harware cloth, but chicken door into the coop remains open at all times. The run is 5' tall welded wire approx 25'x 40'. There is no sign that anything dug under the wire or tore through the wire, so whatever killed the rooster must have either flown in or climbed over the run.
At this point, the only predator I can think of which could have climbed the wire and gotten into the coop would be a raccoon, but I would have thought a racoon would have eaten more of the chicken. I don't think an owl would have walked in through the chicken door.
Based on the carcass, it really looks like a dog killed the bird for sport, but again, there is no way a dog could have gotten over the wire without leaving some evidence.
I'm going to set up a trail cam and live trap tonight, but I'm certainly fearful for my girls now. I will probably go ahead and add the chicken door and lock them in the next few days just to be safe.
I have trapped 4 racoons over the past several months after I had 3 young pullets killed 3 months ago.
Last edited:
