My rooster survivedr a nightmare.

hachette

Not a very good start to the New Year. Went this morning to my chickens (had 5 chickens and 1 rooster) all my chickens were killed I assume by a fox only my rooster Rocky survived. The scene was so awful all the dead chickens scattered everywhere and he was just standing there over a headless body of one of his girls looking truly traumatised. They all lived in enclosure with over 7 feet high tennis court type of fence with netting on top so how he got in and got out again I cannot imagine no obvious holes big enough for the fox in the netting. I have removed Rocky from that area and put him in the large outside aviary near the house the problem is he is so traumatised he just sits there and won’t eat or drink anything. Seeing all his girls being killed must have been so dreadful I wonder if he will ever recover from that? Also could it be a mink that killed them rather then fox?

Artytarty

Oh how dreadful! poor yup and Rocky, you must be in shock.
It does indeed sound like a mink attack, no obvious hole and the biting the heads of part sounds like mink trait too.
im so sorry for your loss.

Artytarty

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091002223800AAXignX
I don't think your attack was the work of a fox.

hachette

Artytarty wrote: »

Oh how dreadful! poor yup and Rocky, you must be in shock.
It does indeed sound like a mink attack, no obvious hole and the biting the heads of part sounds like mink trait too.
im so sorry for your loss.

Rocky and 2 of his girls were hatched in incubator by me so they were very close and I was the only "mum" they knew. I so hope Rocky will get better but it is difficult to know what to do. He will be sad alone and I don't think I can risk more hens. So what next? Try to re-home my Rocky?

calicocat

Oh god how horrible for you, and rocky.

I'm no expert on chickens so can't help about what to do when they are traumatised like that, just didn't want to read and run.

All I can think of is that if he sees you as mum would he be better in the laundry or kitchen until he settles a bit, but I have no idea how practical that would be.

Hope he, and you feel better soon, horrible experience.

gettingready

Poor Rocky

Pls do not rehome him if you are the only mum he knows...Make the enclosure more secure and get him a girlfriend or two...

Must have been really horrible for him - ad how did he escape this himself? Any marks on him?

emmy05

unfortunately foxes have a habit of killing all that they can get hold of at the time, in the hope that when they come back, they will still be there, had this alot when we had chickens

Wellyboots6

Poor things.

Could you give Rocky a cuddly toy or a hot water bottle? See if that perks him up a bit.

hachette

gettingready wrote: »

Poor Rocky

Pls do not rehome him if you are the only mum he knows...Make the enclosure more secure and get him a girlfriend or two...

Must have been really horrible for him - ad how did he escape this himself? Any marks on him?

I have no idea how he escaped no marks on him but he looks shaggy like he did have a fight. I do not want to re-home him and I think that if I got him new girls he would be happy again but how can I risk this happening again? The eclosure is very big so it is diffucult to make it more secure and not knowing if it was a fox or mink I do not know what I am up against. I will see how he is tomorrow and decide he is such a amazing looking rooster he was the first one that hatched .

senileturtle

One way to make sure it's more secure is to bury the fencing into the ground so no digging under can occur, also double meshed will help. And putting hens in to bed at night as well in their hen house.

As for rocky, it will be natural for him to behave this way; although it's upsetting it's unfortunately a risk humans take in keeping prey animals. I suggest getting rocky some ex batteries to allow him to establish a new harem. Many ex battery chickens looking for forever homes.

hachette

senileturtle wrote: »

One way to make sure it's more secure is to bury the fencing into the ground so no digging under can occur, also double meshed will help. And putting hens in to bed at night as well in their hen house.

As for rocky, it will be natural for him to behave this way; although it's upsetting it's unfortunately a risk humans take in keeping prey animals. I suggest getting rocky some ex batteries to allow him to establish a new harem. Many ex battery chickens looking for forever homes.

The fencing was buried into the ground and was made out of tenis court thick wire over 7feet tall (not just mesh) with netting across the whole top area. Their house had an automatic door that closes itself at night so I think this must have happened in the morning. I guess I will never know what animal did this but I am not putting Rocky back there so have to wait until I can get something else sorted if I am to keep him and get him few girls. Rocky still not eating mostly seating in the house but has wondered out few times.