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Post by cks4me on Jan 24, 2013 13:35:44 GMT -6
Yesterday morning I found one of my roosters with his head chewed up. Nothing else wrong. May have lost an eye and for sure blind in at least one eye. At first I thought it was a couple of the boys fighting. Brought him in. Hydrating with eye dropper and hand feeding. He crowed this morning!! Then last night when I was putting my birds up for the night I noticed that my oldest, most beloved rooster was missing from his house. I scoured the yards and found him under some stuff with the same thing, head chewed up. He too will undoubtably be blind if he makes it. He is very weak. I recalled that my dogs had gone crazy yesterday afternoon and when I went out they were indicating that something was under the house. I never knew what it was but nothing can get to the back yard from the house because I had wire put all under the house. (although all they have to do is go to the fence and get through). What ever got them went for the combs and head and that was it. What do you guys think? I sort of don't think there was a fight b/c Prince and the other one were not together. There is a cat that has been out there for a while and he has never bothered them so I can't imagine it is him. Need your input please!!!! I am worried what I will find when I get home but no one was put out further than their individual runs today. Thanks guys
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Post by herb on Jan 24, 2013 13:56:45 GMT -6
weasel or large rats possible
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Post by cks4me on Jan 24, 2013 14:20:55 GMT -6
I just read something about coon attacks and it said that they go for the head first, usually bite it off. Given that the dogs acted so weird I am thinking a damn coon.
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Post by Timbo on Jan 24, 2013 17:03:41 GMT -6
coon would be my first thought but you never know. I would bait traps and catch it. Or have a stake out and shoot it. This is the time of year it always happens. These critters have young ones to feed and teach to hunt. If you can kill the parent the young will stick around or come back to the mother so you can drill them too. It may sound cruel but what they do to our birds is worse.
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Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Jan 24, 2013 17:35:11 GMT -6
I agree. The culprit (s) need to be eliminated before you loose any and hopefully your 2 get well soon.
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Post by rinksgi on Jan 24, 2013 19:34:24 GMT -6
Sounds like something is reaching through the fence to get them, so my guess is a coon. Is their roost close enough for something to reach them?
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Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Jan 24, 2013 20:58:31 GMT -6
Won't a possum do the same thing? I had several guinea deheaded last year. The little dopes slept on the ground with their heads facing the wire. I've had a coon actually open quail pens and help themselves till I changed the door latches.
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Post by cks4me on Jan 31, 2013 17:32:27 GMT -6
Thanks everyone. The two boys are recov ering however because I have been keeping all the birds in all the roosters are trying to kill each other. OMG. Any one want some roosters? I have two black that need to be rehomed asap.
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Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Feb 1, 2013 15:31:17 GMT -6
I replied to your other thread. I lost my big black orp roo last year and could use a replacement. Where do you live?
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Post by cks4me on Feb 2, 2013 10:06:10 GMT -6
I have five large black orps, two blues and two that I bred who are part black orp and part bcm, that immediately need new homes. They are beauitful but I currently have a total of 23 roosters so you can see why I need to thin the herd!!!
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Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Feb 2, 2013 17:39:14 GMT -6
Too many roos just means trouble.
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tripp
Hatchling
Posts: 47
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Post by tripp on Feb 16, 2013 1:30:43 GMT -6
I had a cat get my birds one time all it would eat was the head and would only take 1 a day....
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