The Battle Against Predators Continues

The battle against nature continues here on the farm.  

Yesterday, I found a bunch of white feathers and knew they were from our very old rooster, Foghorn Leghorn.  He's been around for at least five years or more.  So I was very sad to see that it looked like "something" got him.  

I thought it might be a red-tailed hawk because there wasn't any sign of a trail leading to the forest.  The chickens have a huge area in which to forage, so putting a cover over them is impossible.  I've put up this version of a "scarecrow" before and it seems to keep critters away.  I hang the dress on a double shepherd crook plant stand and the sleeves blow and the dress bottom blows so it looks like it's moving.  This year, I put a plastic Halloween pumpkin head it to make it even scarier!

The dogs kept sniffing at a small hole that goes under the chicken coop and we thought maybe there was some critter under there running out and grabbing up my chickens.  Did I mention that I'm down to seven adult hens?  I have a bunch of chicks in the barn to go out to the chicken coop, but they're not quite big enough yet.  The live trap comes out every time we think something is trying to get my girls... last time it was old Mr. 'Possum

We tore open the bottom of the barn and got out our heavy duty flashlight and looked in and what did we find? 

Foghorn Leghorn!

All we can guess is that maybe a predator went after him and he flung himself through a tiny hole under the coop... or maybe one of the dogs was being very, very naughty and found him outside the chicken fence and thought he might be fair game.  

We left the hole under the chicken coop open so that Foghorn could find his way out and later he was in with his girls.  

I swear this rooster is like a cat with nine lives!