Randomality

A couple nights ago, my mom woke up to the sound of something attacking the chickens. Immediate casualties were two of three hens dead, one hen badly mauled, and a the rooster got a rip in his comb. We mused over what attacked the birds when I came over. Raccoon? No, they just take one at a time, carrying them off to eat. Coyotes? No. The carcasses weren't cleaned. Coyotes are pros. They go in, get what they want, get out. No careless playtime, unless they're training puppies and this isn't puppy season. That leaves dog. A dog will attack the chickens, shake them to death, and go onto the next all for fun. They won't necessarily eat the carcass. As it turns out, the a couple of neighbors don't manage their dogs well. There's a nasty little yappy thing in particular that knows no boundaries. Nasty little yappy things are more likely to go after birds and kill them fast. Unfortunately, there's not much to be done to redress the situation.

Last I heard the last hen was alive. I checked in on her on Friday. She was in pain and I added some new hay to the spot she had decided to hide in. I also had to kick the rooster out of the coop, because he wouldn't stay off of her. I had to pull him off by the tail. He just froze and let me pick him up and carry him out. He's big boy and I was expecting a fight or at least a struggle. Nope. No problem from him. I was pleasantly surprised. Hopefully the hen made it. I guess I'll find out later.

::Update::

Hen died. Rooster got mauled too. Total loss on chickens.

Folks, this is the shit that happens when you don't train your dogs or at least confine them so they don't wander off your property. Other peoples' animals die for their entertainment. In this case, a household is now deprived of one of its food sources.