Warning: My rooster taught me a lesson about predator protection last month

I had a big Rhode Island Red rooster named Rufus for about 2 years. Last month I noticed he started acting really weird around dusk. He would herd all the hens into the coop way earlier than usual and stand by the door looking nervous. I thought maybe he was just getting cranky with age. Turns out he was trying to warn me that a raccoon had been scoping out the run at night. I ignored him for a week until I found claw marks on the hardware cloth. Now I listen to my rooster way more than any book or forum post. Has anyone else had a rooster predict a predator attack before?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa67110d ago

Got the same thing with my Barred Rock last fall, only I thought he was just being dramatic about a leaf blowing around. Turns out he spotted a weasel hiding in the woodpile three days before I ever saw any tracks. One thing though, roosters don't exactly 'predict' predators. They just notice stuff way before we do because their survival instincts are still fully intact. We've bred that out of ourselves with central heating and grocery stores.

paige_harris10d ago

Rufus was probably just on edge because of the full moon or something. I've had chickens for five years and never seen a rooster that knew what he was talking about.