We were awakened a few nights ago around midnight by the shrill screams of a rooster and squawks of chickens. Flashlights in hand, we ran outside and immediately saw the chicken coop was in an uproar, and a very confused raccoon was sitting on a perch. Now, raccoons have no place in a chicken coop, and we thought we had it raccoon proof, but this little bugger showed how wrong we were. He was able to slip out through a gap we didn’t notice, so I blocked up the opening. None of the birds were injured, and we think the critter was after eggs.
The screaming that pierced the night and penetrated our double paned windows came from this handsome rooster, Izzy. I’ve noticed that a rooster with hens can be a lot more vocal when there are disturbances. Like, when our dog crosses the yard and the rooster gives out a rumbling squawk. We’ve learned that our roosters don’t “sound off” like this unless something alarms them, so when we hear it, we investigate.
Aside from being a mellow rooster with a chill personality and passes genetics for blue and green eggs, Izzy proved that he’s an excellent alarm. Good boy, Izzy!