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Their instinct to kill is so strong and they're intensely efficient at it it seems to go well beyond hunting for hunger. I read up on this after our community'

Their instinct to kill is so strong and they're intensely efficient at it it seems to go well beyond hunting for hunger. I read up on this after our community's chickens were massacred by a fox -- it's called Surplus Killing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surplus_killing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surplus_killing and here's what's believed the key motivations: ... researchers say animals surplus-kill whenever they can, in order to procure food for offspring and others, to gain valuable killing experience, and to create the opportunity to eat the carcass later when they are hungry again

cmrdporcupine 4y ago
Interesting. Also gives another reason why roosters so aggressively attempt to lead predators away from the hens and all the hens scatter even though you'd think they might have strength in numbers. Creates a situation where only 1 or 2 will die, instead of the whole flock. A fox got after our chickens two years ago. Our rooster, a beautiful and gentle Barred Rock tussled with the fox for about 300 feet down to the road (there was a trail of feathers) and then dashed under a passing car which was forced to stop while the fox brazenly circled. All the hens scattered and hid and were fine. We rescued him from under there and chased the fox away and cleaned him up and gave him antibiotics but the poor guy had wounds we didn't see that festered, he got a fever, and died about 3-4 weeks later despite us doing our best for him. (Turns out foxes long teeth and mouth bacteria/biome are also engineered to create a situation where prey may die later even if they can't be taken right away. Then the fox can come back later when it's weakened or dead) I'd never been so close to an eastern red fox. They're usually super skittish but this one must have been extremely hungry and indignant that I took his kill from him. Beautiful creature but I don't look at them the same way anymore. We planted a lovely native flowering Eastern Redbud tree over the grave of the rooster ("Jacques")

cmrdporcupine 4y ago

Interesting. Also gives another reason why roosters so aggressively attempt to lead predators away from the hens and all the hens scatter even though you'd think they might have strength in numbers. Creates a situation where only 1 or 2 will die, instead of the whole flock. A fox got after our chickens two years ago. Our rooster, a beautiful and gentle Barred Rock tussled with the fox for about 300 feet down to the road (there was a trail of feathers) and then dashed under a passing car which was forced to stop while the fox brazenly circled. All the hens scattered and hid and were fine. We rescued him from under there and chased the fox away and cleaned him up and gave him antibiotics but the poor guy had wounds we didn't see that festered, he got a fever, and died about 3-4 weeks later despite us doing our best for him. (Turns out foxes long teeth and mouth bacteria/biome are also engineered to create a situation where prey may die later even if they can't be taken right away. Then the fox can come back later when it's weakened or dead) I'd never been so close to an eastern red fox. They're usually super skittish but this one must have been extremely hungry and indignant that I took his kill from him. Beautiful creature but I don't look at them the same way anymore. We planted a lovely native flowering Eastern Redbud tree over the grave of the rooster ("Jacques")