Then I saw the feather trail...which led me to Mr. Rue's body where his head had been completely torn off and was missing. Chamomile was nowhere to be found. Either the predator had taken Chamie and Mr. Rue had tried to defend her the whole way to the edge of the woods, (and, as a result sacrificed his life for it) or, the predator killed both of them intentionally early on and dragged Mr. Rue's body to the edge of the woods, only eating the head. Rosemary and her chicks, thankfully, are okay.
I am devastated. Poor Mr. Rue was the sweetest rooster and very kind to his girls. He was a fierce and loyal protector and provider for them. I will miss him dearly.
Instead of showing you the graphic photos I took from this morning, I thought I'd share with you some happy memories of Mr. Rue:
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| a younger Mr. Rue, leading his girls |
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| an adolescent Mr. Rue, getting some cuddle time |
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| Mr. Rue was always very alert; in this picture his tail feathers hadn't fully grown in yet |
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| Mr. Rue proudly showing off how he balances on the porch railing |
