Man dies after ‘brutal’ chicken attack by rooster ‘with violent past’

A man who was attacked by his pet rooster suffered a heart attack and died as a result - now his daughter is speaking out about the tragedy.

Jasper Kraus, 67, lost litres of blood after a Brahma chicken dug its spur (the back of its leg used for protection and fighting) into his leg.

It's thought that the blood loss triggered Jasper's heart attack and, tragically, he couldn't be saved.

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Speaking about the traumatic incident, his daughter Virginia Guinan, 33, recalled: "I got to the house and saw two ambulances outside.

"I walked in and just saw litres of blood pooled around the stairs, and a trail of blood leading out to the chicken coop in the garden."

The trainee healthcare assistant from County Roscommon said: "You wouldn't think a chicken can be dangerous - but they can be.

"It was a malicious attack, absolutely brutal. There were litres of blood all over the floor when I arrived.

"This particular bird was thought to be a nice and docile breed, and good for children. But this shows any breed can be dangerous.

"Having pet chickens is a big thing for families now, especially getting children involved.

"For this to happen is so rare and unbelievable, but it can happen."

The rooster had previously belonged to Virginia, but her dad, an experienced animal handler, took it from her after it tried to attack her three-year-old daughter Josie.

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"After that I knew I had to get rid - we should have put him down there and then because we knew he was no good," she remembered.

"But my dad protested. He had too big of a heart and didn't want me to get rid of the rooster - so he took it instead."

Jasper, who was in remission from cancer at the time of his death, was outside visiting his dog's grave when the rooster attacked.

The animal, which has since been put down, had a random aggressive outburst and created a wound 1.5cm deep.

An inquest heard the cause of death was due to lethal cardiac arrhythmia in the context of severe coronary atheroma and cardiomegaly.

But a doctor at the hearing noted that the circumstances of his death were unusual as a wound had been inflicted on his left calf by a chicken, reports say.

Virginia now wants to warn others of the dangers of keeping poultry as pets - even a supposedly safe breed such as a Brahma.

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"People want to have fresh eggs and keep chickens in their gardens," Virginia noted.

"It's such a big hobby now - but it's not only larger animals like cattle and horses that can be dangerous.

"We don't know why it happened - that breed was supposed to be soft and cuddly.

"People should be aware of the signs and get rid of any bird as soon as they show signs of aggression.

"I had wanted it put own as soon as it attacked my daughter, but my father wanted to keep it.

"Dad wanted the rooster to stay with him and breed with his hens so it didn't have to be put down.

"That's just what he was like - he was a real animal lover."