The 67-year-old man was an experienced animal handler.
A man who had a heart condition died after being attacked by an “aggressive” Brahma chicken on his property in Co. Roscommon, an inquest has heard, reports The Irish Examiner.
Jasper Kraus, of Killahornia, was attacked by the chicken on 28 April last year and suffered a heart attack after the bird plunged its spur into his leg.
The 67-year-old couldn’t be saved, his daughter, Virginia Guinan, has said. The 33-year-old has spoken out to warn others about the dangers of owning poultry.
She says Jasper – a dad-of-two and grandad-of-two – was an experienced animal handler. The trainee healthcare assistant, from south Roscommon, said: “You wouldn’t think a chicken can be dangerous – but they can be.
Virginia said the chicken was thought to be “a nice 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.”
She had formerly owned the rooster which killed her father. But he had taken it from her after it had tried to attack her three-year-old daughter, Josie.
“A year earlier, the same rooster jumped the wall and jumped on Josie’s back,” Virginia explained.
“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.
“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 an aggressive outburst. He was pronounced dead at 3:24 pm.
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 said the whole family has been left devastated by the incident.
She said: “I got to the house and saw two ambulances outside… There should be more support in place for families who go through tragedies like this.”.
“I had wanted it put down 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.”
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