Devastated Calderdale owner finds pet cockerel strangled and dumped in stream

The 10-month-old bird, called Eagley, was raised Sara Tasker in Ripponden.

She said the coop where Eagley kept was secured with several locks and believes "only a human" could have let the pet out and broken its neck in the attack.

"We hand raised him from a day-old disabled chick so he was part of the family," said Sara.

"He was very tame and loving. We put him to bed as usual Monday night and awoke on Tuesday to find somebody had snuck in, unlocked multiple doors/latches to snatch him off his perch and break his neck.

"They threw his body into a nearby stream where my nine-year-old daughter found him."

"Nobody had ever complained but the only reason we can think of is that he recently began to crow at dawn.

"There were 20 hens in the same paddock, but this person specifically went for the coop where Eagley was being kept."

West Yorkshire Police and the RSPCA have been informed and Sara is offering a £500 reward for information too.

A spokesperson for the police said: "On Friday April 22, police received a report of an incident whereby a chicken was found dead near to a property on Lower Mill Bank Road, Sowerby Bridge.

"The incident is believed to have occurred sometime between the evening of the Monday 18 April and Tuesday 19 April when the chicken was taken from a secured coop.

"Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference 13220214988."

* Support your Halifax Courier by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe