Chicken Drama

[rosijet]

My neighbors have a whole bunch of roosters and just 3 hens. They free range during the day and for awhile, one rooster and two hens were coming over to our house.

Lately just one hen comes over, and she looks awful. She is missing most of her back feathers, so I assume she comes over to escape all those roosters jumping on her.

We feed her fruit and vegetables (just because we like her) and generally she hangs out all day. Now the roosters have been coming over and herding her back to the neighbor’s house. She escapes when she can and comes back to our house.

We would like to get our own chickens but know very little about them. We’re just starting our research. Will the neighbor’s roosters try to steal my hens? Do I need a rooster to protect them or will that just cause a lot more problems? We have a chain link fence between the properties, but they can hop over it.

[csaper58]

Yes the roosters will come over and harass your new hens and may kill your new rooster. You would need to build a hen house with a large covered pen.

A chain link fence means nothing to roosters.

Can you help the hen find her way to a rescue?

[SuzieQNutter]

Roosters can be dangerous. They have spurs on their legs. They can attack you not just the hens. They jump on you and rake with the spurs.

Be careful with your own rooster as well as the neighbour’s.

[ThirdCharm]

Roosters are nasty. Cold Mountain Rooster Stew!

Jennifer

[rosijet]

DH bought a BB gun to try to scare the roosters back to the neighbors. We can see if that will work.

What about running a hot wire on top of the chain link fence? It connects to my paddock which already has a hot wire so shouldn’t be hard to do.

Edited to add, or run a strand of barbed wire? I guess the hot wire wouldn’t zap them if they sit directly on it, right?

[starsandsun]

You don’t need a rooster.

[Megaladon]

Go to backyardchickens.com Lots of info, great people willing to help. Getting a rooster is really up to you. Not all of them are aggressive, and their job is to protect their flock.

Are the chickens currently jumping over the fence or walking around it? You could always offer to take your neighbors chickens and dispatch the roosters as you see fit. I’m interpreting that they don’t really care about them, but maybe I’m wrong. Good luck, chickens are a ton of fun!

[rosijet]

They hop on top and then jump over as our property is entirely fenced.

I’ll check out that website - thanks!

[Megaladon]

Silly birds, see they just want to live with you!

[rosijet]

[QUOTE=Megaladon;8704323]
Silly birds, see they just want to live with you![/QUOTE]

I would love for Henrietta (DH’s idea) to live with us permanently! I’ve grown quite fond of her. Not so much for the obnoxious roosters.

[JanM]

Check out the thread on here about Chucky the attack rooster. It will give you ideas about how to discourage him from coming over, and it will improve your tennis game also.

[2DogsFarm]

[QUOTE=starsandsun;8704297]
You don’t need a rooster.[/QUOTE]
:yes: Amen!
Unless you plan on breeding it is just not worth playing Rooster Roulette.
Friend had a huge rooster that was like a stuffed toy - you could pick him up & carry anywhere.
My own roo - raised from a 2-day chick - hit adolescence @ around 1yo & became Chucky’s twin :mad:
Handsome as all getout, but mean as sin.

Perhaps ask your neighbors if you can buy Henrietta?
Around here a good layer can be gotten for $10 or less.
And her back feathers should grow back once she is no longer “in servitude” to the rooster mafia.
My own Ameraucana-cross came to me bald on her back & neck from the same treatment in a flock of 150 w/lots of roosters - 6mos later she looked brand new

[cnvh]

If a person doesn’t intend to hatch their own chicks, there is virtually no reason to have a rooster, much less multiple roosters.

[2DogsFarm]

[QUOTE=cnvh;8704989]
If a person doesn’t intend to hatch their own chicks, there is virtually no reason to have a rooster, much less multiple roosters. [/QUOTE]
{coughcough}Cockfights!:uhoh:

[McGurk]

You should absolutely get chickens. They are delightful and a lot of fun, plus, once you have your own eggs you will never ever eat a store bought egg again.
If you let them free range they also really do a good job reducing insects, particularly ticks.

You only need rooster if you want to breed; laying hens are perfectly happy without a roo around. We have a roo now, the first time in 7 + years of chicken keeping, but only because he is sweet and docile. First sign of trouble, he’s outta here.

I would get your own hens, and fence the neighbor’s roos out, but that’s just me.

[neversaynever]

I have roosters, but don’t have the heart to dispatch them. Mine are friendly with people and good to the hens. They are afraid of my older hens. While there are some spats over who is in charge, they generally get along. This may be because they are hatch mates and grew up together. I had a broody hen and got her some fertile eggs to hatch when she refused to get off the nest for over a month no matter what I tried. I think if I tried to introduce an unknown rooster there would be mayhem.

The roosters call the hens over when they find bugs or something interesting to eat, and one even helps them find/build nests and waits for them while they are laying. Another will make sure they are all in the coop at night. While pretty and entertaining, my roosters are basically worthless when it comes to protection. They run at the first sign of trouble, leaving the hens to fend for themselves.

[Mosey_2003]

Why do your neighbors have so many roosters? Really ought not to have more than one per ten hens…

[rosijet]

[QUOTE=Mosey_2003;8705944]
Why do your neighbors have so many roosters? Really ought not to have more than one per ten hens…[/QUOTE]

My understanding is that the chicks just turned out that way and they didn’t see the need to cull the roosters. Maybe that’s why the roosters don’t fight too badly with each other?

I saw scratches on the side of my truck that look suspiciously like chicken feet. :mad: I wonder if a rooster saw his reflection and attacked the truck. Another reason to keep them out.