Roosters in the Woods

[Evadig]

There’s two roosters in the woods near our house. Some neighbors have a rooster but they’re at least a couple miles away. Do you think these guys just got lost or were they abandoned? How would I go about catching them? They’re very skittish.
Would the hens’ cackling attract them to the house?

 

[Evadig]

Caught the other one this morning! He flew up into a small tree and I was able to pull him down from there.

 

[Evadig]

Here’s a couple pictures of the white one. Sorry they’re blurry but he won’t stand still. He’s cock-a-doodle-doing out there with all his might. Lyd and Rose (two chickens) live right next door and couldn’t believe their ears!
The other rooster is out and about. I fed him some more, which he seemed to appreciate.
Do you think the crowing of the first rooster will bring him over or drive him away? They were hanging out together in the woods but…

 

[Tonyroo]

If your hens cackle is loud enough they will check them out.

Other option is to locate and observe there movements near dusk. See where they roost and grab them at night. But you will need a second person with you to hold the flashlight and maybe bring a ladder.

 

[Evadig]

I got the white one! He was perching in a pile of brush. Most of his comb is missing and whatever’s left is bloody. I’ll get a picture tomorrow.
I looked all over for the brown one but couldn’t find him as it was pitch black at that point so will resume the search tomorrow.

 

[Nabiki]

What is it with roosters in the woods? Do people abandon them? I have never had chickens, but apparently I have a young rooster now. He was found in the woods.

 

[Evadig]

I have two unused chicken coops so I could keep them in those. If they’re good roosters I’ll probably keep them but I only have seven chickens…I’ll figure something out. Right now I just have to catch them. The treat idea is good, thank you!

 

[Red Mangrove]

Roosters and hens will both travel quite far in search of each other

Last year I sold my Brahma rooster and replaced him with an immature cockerel. The very next day I had a random Leghorn rooster in the middle of my flock trying to court my hens. The Leghorn had travelled maybe 500 feet through a swamp to visit the place where he knew there was hens and no longer any rooster

I got rid of the Leghorn before he could murder my cockerel, and over the next month I had maybe 5 hens leave my land to join neighboring flocks that did have roosters. Again, these hens travelled quite far through the swamp in search of a rooster

It's impossible to keep sexually mature chickens apart without walls and a roof. The roosters in your own forest may either be abandoned there by humans or they may have adventured off to start their own flock

 

[Shadrach]

The roosters were crowing a little while ago and then one of my hens started singing the egg song for almost ten minutes straight even though she’s not laying right now because she’s in molt. Do you think she’s trying to call them and would they be able to hear each other? The roosters are about 1/4 mile away.

What you call the egg song is in fact a call for a rooster. It's got little to do with laying eggs as you have found out.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-not-about-the-egg-it’s-an-escort-call.74386/

At a quarter of a mile away your hens can hear the roosters crowing and the roosters your hens calling.

 

[Evadig]

They’ve moved inward (toward the house) and are now about a few hundred feet from the house. But there is a road and a fence in the way. We fed them some scratch and they were very happy to get it. The brown one is more friendly, he came toward me of his own accord. I did get some better photos!