Do roosters travel?

[Lynette]

I come home from work and normally let my chickens out to free range for a while. I noticed 2 roosters in the yard. I hear crowing down the road so I am assuming they came from there. Is this normal? Also, should I leave my chickens in their run until they leave. I hope they get home before dark. I wouldn't want anything to happen to them.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I have heard of roosters lower on the pecking order visiting hen coops to check them out. Hopefully the alpha rooster didn't run them off, then they might not want to return to the old flock. It is also possible that a predator chased them out of their yard, in which case hopefully they would return back to their flock.

 

[centrarchid]

Possibly. When my free-range cockerels become mature but are not able to command a harem or at least operate at the perimeter of a harem, they tend to drift away during daylight hours, sometimes moving about in small bachelour groups. They tend to drift further overtime but usually return to roost with flock, usually. At some point they will begin to roost elsewhere and will then tend to move farther from flock. In my situation, such lone cockerels are joined by hens from another group or if too many in the original flock, then from there. Once they (cockerels) start roosting elsewhere, they begin operate within a territory that different from where they came from. For me, males do not disperse as far as females.

 

[Lynette]

Can I let my hens and roosters out or should I leave them in their run until they leave?

 

[bobbi-j]

I'd leave them in the pen - especially if you have roosters of your own. Otherwise you WILL have a fight between your roosters and the strays. Do you know for sure where they came from? If you have a good idea, you may want to contact the owners and tell them that you have chickens the free range occasionally, and would appreciate it if theirs were kept on their own property to avoid fighting and injury to your birds and theirs.

ETA - If no one claims them, and they don't go away in a few days, you have a free chicken dinner right in your yard!

 

[centrarchid]

I'd leave them in the pen - especially if you have roosters of your own. Otherwise you WILL have a fight between your roosters and the strays. Do you know for sure where they came from? If you have a good idea, you may want to contact the owners and tell them that you have chickens the free range occasionally, and would appreciate it if theirs were kept on their own property to avoid fighting and injury to your birds and theirs.

ETA - If no one claims them, and they don't go away in a few days, you have a free chicken dinner right in your yard!

First follow advice above regarding owner of strays. If I am your neighbor and the birds are my games, then certainly contact me. The birds are valuable and could pose problem for me if I do not know they are out.

At some they will get together and fighting will almost certainly occur. Potential outcomes of fighting a varied and will be a function of breeds, individuals nature and ages of combatants.
It is possible you birds will drive off strays, possibly without actual physical contact. Strays could whoop yours or they could simply integrate into your flock, at least during daylight hours.

I would effort to have interaction occur under your supervision.