How do you keep a rooster at home?

[k626]

I have a single chicken. A leghorn roo. How do I keep him in my barn/pasture, and keep him from jumping the fence to my neighbor's yard/barn? He has no chickens, but my roo insists on going to his barn. And he hates him. I don't have a coop, and predators aren't really a problem. There's roosting space in the barn. I really don't like keeping him in the cage (it's a really big dog cage, for a great Dane). How can I keep him at home?

 

[bobbi-j]

You're going to have to pen him up or clip his wings. You are lucky your neighbor hasn't had a hankering for chicken stew! As chicken owners, it's our responsibility to keep our birds of others' property. Especially if they hate the bird. (Some neighbors may not object to a fresh, free egg delivered daily) You need to take steps ASAP to keep your bird at home.

 

[k626]

I AM keeping him in a cage right now. Maybe I wasn't clear about that. And he didn't start out as my rooster. He was dumped in the neighborhood, and was being shot at with bb guns on the next block. I went and moved him to our street, and he chose mine and my neighbor's barns. My neighbor won't eat him (he's a bit of a yuppie). He'd rather call the town and complain. Our area is semi rural, so chickens are allowed. Our one neighbor even has camels.

Now, I was told if I had hens, he'd stay home. I have clipped his wings, but he still gets over the fence. I don't want to get rid of him, he's too friendly for me to think someone could eat him.

 

[theoldchick]

Honestly, I'd either place him on a farm with hens or make a nice place for him to live on your property and get a couple of hens for him. However, he will lead his hens to the barn which apparently has all kinds of goodies for chickens. And remember predators come in all forms. The two-legged variety are the worst to deal with. Keep your fowl on your property. If building a coop for him is unfeasible, it would be best to place him on a farm where he can be a rooster.

 

[centrarchid]

Show a picture of this "leghorn".

Currently your neighbor has superior habitat and your bird is not imprinted in your property. Latter easy to fix.

 

[k626]

Finding another home will be almost impossible. And here's the picture of the "leghorn". Why you quoted it I don't know.

 

[aart]

It's pretty simple.......

If you want to keep him, make a proper sized coop and run to keep him safe and off other people's property.

 

[centrarchid]

I though it might be a game which can look very similar.

SHow picture of fence and wing clipping job.

Confining can get imprinting started but he will also roam to find females.

 

[k626]

I'm in the process of closing in a stall, but with the way my barn is its not as easy as just adding mesh. I'm in south fla, and it's a pole barn that isn't fully enclosed.

Clipping his wings deterred him from fence hopping, but he is just finishing a molt. I have to wait for the feathers to grow in. I let him out while I'm cleaning stalls and feeding the horse and goat. He's so friendly that I just pick him up and put him in the cage after. It's a big cage, about 5ft long, 3 or so ft wide, about 4ft tall. It's off the ground about 2 feet.

I'm thinking that if I get some heavy hens, he'll stay home since they can't get over the fence. It's about 4 feet tall, 3 board wood with mesh.

 

[aart]

I'm in the process of closing in a stall, but with the way my barn is its not as easy as just adding mesh. I'm in south fla, and it's a pole barn that isn't fully enclosed.

Clipping his wings deterred him from fence hopping, but he is just finishing a molt. I have to wait for the feathers to grow in. I let him out while I'm cleaning stalls and feeding the horse and goat. He's so friendly that I just pick him up and put him in the cage after. It's a big cage, about 5ft long, 3 or so ft wide, about 4ft tall. It's off the ground about 2 feet.

I'm thinking that if I get some heavy hens, he'll stay home since they can't get over the fence. It's about 4 feet tall, 3 board wood with mesh.

That might work, good plan.....Best of CLuck to you and that handsome roo!