My neighbors have a rooster who's trying to call on my ladies. What can I expect?

[Mom2Chicken]

Thank you @centrarchid and @Mrs. K. This is really good advice. If our broody hens end up hatching chicks, we will try to offer them a safe, protected place to stay and then try to move them closer to the rest of the flock. They are both in very tall grass on an empty acre of property behind our house.

I found the nest of the second one today! She is very near the first, except even better hidden. She came to the chicken yard to eat today, so I watched her until she flew into our back lot. I positioned myself so I could see where she flew to and then I got as close as I need to to spot her nest. Then I backed off right away.

The hens in my profile picture are the broody ones, just to give you some context. Though they were younger in the picture of course. And you can see that they eschewed this lovely little coop that is perfect for a broody hen in favor of nesting in a pasture rife w/ natural hazards.

 

[centrarchid]

I would like to get a hen like the one on the left.

 

[Mrs. K]

Really chickens know more about being chickens than we will ever know. Mother nature is ruthless, there are no guarantees, but it does work pretty regularly. I would make sure they have feed, and let them do it their way all the way through the game.

People often times, with the greatest and kindest of reasons, mess this up.

Mrs K

 

[Mom2Chicken]

Hi All,

As an update, 9 chicks have hatched successfully. They hatched about a week ago when we were out of town. Upon returning we found the nest empty save for one egg and a bit of shell. A short time later, we found mama hen and her chicks foraging under the cover of a redwood tree 20 yards from her nest.

In the end, we've decided to contain them a bit and not let them free range 100%. They sleep in a coop and have a chicken run which they escape at will because the mama can fly and the chicks can still squeeze through the chicken wire. When they escape, we let them be and they eventually make it back.

We decided to contain them a bit to avoid predators, including our well meaning, but curious puppies, and because we hope to tame them. We'd like to be able to handle them and eventually give most of them away.

Thanks again to all who gave advice, especially @Mrs. K and @centrarchid! We're still learning here, but having a great time doing it.

We are still seeing if the other hen will hatch her clutch. It should be any day now.