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

[Mom2Chicken]

There is a rooster in the neighborhood who has found his way to the horse pen adjacent to our property. He is rather vocal about his presence. The fence that divides the property is 6.5' tall. Three of our chickens are game hens who can and have visited the other side of the fence in the past. They seem to hang out by that fence a lot these days. And the rooster does the same, except on his side. One of my hens was perched atop the fence yesterday squawking up a storm.

My question...what can I expect? Can that rooster make it over the fence? Do you think my hens will be inclined to pay him a visit? They all seem to just be sitting there like shy school kids waiting to see who will ask for a dance first.

I've attached a picture for reference.

 

[sealer39]

My question...what can I expect?

Chicks!

 

[pollos_hermanos]

6.5 feet is nothing for a game hen

 

[centrarchid]

He looks like a game rooster based on a very poor image. You will get a range of color patterns in chicks with 50% showing silver / grey with no pattern related to sex. I say 50% because he appears heterozygous for silver allele since yellowish rather than white on hackles. Based on hens you will get a lot that the fanciers might call birchen.

 

[Naser]

Catch that rooster and isolate him for two weeks or cull him, now he is an easy meal for predators, after they taste the meat they will come after your hens, unless you are absolutley sure no predator can get your hens.

 

[Mom2Chicken]

Catch that rooster and isolate him for two weeks or cull him...

Thanks for your concern. Alas, that rooster is not ours to catch or cull. I don't know who he belongs to, and I haven't seen him on our property. He just comes to the fence that separates our property from our neighbor's and crows up a storm.

As far as predators go, I have four hens who are what we call "normal" chickens (a Leghorn, a Plymouth Rock, and two others). We lock them up at night. The other three are free range. They sleep...wherever (we think in a tree). It's up to them to stay safe. Now, if one of them does get a case of the broodies and sets herself atop fertile eggs, we'll do our best to ensure her safety and the safety of her chicks.

But that rooster, he's his own man in his own space, and we can't get to him w/o breaking some laws.

 

[Mom2Chicken]

He looks like a game rooster based on a very poor image...

Interesting! Thanks for the info! We'll see what comes of this.

So far, none of my hens are acting broody. All of them are spending their days wandering around the property.

I don't know where my three free range hens are laying their eggs right now. They pick a spot to lay, and we spend a few days finding the eggs. Once we collect their eggs, they pick a new spot, and the cycle repeats.

I figure if one of them gets broody, she'll settle on the eggs and we'll find out where they've been laying eggs for the past week. Also, if she is sitting on a nest full of future chicks, we'll try to put her and the eggs in the safety of a coop.

 

[centrarchid]

If you move a hen once she begins incubation, you will more likely than not break her. When my game hens nest in pasture, I place a pen over them that is propped up during day and closed at night.

I am surprised the fence is a barrier keeping the hens and rooster apart. Are you checking on them during the day. Mine fly up and over fences when they cannot get through, and they can learn to do it quickly.

 

[Mom2Chicken]

If you move a hen once she begins incubation, you will more likely than not break her...

Thanks for this advice! We will heed that.

I don't think the fence will keep that rooster out for long. Today, he was crowing from a tree branch above the fence line, but still on our neighbor's property (see picture).

Since we're all about the shelter in place where I live, I check on all my chickens throughout the day. But I can't always find the game hens. Fences may be been hopped already!

Anyway, it's kind of fun for me to see what will happen. Thanks to everyone for the input!

 

[Chicken101-07]

There is a rooster in the neighborhood who has found his way to the horse pen adjacent to our property. He is rather vocal about his presence. The fence that divides the property is 6.5' tall. Three of our chickens are game hens who can and have visited the other side of the fence in the past. They seem to hang out by that fence a lot these days. And the rooster does the same, except on his side. One of my hens was perched atop the fence yesterday squawking up a storm.

My question...what can I expect? Can that rooster make it over the fence? Do you think my hens will be inclined to pay him a visit? They all seem to just be sitting there like shy school kids waiting to see who will ask for a dance first.

I've attached a picture for reference.View attachment 2086490

If that rooster has no hens of his own and can get over the fence,he will move into your coop with your hens or your hens if they can get over the fence,they will move in with him,it will usually be the rooster that moves in(I had it happen once to me),that's saying if you don't have a rooster,if you do own one which I don't think you do from reading the other posts,I really hope that rooster doesn't make it to your side because gamefowl really take their pecking order serious and your rooster is going to get a bad beating.