Neighbor's rooster keeps wondering off with my hens.

[Mo3]

I hope this isn't too confusing. I quickly realized how bad I am at giving details. There are 3 houses, mine being on one end and the neighbor with the rooster is on the other end. I have 6 hens. The house in the middle is my neighbor who doesn't have any chickens.There is a fence dividing my property from the other two houses but it technically isn't my fence. My hens stay in their run now after the neighbor on the far ends rooster wondered off with my hens for the umpteenth time. This rooster crosses over my neighbors yard in the middle and jumps his fence to get into my yard. My hens have been free range since they were about 8 wks old, so they are HATING being on lock down. I feel really bad for them. Any advice on how I can keep the neighbors rooster out of my yard and stealing my girls? I was asked to not mess with the fence. And the neighbor with the rooster is a precious elder Hispanic man that doesn't know english making our communication on the matter rather difficult. Any and all advice is GREATLY appreciated.

 

[DonyaQuick]

Get yourself a bigger, more handsome rooster lol. That's only half a joke; at the time I was looking for a roo for other reasons my hens were hearing a neighbor's new roo and getting a bit too interested in his crowing and I was worried they were going to run off and gift themselves to him one day. Now that they have their own man they ignore the crowing from others. So...it does work.

In all seriousness though, it sounds like the issue is that his rooster and/or whole flock isn't contained and it needs to be. I'm assuming he does have at least some hens? If so, do they get out too? Wondering if maybe other neighbors might back you up that it's a problem.

EDIT: forgot to say also if there are other neighbors not fond of the wondering rooster, maybe ask if one of them speaks Spanish and could communicate the issue? The language barrier of course makes everything more complicated.

 

[Mo3]

Get yourself a bigger, more handsome rooster lol. That's only half a joke; at the time I was looking for a roo for other reasons my hens were hearing a neighbor's new roo and getting a bit too interested in his crowing and I was worried they were going to run off and gift themselves to him one day. Now that they have their own man they ignore the crowing from others. So...it does work.

In all seriousness though, it sounds like the issue is that his rooster and/or whole flock isn't contained and it needs to be. I'm assuming he does have at least some hens? If so, do they get out too? Wondering if maybe other neighbors might back you up that it's a problem.

Guess I need to find the ladies a pretty fella then. As far as I know though, he only has his 1 rooster and a small breed dog. Ive had to go over and gather my girls a handful of times and never see any other hens over there which I thought was odd. But the rooster is completely free to wonder all over our hillside. It never bothered me til he started sneaking off with my hens because 1 did end up getting hurt by my neighbors dog I'm assuming or maybe a predator but she did make a full recovery. I do notice the dog and rooster spar quite a bit but the dog finds the rooster a bit more intimidating.

 

[DonyaQuick]

As far as I know though, he only has his 1 rooster and a small breed dog.

Oh no well, that'll be why the roo is so desperate for your flock. Unfortunately if he contains that rooster within line of sight of the hens that is also going to be one miserable rooster. A rooster of your own would definitely keep him at bay, but that is still a crummy situation. I know you said communication is a problem because of the language difference but do you have any feel for whether this is an actual pet rooster that he's attached to or just a thing he has around? Other than more fences, another option is for him to rehome it or get it some of its own hens so it has less interest in yours. If it's a pet that he's attached to, I would hope that he would understand if you managed to communicate to him what happened to your hen.

 

[Kiki]

If you want to keep your birds in your own yard build them a bigger enclosure.
Your neighbor should be keeping his own animals in his own yard too. What are your town/city laws for animals running around loose?

 

[Mo3]

Oh no well, that'll be why the roo is so desperate for your flock. Unfortunately if he contains that rooster within line of sight of the hens that is also going to be one miserable rooster. A rooster of your own would definitely keep him at bay, but that is still a crummy situation. I know you said communication is a problem because of the language difference but do you have any feel for whether this is an actual pet rooster that he's attached to or just a thing he has around? Other than more fences, another option is for him to rehome it or get it some of its own hens so it has less interest in yours. If it's a pet that he's attached to, I would hope that he would understand if you managed to communicate to him what happened to your henm not 100% sure, what I have gathered is whoever lived there before him left the rooster and he started caring for it when he moved in. The man is precious he's all the time sending stuff from his garden over to us and I've tried to use Google translate to communicate but even then it's like he doesn't understand fully, and whenever I try to translate what he says it's translated in English but it makes no sense at all...I feel like I'm making a bigger fuss over it than what it's worth, but really that's why I came here I just figured if there was an easy solution that I could do on my own that wouldn't inconvenience him, that would be great.

Oh no well, that'll be why the roo is so desperate for your flock. Unfortunately if he contains that rooster within line of sight of the hens that is also going to be one miserable rooster. A rooster of your own would definitely keep him at bay, but that is still a crummy situation. I know you said communication is a problem because of the language difference but do you have any feel for whether this is an actual pet rooster that he's attached to or just a thing he has around? Other than more fences, another option is for him to rehome it or get it some of its own hens so it has less interest in yours. If it's a pet that he's attached to, I would hope that he would understand if you managed to communicate to him what happened to your hen.

I'm not 100% sure, what I have gathered is whoever lived there before him left the rooster and he started caring for it when he moved in. The man is precious he's all the time sending stuff from his garden over to us and I've tried to use Google translate to communicate but even then it's like he doesn't understand fully, and whenever I try to translate what he says it's translated in English but it makes no sense at all...He lives alone and there was one time he had a visitor over and they kind of understood me and helped to translate but that was before I even knew he had a rooster and I haven't seen him have any company over since. I feel like I'm making a bigger fuss over it this than I should be. But I was just trying to find a solution I could do myself without appearing as a mean neighbor.

 

[Kiki]

I'm not 100% sure, what I have gathered is whoever lived there before him left the rooster and he started caring for it when he moved in. The man is precious he's all the time sending stuff from his garden over to us and I've tried to use Google translate to communicate but even then it's like he doesn't understand fully, and whenever I try to translate what he says it's translated in English but it makes no sense at all...He lives alone and there was one time he had a visitor over and they kind of understood me and helped to translate but that was before I even knew he had a rooster and I haven't seen him have any company over since. I feel like I'm making a bigger fuss over it this than I should be. But I was just trying to find a solution I could do myself without appearing as a mean neighbor.

You can solve this by yourself. They're your birds and you want to keep them in your yard so you have to do something in order for your birds to stay in your yard.


Can expect people around you to change the way they raise their animals in order for your animal to stay where it should be



Promise you I'm not trying to be ugly but from where I'm sitting it is a very simple solution.
If you want your birds to stay home you Make sure they don't have a way to get out.

 

[Folly's place]

Would you want to adopt this rooster? Maybe your neighbor would like that, if possible for you. And there's got to be a way to find a Spanish speaker who could help. Is there a Spanish speaking community nearby? A church group? Around here it would be possible to connect with someone.
And it's totally true that you need to keep your own flock on your property, as @aart already said.
Mary

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree with Folly. I am thinking of the house in the middle who has no chickens but who is going to hear a rooster crowing contest each day.

There is a good chance the Spanish guy might be growing up a supper. So don't get attached, but I am rather surprised this rooster has not followed your hens into your coop?

I would let them out, when he comes to get them, entice him into your coop, and lock them up for a couple of days in the coop/run. He will come to think of this as home, and the elderly man will have to come get him, but the rooster will come back.

Mrs K

 

[Shadrach]

Sometimes one has to travel for love.
I can't see this as being anyones fault, or even much of a problem until you decided to put a stop to everyones fun.
The chickens are doing what chickens do.

The man is precious he's all the time sending stuff from his garden over to us

Seems like a nice old boy trying to be as friendly as his rooster.