Obnoxious rooster (possibly) help

[whittleah]

I have a flock of 16 10 week old layers. I’m pretty sure my Ameraucana is a rooster, but he hasn’t started crowing yet so I don’t know for sure. He’s larger than the rest and very obnoxious and doesn’t like to be touched, so I’m pretty sure it’s not a hen. When I let them out to free range, all the others follow me and do well with going back into the coop when called. But this guy is a pickle. Last night we spent nearly an hour trying to get our hands on him. My question is, I hate to leave him in the coop alone when the others are all out having fun. But I can’t spend my evenings chasing him around the yard. Last night I was tempted to leave him to fend for himself for the night. He’s very feisty and is really good at hiding himself in the bushes so I’m pretty sure he’d be okay. I need advice.

 

[Shadrach]

I have a flock of 16 10 week old layers. I’m pretty sure my Ameraucana is a rooster, but he hasn’t started crowing yet so I don’t know for sure. He’s larger than the rest and very obnoxious and doesn’t like to be touched, so I’m pretty sure it’s not a hen. When I let them out to free range, all the others follow me and do well with going back into the coop when called. But this guy is a pickle. Last night we spent nearly an hour trying to get our hands on him. My question is, I hate to leave him in the coop alone when the others are all out having fun. But I can’t spend my evenings chasing him around the yard. Last night I was tempted to leave him to fend for himself for the night. He’s very feisty and is really good at hiding himself in the bushes so I’m pretty sure he’d be okay. I need advice.

Are you desperate to have a rooster is my first question?
If you can see him at dusk then you can probably catch him where he roosts.
This article may help you if you decide you do want to force him to live in the coop.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/getting-chickens-out-of-trees-and-into-their-coops.75511/

What I would do, and have done in the past is leave him to roost where he wants. There are not so obvious risks involved in this.
When he matures the hens may choose to roost with him.
On the other hand it's possible that once he matures he will go into the coop with what then should be his hens assuming they accept him.
If he survives roosting outside he's either lucky, smart, or both and that makes him a keeper imo.

 

[whittleah]

Are you desperate to have a rooster is my first question?
If you can see him at dusk then you can probably catch him where he roosts.
This article may help you if you decide you do want to force him to live in the coop.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/getting-chickens-out-of-trees-and-into-their-coops.75511/

What I would do, and have done in the past is leave him to roost where he wants. There are not so obvious risks involved in this.
When he matures the hens may choose to roost with him.
On the other hand it's possible that once he matures he will go into the coop with what then should be his hens assuming they accept him.
If he survives roosting outside he's either lucky, smart, or both and that makes him a keeper imo.

Thank you! I’m not desperate to have a rooster. In fact, I really didn’t want a rooster, but he was a free bonus chick. I pretty much decided today that if he makes my life difficult this evening, I’m going to leave him to roost where he wishes and live life how he wishes. I hate to say it, but it wouldn’t be a huge loss if a predator were to get involved. I don’t see him straying far from the coop or the rest of the flock.

 

[3KillerBs]

Last night we spent nearly an hour trying to get our hands on him.

Are you trying to put the birds in before it's actually dark?

With my birds I *have* seen some issues with "teenagers" staying out too late, but 95% of my problems with not being able to get birds to go in to roost have been the result of me trying to put them in on my schedule instead of in accordance with their natural rhythms.

They are remarkably uninterested in the fact that while it may be late June and still light out past 9, I still have to get up at 5:30.

 

[whittleah]

Are you trying to put the birds in before it's actually dark?

With my birds I *have* seen some issues with "teenagers" staying out too late, but 95% of my problems with not being able to get birds to go in to roost have been the result of me trying to put them in on my schedule instead of in accordance with their natural rhythms.

They are remarkably uninterested in the fact that while it may be late June and still light out past 9, I still have to get up at 5:30.

Yes, I have been shutting them up earlier in the evening. They do still have access to their run though, so they’re aren’t shut up in a coop, per-say. The hens all come running when I come out with grubs and I have no issue coaxing them into the coop. He’s the only one who seems hell bent on staying away.

 

[whittleah]

Are you trying to put the birds in before it's actually dark?

With my birds I *have* seen some issues with "teenagers" staying out too late, but 95% of my problems with not being able to get birds to go in to roost have been the result of me trying to put them in on my schedule instead of in accordance with their natural rhythms.

They are remarkably uninterested in the fact that while it may be late June and still light out past 9, I still have to get up at 5:30.

Also, I work nightshift, so I have to leave in the evening, hence me needing back in before dark. Otherwise I’d leave them out later.

 

[3KillerBs]

Also, I work nightshift, so I have to leave in the evening, hence me needing back in before dark. Otherwise I’d leave them out later.

That gets difficult -- like me trying to go to bed when the chickens aren't ready to roost yet.

Shortening days will help.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

I have a flock of 16 10 week old layers. I’m pretty sure my Ameraucana is a rooster, but he hasn’t started crowing yet so I don’t know for sure. He’s larger than the rest and very obnoxious and doesn’t like to be touched, so I’m pretty sure it’s not a hen. When I let them out to free range, all the others follow me and do well with going back into the coop when called. But this guy is a pickle. Last night we spent nearly an hour trying to get our hands on him. My question is, I hate to leave him in the coop alone when the others are all out having fun. But I can’t spend my evenings chasing him around the yard. Last night I was tempted to leave him to fend for himself for the night. He’s very feisty and is really good at hiding himself in the bushes so I’m pretty sure he’d be okay. I need advice.

What I did when my roo did that(sounds like he is a roo too) is I closed the coop and locked him out for a few hours then 2-3 hours (or until he’s pacing the coop pitching a fit) later I opened it back up and left, went back out an hour later and he was in the coop with the others