taming feral rooster

[welasharon]

Centrarchid-I feel the need to escape is prime in his makeup. My pens are open air pens but I had to put plastic on the sides to keep him from trying to fly through the wire. He has survived for quite some time on his own. Not sure if he can overcome it or not. Worth a try I guess.
Pop-Our hurricanes worry me but at least they are done for a bit. I have no idea how he manages to stay in those pines in some of the weather we have. Yes, and I won't break his spirit if he doesn't start to stay voluntarily...I will let him go....but I am gonna give it a shot! LOL

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Yeah, you`re in huricane alley. I was still in WPB in `05 when we had so many go through there. I had a hen and a duck get waterlogged to the point I had to take them in the house and let them dry out in the bathroom for a day. Had a pen blow and release a Spanish gamecock that fought another cock through the wire and bled out, but that`s all the casualties I had in spite of having close to 50 4 X 5 movable pens that I tied together with rope to keep them from blowing away. All the loose chickens, ducks, guineas, and geese weathered the storms just fine, except the 2 mentioned. At one point we were 19 hours in the eyewall of one of them, but that`s another story. The fowl all made it. I think your boy will be fine, providing the predators don`t get him. My pal in Altha has been hit hard with predators the last 2 years. Good luck........Pop

 

[welasharon]

Quote:
Yeah, you`re in huricane alley. I was still in WPB in `05 when we had so many go through there. I had a hen and a duck get waterlogged to the point I had to take them in the house and let them dry out in the bathroom for a day. Had a pen blow and release a Spanish gamecock that fought another cock through the wire and bled out, but that`s all the casualties I had in spite of having close to 50 4 X 5 movable pens that I tied together with rope to keep them from blowing away. All the loose chickens, ducks, guineas, and geese weathered the storms just fine, except the 2 mentioned. At one point we were 19 hours in the eyewall of one of them, but that`s another story. The fowl all made it. I think your boy will be fine, providing the predators don`t get him. My pal in Altha has been hit hard with predators the last 2 years. Good luck........Pop

I would like to meet your friend sometime. I built my pens with hardware cloth all sides and buried 4x4 posts to attach it all to...will have to see how they weather!

 

[welasharon]

Update on feral rooster
I finally decided I would only catch him and pen him up when the weather was going to be severe. I have put him in several times so far. Day before yesterday I put him in as it was going to be very windy and below freezing. We went from near 80 to 29 in a couple days. Yesterday I didn't make it home before he left so he was on his own last night...it was 29 this morning. This afternoon I had to take pictures at a birthday party and it was dark when I got home. My husband closed the pens for me but didn't make a head count...I went out and was up by one. I looked closer and there he was on the roost. Before, I had to catch him in a net and lock him in the chicken-jail section. I think he finally realized it was a bit more comfy in the pen with the others. Will be interesting to watch to see what he does tomorrow.
sharon