what do I do about the neighbor's rooster?

[jameverywhere]

I have three seven-week-old feral pullets and a cockerel that I rescued when their feral mom died. For now I am keeping them confined to a run until they are big enough to defend themselves from feral cats and mongooses, the only real predators around here (I live in Hawaii).

There's a rooster that lives nearby, totally feral except my neighbor feeds him. He hangs around my yard and my coop all the time, and has even eaten out of my hand before, so I thought he was pretty docile. Well, yesterday my chickens all escaped their run (I'm dumb and didn't latch the door properly), and the rooster started chasing them around, plucking at their tail feathers and pecking them really hard in the chest, and my little girls were screaming!! I was so mad at him. Then he and one of his hens went in my run and started eating all the feed. So I trapped them in there.

I got a different neighbor to help me get the rooster out of the coop (we let the hen go). This neighbor hates that he crows all night and was going to relocate him to a park like seven miles away. But something happened--I'm not sure what, but the rooster is now free and back running around outside.

I was going to free-range my birds when they got big enough, but now I'm afraid this rooster is just going to attack them if I try to let them out. And if I trap or kill this feral rooster, I'm afraid my neighbor who feeds him might hurt my birds if they fly over his fence.

What can I do? I'm so mad at this bird for attacking my little pullets, and I know that once I start free-ranging my girls he's going to come steal all their feed. I just want him gone, or at least out of my yard for good. Technically he doesn't belong to anybody, but I saw my neighbor holding and petting him this morning.

Would I be a hypocrite if I trapped & relocated him next time he comes into my yard, but let my own birds free-range (and possibly go into the neighbor's yard)? I'm going to get rid of my own rooster, fwiw, once he starts crowing, and I would never hurt or harm a hen that came into my yard unless she was injuring my birds too for some reason. And if one of my birds was injuring someone else's pet, I wouldn't hold it against them if they caught or even killed one.

 

[bobbi-j]

If he’s flying over your fence, maybe you could try catching him and clipping his wings? I don’t know your neighborhood or how people feel about the neighbor’s chickens coming into their yard. I know that where I live, it’s considered common courtesy to keep your animals on your own property. You mentioned the potential of your chickens ending up at your neighbor’s house - I’d work really hard not to let that happen no matter how you resolve the rooster problem. You relocate him, what’s to stop your neighbor from doing the same with your birds if they wander?

 

[neo71665]

If the neighbor refuses to care for it I would have done had it in my freezer.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Have you considered discussing the problem with the neighbor who feeds the rooster? To me, it seems kind of underhanded to dispose of the rooster without talking to him. Then if/when he asks you about it, since you don't like to lie, you are going to have to 'fess up and tell him what you did, which you already fear may have negative consequences. (And, in my opinion, rightfully so.)

Suppose you start by letting him know there's a problem and see if a solution can be worked out before you do anything. He may be fond enough of the rooster to decide to build him a pen and keep him confined. Problem solved. Or he may have a friend or a place he is willing to take him to. Or he may say, no worries, take him away. Aloha. Problem solved, no hard feelings. No anxiety on your part. Is this worth a try?

 

[jameverywhere]

Can we get an update on this situation? How's it going and what if anything did you decide to do?

Hey, I know this was a long time ago but I just saw this!

I was told that the neighbor who was feeding him was moving out soon, and wouldn't be around to feed the rooster anymore.

So I caught the rooster and relocated him to a park about half a mile away from anyone's house. I gave him lots of mealworms in the meantime.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Oh yeah I forgot about mongooses! I'll add it to the original post.

I'm just really upset that my neighbor promised to relocate him and then didn't. I don't know if maybe the neighbor that feeds the bird intervened? But it's not like he really "owns" the bird, I know he sleeps in a tree in yet a different neighbor's yard. It would be different if he kept a coop and everything.

I wonder if the rooster will fall for being trapped in the run again. If I leave my girls in the coop in the morning and bait the run, maybe he'll go in...??

Worth a try! He’s probably looking for company.
I had a feral rooster hanging around my birds similarly to your story. I let him hang around as long as he stayed in the periphery when we let our birds out under supervision. My little Silkie cockerel attacked him one day, I was quite surprised because I thought he was a bit of a wimp!
I quickly intervened so he wouldn’t get hurt as the feral rooster is probably three times his size. Then the feral rooster tried to attack some of my young pullets, that was the last straw. So I caught him and sent him packing to the local nature Park where I have seen he is happily living with some hens!

 

[3KillerBs]

What about putting up a fence to keep your chickens in your yard and chickens that aren't yours out of your yard?

 

[Sierra G]

Here's a link that might prove helpful

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/coq-au-vin-recipe4-2011654

Maybe invite your neighbor to dinner.

 

[BecaHawaii]

That's hectic.

That's hectic.

We have chickens, Roo's and chicks running all over all the time. We have some of the only known actual "Jungle Fowl". Although a lot of been cross bred with other chickens that have been set loose.

 

[Citytransplant]

I am confused. You took in feral chickens and want to keep them to free range. Your neighbor is caring for a feral rooster that is also free ranged and you want to "rehome" it. Keep your chickens safe in an enclosed area, put wire or a tarp over the enclosure and let you neighbors love their feral rooster as much as you love your chickens.