what do I do about the neighbor's rooster?

[Harley8181]

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.

Sounds like you're in my neighborhood having the same problems I am. Are you on maui? I know people will be upset but I finally had to shoot the annoying rooster.

 

[raingarden]

He was probably trying to mate your birds. I'd turn them out as planned and let the fowl work out their differences. Sometimes it's best to not get too involved in the personal lives of chickens.

 

[RooStar Chicken Gang]

Feral chickens and roosters? What do you mean? I know what feral goats, dogs, cats, horses (Brumbies) are but... Is there really chickens that escape or are abandoned in the wild that survive on there own an form flocks? IV never been hiking the bush an found such a thing.

 

[BecaHawaii]

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.

Aloha! It's hard to to free range your birds unless you have a large fenced property. We made a good size run and egg house. Then we do a deep bed method of dirt. We grow grasses & clover for them. We have multiple Roos & hens that are in our yard that don't don't bother our girls & one roo in the coop/run.

 

[BecaHawaii]

Feral chickens and roosters? What do you mean? I know what feral goats, dogs, cats, horses (Brumbies) are but... Is there really chickens that escape or are abandoned in the wild that survive on there own an form flocks? IV never been hiking the bush an found such a thing.

Yes! We have Jungle Fowl here.

 

[RooStar Chicken Gang]

Yes! We have Jungle Fowl here.

That's hectic.

 

[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.

 

[neo71665]

Feral chickens and roosters? What do you mean? I know what feral goats, dogs, cats, horses (Brumbies) are but... Is there really chickens that escape or are abandoned in the wild that survive on there own an form flocks? IV never been hiking the bush an found such a thing.

It's a thing on many smaller islands. Sometimes to the point of being a problem.

 

[raingarden]

There are places in Hawaii that have a chicken problem. So does Key West, Florida.

 

[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.