Will Hens go Looking for a Rooster?

[Patinas]

I don't know if this a dumb question or not but I don't want to have a rooster in my flock (this is my first time raising chickens). I live on 5+ acres but a couple of my distant neighbors have roosters because I do hear them crowing.

If I don't have a rooster and my hens are free ranging on days when I'm home, will they seek out the roosters if they hear them? I don't want my hens wandering off looking for love!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hens bond to a territory, so it would be unnatural for them to wander off, even for a rooster. More than likely they might become more vocal hoping to draw a male in.

 

[chickens really]

....If it was up to a Hen, their would be no Roosters.......Your Hens will not go looking for love...The Rooster will not come looking for Hens.....Your safe in that situation ...


Cheers!

 

[centrarchid]

My hens without a rooster will often move to where they hear an adult rooster. The home range / territoriality does slow the process. What the hen will do is adjust her free-ranging habits slowly over time and she will become more vocal at times, especially around egg laying time. Roosters (mature) without a harem will respond more quickly to such signals from an unattached hen and be more apt to go to hen if not more than a couple hundred yards away. That usually takes time as well. What speeds things up is a predator disturbance causing range / roost site to shift. I have had single hens move 1/4 mile over the course of a summer. I do not know if males will go so far unless disturbed because they are managed more closely.

 

[aart]

Depending on how 'distant'...... it is surely possible they will 'hook up'.

 

[chickens really]

Two acreages from me have Chickens and Roosters too, zero issues ever with our flocks intermingling....lol...

Your fine...


Cheers!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I don't know if this a dumb question or not but I don't want to have a rooster in my flock (this is my first time raising chickens). I live on 5+ acres but a couple of my distant neighbors have roosters because I do hear them crowing.

If I don't have a rooster and my hens are free ranging on days when I'm home, will they seek out the roosters if they hear them? I don't want my hens wandering off looking for love!

Hi.

Hope you are enjoying BYC!

I have boys in a stag pen and while the boys pace the fence to get to the girls, the girls go about their business without a care... only approaching the male pen when I am giving out treats. An occasional girl will groom a boy who been flirting at the fence. But none have acted as if they would go looking for a roo. My flock is 50+

 

[biophiliac]

I don't know if this a dumb question or not but I don't want to have a rooster in my flock (this is my first time raising chickens). I live on 5+ acres but a couple of my distant neighbors have roosters because I do hear them crowing.

If I don't have a rooster and my hens are free ranging on days when I'm home, will they seek out the roosters if they hear them? I don't want my hens wandering off looking for love!

I think that is an excellent and interesting question...Learned something from all the good answers!

 

[Patinas]

Thanks everyone! I feel better that they won't go looking! I don't know if the neighbors with roosters let theirs free range or not but now I feel better that there's enough distance that it shouldn't be an issue.