Will neighbor's rooster steal my hens?

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Actually, it does. Animals kept in close confinement are far more likely to spread disease and be ill. The energy it takes to roam and free range will drag an infected animal down. Observe the animal, is he active, alert, feathes clean and bright, eyes clear, and overall appearance looks healthy. Sure, a healthy looking critter can be a carrier of disease, everybody can carry disease, but it's nothing to get negative and paranoid about. That's how I figure that.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: Though that is true, free ranging is definitely not a guarantee that the bird is not a carrier. That's all I'm saying. Folks bring carrier birds home from swaps all the time and turn them loose to free range. Just don't want people to get the wrong idea here.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Yes, good to be informed! As my friend simply says, there is no guarentee with chickens. Ever.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, good to be informed! As my friend simply says, there is no guarentee with chickens. Ever.

And just when you think you've seen it all, you're thrown a curve.

 

[CAjerseychick]

Thank you! This was my first instinct too! I'm glad to know it's possible to be a wait and see kind of situation. I'm more of a 'can't we all get along' kind of person, but also want to be a responsible chicken owner so I'll try to find this balance

How bout getting your own Rooster? You can have one of my (5-7! will know for sure in a couple of weeks) Jersey Giants- just kidding, I am all the way in CA, but I know there are usually plenty availible on Craigslist for adoption, actually the animal shelter had 2 roosters as well- and those are prescreened and healthy!

 

[PAchickenlover]

I live in PA and I will give you one of my Roosters. He is a mixed breed but is pretty to look at. I am in SE PA. Let me know if you want him he will keep the other roo away but isn't mean to people or hens.

 

[linatag]

I have a small child so we're holding off on roosters for now, but thanks

I know some roosters are quite nice, but I'd rather not chance a rooster/child problem.

We're in the middle of Amish farmland so it's impossible to throw an acorn without hitting a fresh egg and/or vegetable stand. Finding healthy chicks and roosters is definitely not difficult out here!

Thanks everyone for all your thoughts and advice!

After talking with my neighbor today we're going to take a wait and see approach and if things become a problem we'll swap schedules since she's retired and I'm a stay at home mom so it's easy enough for one to let their flock out in the morning and the other to be afternoon foragers.

 

[coffeenutdesign]

Why on earth is your neighbor encouraging HIS birds to YOUR yard? If he has to cross a road, he is obviously making them leave his property for yours. A road is definitely indicative of a property line being crossed. That would be a huge boundary issue for me and is rather presumptuous on his part to think he can just shoo them over to your side without asking you.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I don't think the neighbor is encouraging, I think they are just letting the chickens roam and wants no issue...chickens don't care about things like boundaries made by people. They are just doing what chickens do, looking for eats. I seriously doubt he is shooting them over to the neighbors., although that is a funny thought. Correct me if I'm wrong. Mine used to go all the way across the pasture, cross the road, and into an area I did not want them, and the only thing that stopped that was a wolf attack. Now they don't go there. There is one corner on the road where you have to drive slow because often I see a rooster leading his hens down the hill across the road and probably into the next yard...but people don't seem to mind these visits, it happens in the country.

 

[linatag]

Yes, the 'he' pronoun is referring to the rooster

My neighbor is a wonderfully sweet elderly woman. She definitely wouldn't encourage anything of her's to inconvenience anyone else.

The way our properties sit, my house looks onto the back corner of her wooded lot. She's unable to even see my house from her yard. The rooster tends to guide his girls in a big loop and they do the loop like clockwork but over the last few months the loop gets a bit bigger and bigger and now includes the edge of our side yard.