Will neighbor's rooster steal my hens?

[bobbi-j]

However, our across the street neighbor is the only nearby house with a rooster.

Lately he's been guiding his girls across the street into our treed side yard. We don't mind the trespassing, but I'm concerned the rooster will try to incorporate our girls into his flock? Is this possible?

I can understand how the above sentences would cause someone to ask the question below. I had the same thought. That having been said, I wish mine would roam farther. We live on a farm. A real one, surrounded by cropland. Our cropland. We also have large grassy areas near the coop, a grove with lots of trees. Do they go anywhere near the fields, grove, or long grass to eat grasshoppers? No. They hang around near the coops and barn begging for food because they have eaten the grass down so short in the area where they stay. I've been trying to lure them into the bean field, and into the long grass so they can eat bugs. They're almost 5 months old, so you'd think they'd figure out foraging some day...

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.

 

[zsa zsa]

Yep. He is working the situation, for sure. Ever consider getting your own rooster?

 

[coffeenutdesign]

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.

OH, I see. I was reading that as your neighbor was the he. The rooster doing it makes more sense. They have no respect for other peoples boundaries

 

[coffeenutdesign]

I can understand how the above sentences would cause someone to ask the question below. I had the same thought. That having been said, I wish mine would roam farther. We live on a farm. A real one, surrounded by cropland. Our cropland. We also have large grassy areas near the coop, a grove with lots of trees. Do they go anywhere near the fields, grove, or long grass to eat grasshoppers? No. They hang around near the coops and barn begging for food because they have eaten the grass down so short in the area where they stay. I've been trying to lure them into the bean field, and into the long grass so they can eat bugs. They're almost 5 months old, so you'd think they'd figure out foraging some day...

That was my bad, lol. I read it wrong. I hear what you are saying though. I have 25 acres, the house to the south of me is vacant, the house to the north is setting on the way other side of his property, and behind us is all open field. My chickens stay in the front yard or go to their coop about 20 yards from the house. Granted there is a lot of dessert, so not a lot of greenery, but they don't even go where the native grasses grow just right outside their coop. They beeline for the yard. :/ At least they stay out of my garden.

 

[JohnBerry]

one 330 ft roll at a time, as we could afford it

I have been thinking about doing this. The cost has put me off but I can do it a bit at a time. That is how I do everything. I wonder why this did not occur to me? Getting old. Thanks for helping me see past my own nose.

 

[speckledhen]

I have been thinking about doing this. The cost has put me off but I can do it a bit at a time. That is how I do everything. I wonder why this did not occur to me? Getting old. Thanks for helping me see past my own nose.

No problem! Livestock fencing is the most economical way to go, and really, the only way for our hilly mountain property, since it flexes enough for uneven ground, unlike welded wire fencing the pens are built with. We did it in maybe 5 stages, since the steel posts are not cheap, either. On a military retirement, it's not easy to do things all at once, but fencing is something that lends itself to doing it in stages, as money permits.

 

[PAchickenlover]

Just to let you know, I have 4 children. My twins just turned 6, I have not had a Rooster problem yet. I can understand your concern though. The offer is still open. Sounds like you and your neighbor are doing the right thing though and working it out, which is always the best option. Good luck to you and your flock.

 

[DvanderSlik]

This is so strange! I am having the EXACT SAME situation. My neighbor liked our 3 hens, and decided to get hens of his own. There was an Oops and he accidentally bought a rooster. We don't mind him, but he's been harassing our girls when we let the free-range. I know exactly what you're going through. Shooing, or scaring him away won't really work. I've been able to catch the rooster and lock him in his OWN coop. The problem is, that then the hens can't get in if the door is shut...