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Isabel

Someone dumped a cockerel over our hedge! - update 16th Oct

By Isabel, in Chickens, Eggs and Hatching

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Isabel Frequent Layer

Isabel

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We were woken at 7am this morning by a most unusual crowing sound :shock: . We didn't have a rooster when we went to bed last night and we had no intention of getting one but someone else thought otherwise. We think he was popped over the hedge sometime during the night or early this morning :x - I guess someone saw the henhouse in the garden. At first I thought one of the hens hadn't been locked in last night and was distressed but no ... when I leaned out the bathroom window I saw this fella peeking out from the shrubs.

 

Visitingrooster001.jpg

 

We live in the middle of nowhere and none of our neighbours along this road keep hens which is why we think he's been dropped off. Anyway, needless to say, he spent the day driving our three girls mad - him on one side of the electric fencing and them on the other. We can't get near him and unfortunately, despite my poor husband's best efforts, he's still loose tonight - which is a bit of a worry given we saw a mink in the garden just a fortnight ago. We don't particularly want him and have found someone who will take him and put him with other roosters and geese - assuming we can catch him! Hopefully he'll be okay in that environment.

 

He is quite nice though, isn't he? Any ideas on breed or age? He looks quite young to me but because we can't get within 12 feet of him (hence the blurred photo!), it's impossible to see what sort of condition he's in. Oh, and suggestions on catching him too would be appreciated! The obvious is to let him in with our girls but heaven knows where he's come from or what sort of health he's in so I'm not doing that!

 

Isabel

 

** Update on page 2 of the thread. - Egluntyne

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Isabel Frequent Layer

Isabel

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Thanks Tasha - I'd the age all wrong then :roll: but he is good-looking. Yes, we thought he looked a bit scrawny. We threw him some feed and corn earlier and he picked at it but he's really wild. We've nearly an acre of garden/orchard and can't find him as it's pitch black - there are too many beds for him to hide in. Sigh. I'm going to worry about him all night now.

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Isabel Frequent Layer

Isabel

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When we woke this morning there wasn't a sound to be heard and he was nowhere to be seen. DH let the girls out and I was out in the garden later in the morning for a good 20 mins poo-picking and playing with DTs. I was sure he'd been taken by fox or mink. Then he appeared at lunchtime. He was quite hungry and thirsty although I must admit we only gave him corn. I went out to try and grab him as the girls went to bed tonight but he'd disappeared again. I spent half an hour searching amongst shrubs in the beds and walking along the boundary. I don't know where he'd gone - he was there 20 mins before I went out as DS's were making an attempt to catch him.

 

I'm wondering whether he's visiting but as I said, no-one on our road has hens so if he was to come from the road behind, he'd have a mile to walk through fields which are frequented by foxes. Unless he's found a good hiding spot in the garden.

 

Sigh. I just don't know what to do about him. Does anyone have any ideas as to how we might get hold of him in daylight hours cos dusk certainly isn't working. The hens f/r inside an electric fenced area. One option might be to shut them in their hen-house run and let him inside the fencing. How we catch him then, I don't know. I'm worried that if he might contaminate their ground with worms or heaven knows what.

 

All suggestions as to what to do with and about him are welcome. He's still got that home to go to but ....

 

No, I don't need another, I tell myself!!

 

Isabel

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WitchHazel Effusive Egg Layer

WitchHazel

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What a stunning boy.

 

Do you have any spare omlet netting?

 

I was wondering if you could perhaps fence off an area where you know he is happy to eat, leaving one side open. Put water in,some food, and cthen chuck some corn in to get him in there, then simply close the fence. It coul dbe quite a large area, as the purpose would be to try and contain him.

 

Then, when it's darkish, you can pick him up.

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Isabel Frequent Layer

Isabel

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Just for you Scarlet - today's update! First though, Witchhazel - a great idea but no netting to be had here at the moment although read on, as I might have a solution!

 

He was crowing early this morning although not a sound when hubby went to let the girls out. Then a bokking from behind ... there he was, well up a tree, surveying the world! He's not quite as clever as he thinks because his tree is so close to the henhouse that if he flew down in the other direction to what he did, he would have been safely in with the girls. Okay - so now we know where he's roosting, tonight we'll try to grap him as he sleeps - cross your fingers.

 

On a more practical note, I brought him some food this morning and he's a hungry boy. He doesn't look mega- healthy close up - not sick per-se, just scraggy. When he lifts his head, I can see that he's missing feathers at the top of his neck - his skin looks dry and almost mangy - ugh. I've noticed that he either has no feathers or is white under his wings - sorry, my eyesight isn't up to the detail from a distance :roll:

 

Last night I was coming round to the idea of keeping him, now in daylight I realise I don't want to risk bringing any infection (or lice!) into our little flock so he can go off to the nice man down the road who will feed him and look after him and give him a happy life. Husband remarked that he'd love to know where he came from as he himself would sneak back in the dead of night and put him right back there :wink:

 

Isabel

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Isabel Frequent Layer

Isabel

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He's still out there ... he didn't roost in the same tree last night.

 

Today I called at a house a few roads away where they keep hens - he doesn't belong to them. I also asked another lady I know whether she might be interested in him - she might, she'll check with her son who keeps the hens. So, he might have two home options if only we can find him as it gets dark. Can't try tonight as the kids have swimming which keeps us going til late. He's happy enough today, scratching in the beds and eating pellets! The more I think about it, the more I think we'll need a fishing net to trap him.

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WitchHazel Effusive Egg Layer

WitchHazel

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He's still out there ... he didn't roost in the same tree last night.

 

The more I think about it, the more I think we'll need a fishing net to trap him.

 

Good luck with that idea.

 

I bought a poultry catching net from FlytesoFancy, as a couple of my girls are a nightmare to catch. What a fiasco that was! They seem to thikn that the net is some bird of prey, and they go beserk and scatter as soon as they see it - even my girls who are normally happy to be caught.

 

In an attempt to get them used to it, and to stop panickig whenever they see it, I'm reduced to carrying the damn thing with me when I go out to give them treats! It's been a few days now, and still they scatter....although having scattered, they are getting quicker at coming out again.

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jill the potter All Knowing Superchicken

jill the potter

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He's still out there ... he didn't roost in the same tree last night.

 

The more I think about it, the more I think we'll need a fishing net to trap him.

 

Good luck with that idea.

 

I bought a poultry catching net from FlytesoFancy, as a couple of my girls are a nightmare to catch. What a fiasco that was! They seem to thikn that the net is some bird of prey, and they go beserk and scatter as soon as they see it - even my girls who are normally happy to be caught.

 

In an attempt to get them used to it, and to stop panickig whenever they see it, I'm reduced to carrying the damn thing with me when I go out to give them treats! It's been a few days now, and still they scatter....although having scattered, they are getting quicker at coming out again.

:lol::lol::lol:

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Isabel Frequent Layer

Isabel

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An update on Sat 16th ... drum roll please ... I caught him tonight just after he'd hopped up on his branch to roost :clap: . He has ambled about the orchard quite happily all week - my husband claimed that the girls were slower to come out in the mornings, perhaps waiting for his permission; also, in the mornings, although on the other side of the electric fencing, he waited til the girls were munching their food before eating his own pellets. Hubby even gave him a name :roll: (bad idea) - Gorgeous George - and tried to convince me to hang onto him. However, not knowing where he has come from or for what reason he was dropped off, just put me right off him so tonight I balanced precariously on a rock to reach him, wearing heavy gardening gloves just incase (!) and made a grab for him. He was not a happy bunny when he found himself imprisoned in a cardboard box although settled after about 10 mins. I, on the other hand, was ecstatic! :dance:

 

His new home ... he went off in his box in the dark to a delapidated farmhouse at the end of a long lane (husband went too so this is his description). Inside in a room to the left of the front door (yes, actually in the farmhouse!!) are 3-4 geese, big geese who weren't happy to see two men armed with a box and a torch :D . A gate blocked off the bottom of the stairs. When the torch was shone upwards, there were 3 roosters roosting happily on the bannisters. DH opened the box, George looked at him wide-eyed, DH told him it was no good, 'she' couldn't be won round, and encouraged him out. He snuggled down on the step. And that was it, they left him too it. He ought to be okay tonight as the place was in darkness and everyone settled for the night. I hope to goodness that he fares okay tomorrow but I will find out how he gets on. Meantime, my lovely ladies can get back to normality and I won't be woken at 7pm by George announcing daybreak!

 

Thanks eveyone for all your advice - I can't believe how many people have been following this thread! :D

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Isabel Frequent Layer

Isabel

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He's still there but no update today as to how he's getting on. The farmhouse is derelict but farmer-friend farms there IYKWIM so someone is there at least twice daily checking livestock. The roosters & geese are closed up at night and let out and fed in the morning. DS's had to be taken a drive there today for a look!

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