Rooster Help

[CherCher]

Hi, I had a rooster show up at my house and we tried to find his owners but had no luck. Its been over two months now and found out where he came from but found out they only keep their chickens for one season so there is no way I am sending him back there lol...Hes become our pet now. I didn't know much about them when he arrived but after finding this forum have learned a lot. We made him a home from a design online it supposed to be for 2 to 3 chickens but we cant get him to use it. He roosts at night on our covered deck. There are beams going across there and under that we have lattice and that is where he sleeps. Its now getting cold supposed to get down to -10 celcius this week and I really want him to go in the house. I have been using a heater but I don't think it does much good especially if there is a breeze. Does anyone have advice on how I can get him in the house? My husband wants to take the lattice down but I am afraid that he wont have anywhere to sleep then. We put the house right below where he sleeps now and its up high on stilts lol...If I grab him and put him in there will he be afraid after? I can sort of pet him now but he does like me will sit right beside me when I am out with him and he follows me everywhere...hes a sweetie.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! If he won't use the coop you need to enclose him in it for a week or so, then he will get used to sleeping there. I wouldn't use a heater in a coop for the risk of a fire....chickens don't need additional heat in the winter. Not sure what area you're from, but where I live it gets down in the 20's sometimes and my chickens are fine. Does the coop have an attached enclosed run? You may also consider getting him some hens, chickens are flock animals and don't do well alone. Good luck to you.

 

[pengimama]

Agreed with pp on all counts. Keep him in the coop and he will eventually learn that he lives there. A definite NO to heating the coop. It causes WAY more harm than good and can make your roo very ill. We learned by watching my old landlord do this to her coop. She lost a good portion of her hens through the winter to illness. BYC is the best place to start for learning all that you can. The people here are fabulous! Welcome to BYC

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC, and good luck at making him comfortable in his new coop.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Like the others said, if you can catch him after dark and put him in the house to get used to it, it shouldn't upset him too much. Do you have any kind of run set up with the house where you could keep him contained for a few days? Can you block off the area on the deck where he is roosting, even if you get him used to going in the coop he will probably still go back up to the higher roost eventually if you let him out since chickens tend to like to be high.

 

[drumstick diva]

If you have trouble catching him - once it is dark - chickens tend to stay put, so it's a good time to catch him or net him and put him in the coop.. In time if you share treats with him he should come around to trusting you. He may have had little exposure to people at his prior home. May be was even treated badly there, so he is reluctant but, will overcome that in time.

A lot of chicken folks tend to have a visiting rooster or two, it's probably because thoughtless people just dump them out when they don't want them. Shame on them. Sounds like your boy has a good forever home.

 

[roostersandhens]

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Yes if you don't get him to stay in the coop an owl may get him. Or a raccoon, or possum.

Rats, weasels, and dogs are also a threat, so make sure you use 1/2 inch hardware cloth instead of chicken wire on your coop windows.

I am so happy he has a home with you. He does need a buddy or two, for company, as stated above. They get very lonely without a chicken friend.

It sounds like he loves you.