How far will a rooster travel to find hens?

[CabritaChicks]

I have a micro-flock—three tiny, peeping baby hens still hanging out in the brooder like VIP guests at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Who chase me around the house for cuddles. I live on an island in the Caribbean, where you can’t walk 50 feet without seeing oodles of feral chickens (seriously- it is even legal to kill them by any means as they are out of control). They’re everywhere—like tourists or mango trees.


Now, I live in what the locals call “the countryside,” which basically means I’m on the farthest eastern peninsula that is much less populated, where things are supposed to be peaceful. Less noise, homes, cars and no commercial buildings. Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more chickens wandering closer to my property. First, it was a couple of hens. Then a few more. Now? It’s like a slow-motion invasion which the closest rooster and troupe is roughly 300feet away thanks to some new construction of a home, and the workers and tourists feeding them.


Sure, we have a gate. And a fence. But if a rooster wants in? A rooster will get in. Roosters don’t respect fences. They don’t respect personal space. They don’t respect anything... especially people dining in restaurants. They can fly just enough to be a problem, squeeze through spaces that seem physically impossible, and if all else fails, they’ll just stand outside and yell about it until someone gives in.


So while I technically only have three baby hens, I feel like I’m on borrowed time before some overconfident rooster decides my property is his new kingdom.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY QUESTIONS:
HOW FAR WILL A ROOSTER SEARCH FOR HENS?
...and how does the rooster find hens?
....anything I can do to deter them finding my darlings?

We do live directly on the sea, in fact the coop is under tree cover on the beach, so maybe that will muffle the sound of hens?

 

[Debbie292d]

If they can see them, they'll come for them.

I would have a 6' high fenced pen made from 1/2" hardware cloth and use bird netting on top, or go cheaper and use electrified bird netting on a less expensive fence. Put that on top too. A rooster comes to try get in and gets zapped, it won't hurt him but I doubt they'll try twice.

No, a rooster can't get in your fence if you built it right. Many thousands of people have pens that are varment proof that even a sneaky fox can't get in.

 

[CabritaChicks]

If they can see them, they'll come for them.

I would have a 6' high fenced pen made from 1/2" hardware cloth and use bird netting on top, or go cheaper and use electrified bird netting on a less expensive fence. Put that on top too. A rooster comes to try get in and gets zapped, it won't hurt him but I doubt they'll try twice.

They cant see them- our property is far too large. So is that the only way roosters find hens? through sight? how far do they travel. sorry for the questions- I may be a bird scientist- but I specialize in passerines and psittacines (parrots) and chickens other than anatomy and diet were not on my radar. lol

 

[aart]

If they can hear them, they'll probably come after them.
So, a long ways.....300 feet is nothing.