Cockerel Biting Butts

[CarolB865]

I have a 16 week old cockerel bantam Easter Egger who is going to be a great rooster, I think! The only thing I'm wondering about and have seen him do is biting the butts of some of the standard Buff Orpington pullets that I have. Not sure if he's just wanting to get their attention and go where he thinks they should be or what. Actually pulled out 3 feathers from one's fluffy little hind end earlier this evening.

Anyone know if that's normal and he's just being "the man" or if it's something that I need to break the boy of?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Is he eating the feathers? He sounds a bit obnoxious, which is common for roosters his age. He's a typical teenage boy.

 

[CarolB865]

No not eating them. Just goosing the girls and grabbing their feathers. So typical teenage boy behavior to get the girl's attention?

 

[aart]

Be careful not to attribute human behaviors to chickens...learn about chicken behaviors instead.
Chickens often peck each other and grab feathers for many reasons.
Maybe he saw a bug or something else on there?
Could have been an inept domination move.
Young cockerels don't pull pigtails then run away like human boys might do.....they may grab neck feathers and try to climb on backs tho.
16 weeks is very close to the start of mating behavior for males and some females of the high production type...is this your first flock or do you have older birds too?

 

[CarolB865]

My very first flock so that's why I was asking. I thought he might have wanted her to follow the rest since she was checking out grass in another area and that got her attention. He's a bantam EE and she's a standard Buff Orpington, easily twice his size.