Did He Just Try to Flog Me???

[MommaG2023]

So I hope that I am incorrect because I love him and normally he isn't aggressive to me or anyone else but yesterday, as I was having my normal afternoon sit in with my Chickies, I think my cockerel Ozzie may have tried to Flog me. The reason I am not totally 100% sure is I was turned away when it happened for the most part. I sit on a chair and was paying attention to another pullet when I heard flapping when I turned to look Ozzie was in the air at my head height with claws extended but about a foot away. Any closer and he would have gotten my head. Now my first reaction was What that @$#&@! are you doing and to raise my hand to bat him down, though he didn't touch me. The other was wondering if there had been a bug or sparrow trying to come in close to me that he was going for. What do you guys think? Was he unsuccessfully trying to flog me or potentially going for something else? I would really like to know your opinions. Note I have 4 cockerels including him and I also had rehomed 3 of my GC's that morning...maybe his favorites not sure. He is 12 weeks old. Thanks

 

[aart]

Does the chair have a back that he might have been trying to fly up to?
Do you normally let the birds onto your body?
At 12 weeks it getting time to get rid of any extra' males.

 

[SourRoses]

Since you didn't see much of what happened it's hard to know. What they do with their legs in flight depends on their balance. Two innocent possibilities are that a fright sent him up, or he could have been after a bug.
Not all cockerels are athletic enough to gain altitude vertically so when they do it can be startling.

I had an incident more than a week ago with my gymnastic-hopeful Ameraucana roo...
I was changing the bedding in all the nest boxes and in a bit of a hurry. I opened the door to his pen, popped just my upper torso in, and tossed the clean milk crate nest back to it's spot.
I was congratulating myself on a surprisingly successful toss (lol), when I felt the air being displaced above me. It was completely silent. Jumping backwards, I saw my roo bounce lightly down. He had hovered in the same spot for 30 seconds.
Clearly, I had frightened him as he showed no aggression.
But I try to always keep an eye out around roosters. If they're turning mean they show it in lots of ways and moments. One that's really easy for me to spot is the stink eye. I only keep roos with soft looking eyes.

 

[MommaG2023]

Since you didn't see much of what happened it's hard to know. What they do with their legs in flight depends on their balance. Two innocent possibilities are that a fright sent him up, or he could have been after a bug.
Not all cockerels are athletic enough to gain altitude vertically so when they do it can be startling.

I had an incident more than a week ago with my gymnastic-hopeful Ameraucana roo...
I was changing the bedding in all the nest boxes and in a bit of a hurry. I opened the door to his pen, popped just my upper torso in, and tossed the clean milk crate nest back to it's spot.
I was congratulating myself on a surprisingly successful toss (lol), when I felt the air being displaced above me. It was completely silent. Jumping backwards, I saw my roo bounce lightly down. He had hovered in the same spot for 30 seconds.
Clearly, I had frightened him as he showed no aggression.
But I try to always keep an eye out around roosters. If they're turning mean they show it in lots of ways and moments. One that's really easy for me to spot is the stink eye. I only keep roos with soft looking eyes.

I am not gonna lie he eyes me all the time and he is frightening to look at. My husband said if he acts up he's dinner soooo...I don't want to make him dinner if it was a startle or a one time misunderstanding on my part.

 

[MommaG2023]

Does the chair have a back that he might have been trying to fly up to?
Do you normally let the birds onto your body?
At 12 weeks it getting time to get rid of any extra' males.

They are folding chairs but the back is set against the run fence specifically to keep any Chickie from jumping up to roost. I do allow the birds on my lap...no shoulders or higher because of pecking and also they are young but I don't want a five pound hen sitting on my shoulder. I have daithe piercings and wear earrings and do not want a curious baby ripping them out. However the cockerel in question does not like people to touch him he has been on my lap 2 times to be exact where he got up on his own. I have held him to check for injuries etc but he does not like to be petted or held as a general rule and I respect that.

 

[MommaG2023]

Since you didn't see much of what happened it's hard to know. What they do with their legs in flight depends on their balance. Two innocent possibilities are that a fright sent him up, or he could have been after a bug.
Not all cockerels are athletic enough to gain altitude vertically so when they do it can be startling.

I had an incident more than a week ago with my gymnastic-hopeful Ameraucana roo...
I was changing the bedding in all the nest boxes and in a bit of a hurry. I opened the door to his pen, popped just my upper torso in, and tossed the clean milk crate nest back to it's spot.
I was congratulating myself on a surprisingly successful toss (lol), when I felt the air being displaced above me. It was completely silent. Jumping backwards, I saw my roo bounce lightly down. He had hovered in the same spot for 30 seconds.
Clearly, I had frightened him as he showed no aggression.
But I try to always keep an eye out around roosters. If they're turning mean they show it in lots of ways and moments. One that's really easy for me to spot is the stink eye. I only keep roos with soft looking eyes.

Also his legs were stretched/extended out claws facing me.

 

[MommaG2023]

Here are some pics from the morning...I was watching him and he did circle around to my left like yesterday but today I was aware of him.

 

[MommaG2023]

Does the chair have a back that he might have been trying to fly up to?
Do you normally let the birds onto your body?
At 12 weeks it getting time to get rid of any extra' males.

Also I checked my calendar I was off...he will be 14 weeks Monday

 

[SummerTheAnimalGirl]

Gosh he is stunning! I would wait a while, watch and beware carefully, and see if he tries to attempt anything like that again before culling him. Try to keep coddling to a min. My best wishes!

 

[aart]

I am not gonna lie he eyes me all the time and he is frightening to look at.

They can sense fear and it can make you a target.
I'd be rid of him as well as most the other males.