Looking for advice on how to respond to cockerel's "dance?"

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Did you raise them yourself or with a broody?

This above mentioned behaviour can stem from letting the little chicks perch and sleep on your when raising them without a mother hen. They will then see you as their mother and perch and jump on you as they would on their mother hen. And when bringing a dish with their food this can lead to them flying up to your shoulder to be the first to get to see what yummy stuff you bring.

But some cockerels get early hormonal overdrive and even try to mate with their mother hens and hatch mates, the earliest I saw with mine was a BCM at 3,5-4 weeks old.

No, my flock is not quite that well established yet, and I didn't have myself set up to let them be raised by a hen. (Although I have one hen in mind that, if I had been able to let her, probably would have sat and been a decent candidate. Hopefully in the future!)

So as I said, I wasn't sure if what I did was best. Either way I don't want him jumping on me, although I wouldn't say I read it as "aggressive" at the time. I continue to read his behavior through the lens that he is a baby.

Which is why I was shocked when he mated my hand! I was just holding him for a few moments, but not petting him or working him up at all. When I released my hand to let him hop back down into the brooder, instead he did what seemed like a shuffle dance, and left behind a little clear liquid on my palm. I was honestly stunned. What is that? He was 2.5 weeks.

 

[LaFleche]

No, my flock is not quite that well established yet, and I didn't have myself set up to let them be raised by a hen. (Although I have one hen in mind that, if I had been able to let her, probably would have sat and been a decent candidate. Hopefully in the future!)

So as I said, I wasn't sure if what I did was best. Either way I don't want him jumping on me, although I wouldn't say I read it as "aggressive" at the time. I continue to read his behavior through the lens that he is a baby.

Which is why I was shocked when he mated my hand! I was just holding him for a few moments, but not petting him or working him up at all. When I released my hand to let him hop back down into the brooder, instead he did what seemed like a shuffle dance, and left behind a little clear liquid on my palm. I was honestly stunned. What is that? He was 2.5 weeks.

What exactly are you feeding them snacks, treats and all included? How much protein?

And what breed or mix is he? Please, let us all take a look at this precocious little guy and post some pictures of him.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

What exactly are you feeding them snacks, treats and all included? How much protein?

And what breed or mix is he? Please, let us all take a look at this precocious little guy and post some pictures of him.

LOL Okay, well they started out on some of my regular 20% Nutrena All Flock, and Nature's Best 20% Organic crumbles, until my Grubbly Farms 19% starter crumble came in. That's what they've been on since that first week or so (when I was giving them whatever I had on hand, plus scrambled egg with Vitamin E mixed in). After that first couple weeks with the scrambled egg, they've really only been on crumble, no treats. I've only *just* now started to try offering mealworms, because they are out with the big chickens, but I don't think they are actually interested. They are just a couple days shy of 6 weeks now.

My best guess is he's "supposed" to be a Starlight Green Egger from Hoover's. I know he looks like a sex link, but I'm guessing it's whatever they use to make the green eggers, basically just a different hybrid. And not a sex link. One of the pullets he came with has very similar coloring, only lighter and pullety. That's his best gal.

I'm typing on desktop, but I will edit the post in a moment to add a couple pics from my phone, and maybe even try to get a good one from today for ya.

ETA
This is his thread from when I first suspected his cockerel ish ness.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/i-have-zero-chill-cockerel.1578748/

Pic taken about ten days ago, Beauty, the big hen, with Marshmallow and Peep.

I walked out to the run to find him standing guard over his chicks.

This was the infamous day I looked at my Marshmallow, and realized he was a boy-chicken at 2.5 weeks.

Marshmallow, brand new chick.

 

[LaFleche]

Thank you for the pictures, he looks well developed for his age, so no wonder he is already practising.

With adult roosters around his sexual development would be much slower, as their 'overwhelming' presence and crows would suppress juvenile hormonal overflow.

 

[LaFleche]

On another note: The mesh size of your chick fence is not predator proof, any raccoon, marten, magpie, crow etc. could reach inside and tear their little heads off.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

On another note: The mesh size of your chick fence is not predator proof, any raccoon, marten, magpie, crow etc. could reach inside and tear their little heads off.

Thanks, I'm aware!

ETA I believe our main predators are fox and hawks, which the run has already kept them safe from a few times. If we are going to be out long at all, the chicks have been going back in the brooder.

 

[MrsNorthie]

I have seen Shadrach's article and yes, it's very good!

At the risk of "getting it with both barrels" again , I'd caution you to keep an eye on the two that are following you around and tidbitting, that's sometimes a prelude to aggression. IME the best boys are the ones that focus their attention on the hens and not on me.

Right now, they are the spares, They have actually settled into their roles as second and third fiddle to the dominant and with the addition of 30 more hens, over the next 2 months, they will hopefully have their own girls to fuss over. I am comfortable with them, as they are taking really good care of the girls now, and all getting along.

 

[Little Tala Bug]

Well that's amazing, particularly given what you've written earlier on this thread. It is possible for a rooster to consider a dog às part of his tribe. In the various places I've looked after chickens there must have been over 30 dogs from Akitas to Jack Russel's and over 50 male chickens and I've yet to see a rooster try to herd a dog. My immediate thoughts are eier or both dog and rooster need therapy or you need an eye test.

My lovely older cockerel, William, does this to my little rescue dog. She is not much bigger than a chicken, and she LOVES the chickens and tries to hang out with them at every opportunity, so maybe he has adopted her into the herd. He is also very lonely because he was recently deposed and his only coopmate passed away, so he might be scraping the bottom of the barrel and slumming it with the only companion who will have him

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

@LaFleche Happy to report our precocious little man is maybe settling down a bit. They've been outside more and he sees a big wide world out there, full of great big chickens and a giant who can pick him up and carry him around at will, and he is beginning to comprehend his littleness.

He's been more inclined to back off from the brooder when I go in to do food and water, but will also stay nearby when I let him bop about the yard with me a bit. He's the first chick I've really let "range" outside of the run, and I'm glad to see him behaving much more calmly, and still being fairly easy to catch, too. Not sure how his development at 7 weeks compares to the norm, since he's my first cockerel.

 

[LaFleche]

Well, you can always give him the chance to develop into a good one as long as he does not attack children, neighbours or elderly folks unaware of the dangers this can ensue.

Hopefully, he will be too busy trying to stay alive while free ranging and not waste more energy on silly behaviour.

@LaFleche Happy to report our precocious little man is maybe settling down a bit. They've been outside more and he sees a big wide world out there, full of great big chickens and a giant who can pick him up and carry him around at will, and he is beginning to comprehend his littleness.

He's been more inclined to back off from the brooder when I go in to do food and water, but will also stay nearby when I let him bop about the yard with me a bit. He's the first chick I've really let "range" outside of the run, and I'm glad to see him behaving much more calmly, and still being fairly easy to catch, too. Not sure how his development at 7 weeks compares to the norm, since he's my first cockerel.
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