My rooster is doing the shuffle dance to me!

[xmissjadie]

I have a 3 month old silkie rooster and everytime I go in the yard he does the shuffle dance to me. Is that normal? Does he know he's suppose to be doing that to the hens? Maybe he's just a little confused. lol. He is still young though.

 

[the209jungalist]

I was wondering how to deal with this behavior and now I know to dance back at him. I can't wait for my neighbor to catch me doing that, they already think i'm a crazy chicken lady!!!

 

[magicpigeon]

Aww! My roosters used to do that too, but they always got picked up and cuddled and that seemed to teach them the lesson.

 

[xmissjadie]

You guys are great! But yes I will pick him up next time he does it, show him I'm the boss haha

 

[pgpoultry]

I only have one rooster who does it....and, other than to his own kind, he only ever does it to my daughter or the dog. He tried it ONCE on me. I chased him, cornered him, did my own version of the wing dance to him, then picked him up and carried him around for about 10 minutes in front of the other chickens, petting and stroking him. He has NEVER done it to me since.

From time to time I re-assert my dominance over him by 'wing dancing' him. He is now very sweet and offers me sticks, pebbles, bits of food etc. instead of cheek!

My daughter is now humiliating him, too. The dog, well he chases him off as soon as it starts, so I think he is getting to know his place.

I would say never to let your rooster get away with it.

 

[sourland]

The next step is flogging. Convince him that you are not beneath him in the pecking order.

 

[33yardbirds]

He shuffles you should be doing the kick.

 

[speckledhen]

I don't allow a rooster to get away with that. He gets the humiliation treatment. I'm not one of his women and he needs to get that.

 

[ralleia]

I wouldn't call it 100% "normal" exactly--none of my roosters in my memory exhibited shuffling or dancing behavior towards me. I'm not sure it our first rooster ever did it--at that point I was a new chicken owner AND a new mother and I'm not sure I would have recognized if I saw it. He turned out to be human-aggressive and won a trip to the stewpot.

Most of our roosters have been indifferent towards humans. The barred rock roo in my pic is the only one of late that isn't indifferent, when he sees me he comes charging up as fast as he can with the expectation of a nice fat grub, a grasshopper, or other meaty treat. But absolutely no dancing (except to his hens), and he's well-mannered around humans.

 

[Angileen]

My silkie bantam does it too!!! I think it just means he wants to be picked up because he usually does it when I come over to see him.

My Buckeye does it on occasion, He is not aggressive in the slightest. I hold him all the time and he likes it, he will fall asleep in my arms. I do not think it is always aggression.