Texas

[Heidisgran]

anyone in N. Texas interested in purchasing some buff laced orpington chicks?

 

[Heidisgran]

anyone in N. Texas interested in purchasing some buff laced orpington chicks?

not orpingtons....brahmas! this is the mama

 

[jajeanpierre]

I need some opinions/advice about my cockerel's behavior. As I've mentioned before, I have zero experience with chickens other than these young chickens, one group 5 months old and one group 5.5 months. I don't know what normal rooster behavior really looks like and am surprised there isn't much discussion in the books on chickens that I have.

I've read references to roosters that court females and dance for them but have not read a description of this behavior. What does it look like?

The cockerel I plan on keeping has just turned 5 months old. I have four Ameraucana cockerels of which I will keep one and maybe a second. The other two (or three) will go to freezer camp when I grow the spine. The four cockerels free range with three pullets, all the same age. My neighbor took a fifth cockerel a few days ago. They have all gotten along very well, with no squabbling although in the last few days there does seem to have been a few little scuffles--nothing much, just flaring hackles really. The blue cockerel I intend to keep has grabbed both cockerels and pullets, pulling a few feathers out a few times. It would appear the blue is the most dominant of the cockerels.

A few days after he left my house, the rehomed cockerel saw me across the field and made his way home. He desperately wanted into my yard. All the Ameraucanas ran up to the fence greeting him. The blue cockerel I plan on keeping dropped a wing and stomped in a circle. The rehomed cockerel freaked, shrieking and running/flying along the fence with the blue, just quietly stomping and dropping the wing in the same spot.

My husband has not finished their housing, so every morning I carry them out one or two at a time from a pen in my garage, and every evening I carry them in. I've noticed a few times in the morning, when they are a little excited about coming out and two birds becoming four as they are released, he will do the same little dance.

I can't remember exactly what proceeded it, but today he did that same dance for me.

On one hand, it looks like an aggressive/dominant display of some sort, but I don't think he feels any aggression towards me. In fact, I think he quite likes me. If I go out of the house, he always runs right up to me hoping I will give him a treat. When I carry him in or out, he seems very relaxed and seems to enjoy my stroking around his chin and through his hackle feathers.

Tonight for the first time, he did fuss a bit when a pullet complained when I brought her in, but all he did was follow closely as I carried her to the garage. (I will be so happy when my husband FINALLY finishes their housing this weekend!)

Years ago I played with a big tom turkey that would turn the most amazing shades of blue and pink when around people. He snapped his wing feathers on the ground. He really loved people and loved to be petted. There might have been a sexual component, but I didn't see it other than the intensity of his display. In some ways, this behavior of my cockerel is somewhat reminiscent of this overly friendly tom turkey.

That wing dropping doesn't seem to only mean one thing. The rehomed cockerel freaked when the blue danced, but no one else has.

I just wanted an understanding of what normal breeding behavior looks like and what it all means. He's a young bird--I might be setting him up for very bad behavior later on.

Thanks

 

[uglychickens]

not orpingtons....brahmas! this is the mama

Where at in north texas?

 

[uglychickens]

I need some opinions/advice about my cockerel's behavior.  As I've mentioned before, I have zero experience with chickens other than these young chickens, one group 5 months old and one group 5.5 months.  I don't know what normal rooster behavior really looks like and am surprised there isn't much discussion in the books on chickens that I have.

I've read references to roosters that court females and dance for them but have not read a description of this behavior.  What does it look like?

The cockerel I plan on keeping has just turned 5 months old.  I have four Ameraucana cockerels of which I will keep one and maybe a second.  The other two (or three) will go to freezer camp when I grow the spine.  The four cockerels free range with three pullets, all the same age.  My neighbor took a fifth cockerel a few days ago.  They have all gotten along very well, with no squabbling although in the last few days there does seem to have been a few little scuffles--nothing much, just flaring hackles really.  The blue cockerel I intend to keep has grabbed both cockerels and pullets, pulling a few feathers out a few times.  It would appear the blue is the most dominant of the cockerels.


A few days after he left my house, the rehomed cockerel saw me across the field and made his way home.  He desperately wanted into my yard.  All the Ameraucanas ran up to the fence greeting him.  The blue cockerel I plan on keeping dropped a wing and stomped in a circle.  The rehomed cockerel freaked, shrieking and running/flying along the fence with the blue, just quietly stomping and dropping the wing in the same spot.

My husband has not finished their housing, so every morning I carry them out one or two at a time from a pen in my garage, and every evening I carry them in.  I've noticed a few times in the morning, when they are a little excited about coming out and two birds becoming four as they are released, he will do the same little dance.

I can't remember exactly what proceeded it, but today he did that same dance for me.

On one hand, it looks like an aggressive/dominant display of some sort, but I don't think he feels any aggression towards me.  In fact, I think he quite likes me.  If I go out of the house, he always runs right up to me hoping I will give him a treat.  When I carry him in or out, he seems very relaxed and seems to enjoy my stroking around his chin and through his hackle feathers.

Tonight for the first time, he did fuss a bit when a pullet complained when I brought her in, but all he did was follow closely as I carried her to the garage.  (I will be so happy when my husband FINALLY finishes their housing this weekend!)

Years ago I played with a big tom turkey that would turn the most amazing shades of blue and pink when around people.  He snapped his wing feathers on the ground.  He really loved people and loved to be petted.  There might have been a sexual component, but I didn't see it other than the intensity of his display.  In some ways, this behavior of my cockerel is somewhat reminiscent of this overly friendly tom turkey.


That wing dropping doesn't seem to only mean one thing.  The rehomed cockerel freaked when the blue danced, but no one else has.

I just wanted an understanding of what normal breeding behavior looks like and what it all means.  He's a young bird--I might be setting him up for very bad behavior later on.


Thanks

Lmao! The one that pulled the feathers...
Welcome to the wonderful world of testosterone! He's just young and don't know what to do...
The one dancing to you...
I'm curious as to where you got them? Sometimes if they come from hatcheries they have been artificially reproduced that they start looking at humans as their mates instead of the girls.

 

[mandaleigh1981]

Popping to say hi! Have to go pick up my 11 year old's alto sax from San Antonio, and will probably drop in on family and run around all day. Talk to y'all later on tonight!

 

[uglychickens]

Popping to say hi!  Have to go pick up my 11 year old's alto sax from San Antonio, and will probably drop in on family and run around all day.  Talk to y'all later on tonight! 

Have fun girl! Talk to ya later!

 

[bnjrob]

I need some opinions/advice about my cockerel's behavior. As I've mentioned before, I have zero experience with chickens other than these young chickens, one group 5 months old and one group 5.5 months. I don't know what normal rooster behavior really looks like and am surprised there isn't much discussion in the books on chickens that I have.

I've read references to roosters that court females and dance for them but have not read a description of this behavior. What does it look like?

The cockerel I plan on keeping has just turned 5 months old. I have four Ameraucana cockerels of which I will keep one and maybe a second. The other two (or three) will go to freezer camp when I grow the spine. The four cockerels free range with three pullets, all the same age. My neighbor took a fifth cockerel a few days ago. They have all gotten along very well, with no squabbling although in the last few days there does seem to have been a few little scuffles--nothing much, just flaring hackles really. The blue cockerel I intend to keep has grabbed both cockerels and pullets, pulling a few feathers out a few times. It would appear the blue is the most dominant of the cockerels.

A few days after he left my house, the rehomed cockerel saw me across the field and made his way home. He desperately wanted into my yard. All the Ameraucanas ran up to the fence greeting him. The blue cockerel I plan on keeping dropped a wing and stomped in a circle. The rehomed cockerel freaked, shrieking and running/flying along the fence with the blue, just quietly stomping and dropping the wing in the same spot.

My husband has not finished their housing, so every morning I carry them out one or two at a time from a pen in my garage, and every evening I carry them in. I've noticed a few times in the morning, when they are a little excited about coming out and two birds becoming four as they are released, he will do the same little dance.

I can't remember exactly what proceeded it, but today he did that same dance for me.

On one hand, it looks like an aggressive/dominant display of some sort, but I don't think he feels any aggression towards me. In fact, I think he quite likes me. If I go out of the house, he always runs right up to me hoping I will give him a treat. When I carry him in or out, he seems very relaxed and seems to enjoy my stroking around his chin and through his hackle feathers.

Tonight for the first time, he did fuss a bit when a pullet complained when I brought her in, but all he did was follow closely as I carried her to the garage. (I will be so happy when my husband FINALLY finishes their housing this weekend!)

Years ago I played with a big tom turkey that would turn the most amazing shades of blue and pink when around people. He snapped his wing feathers on the ground. He really loved people and loved to be petted. There might have been a sexual component, but I didn't see it other than the intensity of his display. In some ways, this behavior of my cockerel is somewhat reminiscent of this overly friendly tom turkey.

That wing dropping doesn't seem to only mean one thing. The rehomed cockerel freaked when the blue danced, but no one else has.

I just wanted an understanding of what normal breeding behavior looks like and what it all means. He's a young bird--I might be setting him up for very bad behavior later on.

Thanks

Yes, the dragging the wing and stomping around thing is a dominance behavior. He was letting that one that tried to come back home, know "this is my territory". They also do it to females as a reminder of that they are in charge. They'll do it to let strangers know the same thing whether the stranger is human or not.

Be careful if a cock does that to you - it can progress from there to spurring very quickly, even in birds that are otherwise friendly. If I am in a closed area like the coop/run or if one of them does that to me when I open up the door to "their" territory, I just push them back away from me very firmly - and they go about their business. Have had some that did not leave it alone and continued to go farther....those cocks were quite tasty.

I have never seen anything that could be strictly mating behavior dance - like you see in wild birds - in our flock. If the male wants to mate, he tries to mount. If the female isn't in the mood, she'll squawk and struggle and sometimes throw the male off of her. We do have some cocks that live separately from females, and I have seen them "humping" the ground as if the ground were a hen. Flipped me out the first time I saw it.

If a male is bullying a lot, I have to think long and hard about keeping it (like it better have the best size and type and be a superb specimen for breeding if it has a lousy attitude). Showing dominance is one thing, but frequent bullying is another. It's one thing to have someone get pecked or their comb grabbed by another bird if the "victim" bird gets into the personal space of someone else. But birds that just run other birds around or just suddently reach out and start grabbing or pecking others...that is very stressful to the flock. It can cause the birds not to get enough to eat/drink, they are constantly stressed with hormones racing all the time in anticipation of having to fight the bully or flee. It really just isn't worth keeping a true bully and with the possiblity that the bullying behavior could continue via the offspring - bullys really are better off being butchered. For the health and safety of the chickens and the humans. Cuz getting spurred really sucks.

 

[galanie]

Yes, the dragging the wing and stomping around thing is a dominance behavior.  He was letting that one that tried to come back home, know "this is my territory".  They also do it to females as a reminder of that they are in charge.  They'll do it to let strangers know the same thing whether the stranger is human or not.

Be careful  if a cock does that to you - it can progress from there to spurring very quickly, even in birds that are otherwise friendly.  If I am in a closed area like the coop/run or if one of them does that to me when I open up the door to "their" territory, I just push them back away from me very firmly - and they go about their business.  Have had some that did not leave it alone and continued to go farther....those cocks were quite tasty.

I have never seen anything that could be strictly mating behavior dance - like you see in wild birds - in our flock.  If the male wants to mate, he tries to mount.  If the female isn't in the mood, she'll squawk and struggle and sometimes throw the male off of her.  We do have some cocks that live separately from females, and I have seen them "humping" the ground as if the ground were a hen.  Flipped me out the first time I saw it.

If a male is bullying a lot, I have to think long and hard about keeping it (like it better have the best size and type and be a superb specimen for breeding if it has a lousy attitude).  Showing dominance is one thing, but frequent bullying is another. It's one thing to have someone get pecked or their comb grabbed by another bird if the "victim" bird gets into the personal space of someone else.  But birds that just run other birds around or just suddently reach out and start grabbing or pecking others...that is very stressful to the flock.  It can cause the birds not to get enough to eat/drink, they are constantly stressed with hormones racing all the time in anticipation of having to fight the bully or flee.   It really just isn't worth keeping a true bully and with the possiblity that the bullying behavior could continue via the offspring - bullys really are better off being butchered.  For the health and safety of the chickens and the humans.  Cuz getting spurred really sucks.

X2!

But it was the ground humping that really got my attention. My rooster did that when he was young. I told the breeder and a few others about that and they said they never saw one doing that. Glad to know I'm not the only one that had a, uh, well, "supercharged" little boy around. haha

 

[bnjrob]

X2!

But it was the ground humping that really got my attention. My rooster did that when he was young. I told the breeder and a few others about that and they said they never saw one doing that. Glad to know I'm not the only one that had a, uh, well, "supercharged" little boy around. haha

I'm glad I'm not the only one too! I was starting to think that we just had weird chickens!