Aggressive cockerel.

[chooks4life]

That pose he's got in the photo, with his head in tight to his body, is a warning sign of a bad attitude, all my bad roosters have been that bundled together. Tense. (Even though he doesn't seem focused on you at that moment). He seems to stay in an aggressive frame of mind if his body language is anything to go by. Even two roosters sidling closer as they size one another up, with serious intentions, are more relaxed than he is. A good rooster can mate right in front of you without it being disrespectful, you've just unfortunately gotten a bad bird. His wings aren't relaxed at his side as a proper rooster's should be, I think he's unbalanced in the mind which will also be a chemical state of biology; something's not correct about him and it shows in behaviour and body language. It's only a slight difference from that stance to normal, but I recognize it.

I bet you the hens know he's not worth it. They'll mate with a rooster if he's the only choice, but give them several and let them take their pick and they'll show you who's the best. Generally they have instincts towards the best genetic match. they can somehow 'see' bad genes we can't. Left to their own devices they tend to choose the more intelligent, healthy and instinctive, which are actually the calmest, contrary to popular belief. In my experience, anyway. Best wishes with your birds. You'll see other trouble roosters in future adopt his tight stance, if you have any more bodgies.

 

[Johnn]

I have always kind of knew he was going to attack me when he started approaching me with his head down picking up bits of straw on the way. The day before he actually attacked me, he did the mating dance around my leg and I knew that wasn't right. then the next day, I needed to move the hens out the way and I was very aware of him sneaking around the back of everyone to get behind me and then when he came, he got a big boot to the chest and that stopped him for 2 weeks until her started again, then ever since nothing stops him. I am just glad I can say "I tried". None of my girls like him, some submit but only because they know its better than being forced. I kind of want him to attack me again before he goes just so I know he hasn't had a personality transplant! Its going to be so weird with out a cockerel, the hens have never been without one, nothing better get them or I will feel bad for getting rid of him when he could have been protecting them. His mother from last year is bringing up two chicks and I am sure one is a boy but it wont be 16 weeks old until September, so wont be mating or protecting. But never again is a Cuckoo Maran cockerel stepping on my land again, mine is the 3rd I have been attacked by and all 3 were Cuckoo Marans, so I justtake it that I have no look with the breed.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: I don't think the mating dance is correct in the first place, I believe it's a misplaced mating-only behaviour that is incorrectly shown to males and mixed in with aggression due to people keeping males and females separate until they forget how to communicate.

Quote: Yes, you did, and good on you for that. You can rest easy conscience wise.

Quote: A rooster can't actually force a hen. Because the cloaca serves both reproductive and eliminatory functions, she has to line up her inner tract to successfully mate, as well as move her tail feathers out of the way. Ignore the complaining about the pulled feathers, if they mate successfully, it was willing. A lot of people view it as forcing because of the complaining but that's just because he's a clumsy bugger.

I've had a rooster be refused by the hens; they simply do not move the tail feathers out the way nor line up and there's nothing he can do. He would just stand on his favourite who wouldn't have him, standing on her for hours and started defeathering her from the brows down, lol. That was the first rooster that attacked me.

I also suspect that hens fake-mate when a rooster is too persistent when they're not willing, because no fertile eggs result; if they don't line up their inner reproductive organs no amount of 'cloacal kisses' will do anything. They are able to mate with a rooster they don't like all day and not get 'pregnant' but when the right boy comes along, it's done the first time... Everyone I know reports this, too... Hence my suspicions.

Also one of my hens battled, beat and mated with many brothers one after the other after the other, and she mated with them as though she was a rooster and them hens, and they also complained mightily and moved their tail feathers out of the way, just like hens. That's bizarre behaviour for male chickens, never mind her bizarre behavior in the first place! I've also had hens mate with other hens, and plenty of 'fails' where one chicken simply chose to not move its tail feathers. They can't be forced.


Quote:

Hens can protect themselves just fine, in fact mostly when something threatens the flock it's the females that tackle it in my flocks. Many roosters don't do more than 'protect' hens from the people feeding them!

Regarding the other roosters that attacked you: were they related to this rooster? I wouldn't blame the breed, just the local strains or bloodlines. Also, if you keep getting vicious roosters from your own flock, blame the mother as well as the father.

 

[Johnn]

I don't think the mating dance is correct in the first place, I believe it's a misplaced mating-only behaviour that is incorrectly shown to males and mixed in with aggression due to people keeping males and females separate until they forget how to communicate.

Yes, you did, and good on you for that. You can rest easy conscience wise.

A rooster can't actually force a hen. Because the cloaca serves both reproductive and eliminatory functions, she has to line up her inner tract to successfully mate, as well as move her tail feathers out of the way. Ignore the complaining about the pulled feathers, if they mate successfully, it was willing. A lot of people view it as forcing because of the complaining but that's just because he's a clumsy bugger.

I've had a rooster be refused by the hens; they simply do not move the tail feathers out the way nor line up and there's nothing he can do. He would just stand on his favourite who wouldn't have him, standing on her for hours and started defeathering her from the brows down, lol. That was the first rooster that attacked me.

I also suspect that hens fake-mate when a rooster is too persistent when they're not willing, because no fertile eggs result; if they don't line up their inner reproductive organs no amount of 'cloacal kisses' will do anything. They are able to mate with a rooster they don't like all day and not get 'pregnant' but when the right boy comes along, it's done the first time... Everyone I know reports this, too... Hence my suspicions.

Also one of my hens battled, beat and mated with many brothers one after the other after the other, and she mated with them as though she was a rooster and them hens, and they also complained mightily and moved their tail feathers out of the way, just like hens. That's bizarre behaviour for male chickens, never mind her bizarre behavior in the first place! I've also had hens mate with other hens, and plenty of 'fails' where one chicken simply chose to not move its tail feathers. They can't be forced.


Hens can protect themselves just fine, in fact mostly when something threatens the flock it's the females that tackle it in my flocks. Many roosters don't do more than 'protect' hens from the people feeding them!

Regarding the other roosters that attacked you: were they related to this rooster? I wouldn't blame the breed, just the local strains or bloodlines. Also, if you keep getting vicious roosters from your own flock, blame the mother as well as the father.

No there is no way they could be related, they wernt from my own flock, I bought this rooster as hatching eggs, he was the only one to hatch and my Buff Orpington brought him up. But his father was nice as anything so I really don't know were I went wrong with mine...

 

[Johnn]

Yep, him being nice was just a one off. EVery time I turned my back he went for me, he then went for my face when I was filling the feeders, then I was walking side to side with her then eh just turned and went for me, and then when I was feeding a ill hen out my hand he was trying to go for me every time I took my eyes off him! He is making me so angry!

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Yep, him being nice was just a one off. EVery time I turned my back he went for me, he then went for my face when I was filling the feeders, then I was walking side to side with her then eh just turned and went for me, and then when I was feeding a ill hen out my hand he was trying to go for me every time I took my eyes off him! He is making me so angry!

Remember, nasty roosters taste the best! Here's a lovely recipe for a heritage coq au vin: http://sunstonefarmandlearn.com/2009/10/25/favorite-rooster-recipes-coq-au-vin/

 

[Johnn]

Wow, I have been posting the exact same stuff on a chicken page and someone has deicieded they want to drive 3 hours to collect him to go live with them and their girls!!

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I'm very happy for you. So glad it worked out well!

 

[Johnn]

I'm very happy for you. So glad it worked out well!

Thank you, so am I!, it would be nice to find out in the end that he just doesn't like me and he is great for them! He will be going on 4 acres with 10 ex batts to himself and they are thinking of getting more hens too.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: I personally wouldn't tolerate any animal that does physical harm to someone it 'doesn't like' without a darn good reason, for example a dog nipping a stranger who is threatening their owner. Now he will just go breed his dangerous attitude elsewhere. If you have a dog that doesn't like kids so it bites them, you don't rehome it and breed it... If people killed these dangerous animals the incidence of injury and death would decrease greatly.