Aggressive mating behaviour: a recent review of the literature

[Perris]

This open access article may help those dealing with aggressive mating behaviour by roos to identify possible causes and thereby suggest ways to resolve the problem. Lupu et.al. Aggressive Mating Behavior in Roosters (Gallus gallus domesticus): A Narrative Review of Behavioral Patterns, Life 2025, 15(8)
https://doi.org/10.3390/life15081232

 

[Shadrach]

This open access article may help those dealing with aggressive mating behaviour by roos to identify possible causes and thereby suggest ways to resolve the problem. Lupu et.al. Aggressive Mating Behavior in Roosters (Gallus gallus domesticus): A Narrative Review of Behavioral Patterns, Life 2025, 15(8)
https://doi.org/10.3390/life15081232

I had read some of the cited supporting studies but not this.
I should tack this onto my rooster article. So much stuff brought together here that supports the article. Just one major disappointment; they've still got dancing roosters.

I was pleased to read that roosters were not seen as part of the hens hierarchy, a point I've had some debate about.
Also good to have some attention to the fact that the natural behavoiur is for the rooster to court his hens. They don't unfortunately go as far as to point out that the hen chooses the rooster, not the other way round.

A decent summary of a substantial number of studies I though.

 

[Perris]

I had read some of the cited supporting studies but not this.
I should tack this onto my rooster article. So much stuff brought together here that supports the article. Just one major disappointment; they've still got dancing roosters.

I was pleased to read that roosters were not seen as part of the hens hierarchy, a point I've had some debate about.
Also good to have some attention to the fact that the natural behavoiur is for the rooster to court his hens. They don't unfortunately go as far as to point out that the hen chooses the rooster, not the other way round.

A decent summary of a substantial number of studies I though.

Glad you found it useful. I have a few quibbles too, but they're minor relative to the whole. And it gives those struggling with an aggressive rooster (or damaged hens) some solid information to work with.

 

[Perris]

Just one major disappointment; they've still got dancing roosters

I don't see the problem. This description and interpretation of the wing drop (in the section on p.7) seems fine to me:

"In studies on bird reproduction, the focus should not be placed exclusively on the moment of copulation, but also on the preceding sequences. Courtship, as part of the appetitive phase, has a direct impact on the likelihood of reproductive success, ensuring both stimulation and synchronization of the partners in order to align their cloacae precisely, which is essential for semen transfer in birds. Although instinctive, this behavior is complex and manifests through a ritual of specific gestures and postures, such as plumage display and courtship dance [21]. Unlike other species, the rooster does not develop a distinctive seasonal plumage during the reproductive period but may show a slight iridescence of the feathers, and the comb and wattles become firmer and more intensely colored [35]. Mate selection is not random but is influenced by both morphological traits and behaviors associated with courtship [17]. The courtship ritual includes actual or simulated food offerings, wing feather spreading directed toward the ground, circular movement around the female, and, if she is receptive, adoption of a characteristic posture followed by the act of mounting [17,21,35]. After copulation, the rooster returns to the ground, and the hen stands up and rearranges her feathers through a shaking motion. Although cloacal contact is not always visible, there are reliable indicators suggesting that it has occurred. Thus, the rooster abruptly ends the mounting act, making a noticeable backward and downward pelvic thrust, while the hen almost always displays a strong feather shake immediately after the rooster withdraws [17,21]."