Anyone else have a lap rooster? :)

[MSDeb]

welcome-byc BYC is home to a LOT of chicken enablers who can help you with great information whether you are new to chickens or an old hand. Have fun.

 

[spiritdance]

Chicken.Lytle :

I do not have a lap rooster but I am curious about them.

My Handling Rooster Aggression page includes a link to an article (the #45 link to an imprinting study) discussing issues around animal-human bonding. The article conjectures that animals that bond to humans are more likely to turn their mating and aggression behaviors toward humans.

So I wonder, are your lap roosters still young cockerels or are they mature males doing all the normal rooster behaviors with their flock? Are your lap roosters secondary roosters or alpha roosters in a flock that has more than one? Does your lap rooster ever get aggressive with you?

I am very interested in collecting data that would shed more light on the imprinting study.

Well, here's some data that may support that theory ... but then again it may complicate it! I have a "lap rooster," my Dutch bantam cockerel DooRoo. We raised him in the house with several other Dutchies and a couple of OEBs because they are so much smaller than my other birds (even my Silkies). He and the OEB roo were quite personable and clingy from the start, clearly bonding to me as their "mom." The 3 pullets we had inside with them, not so much, although they were friendly and accepting of attention offered to them (dutchies in general are "lap dogs," IMO). Well, as the crew got older, I was shocked to see DooRoo do the "rooster dance" one morning when I approached the cage to let them out for their morning "play time." Hmm, I thought, maybe he's really courting one of the girls. But no, he repeated the behavior a number of times during the next week, each time clearly dancing for me, and he also started challenging Sir, the OEB roo. Obviously, it was time to change housing arrangements.

Sir and his OEB hen have now moved into an "apartment" in my new "chicken condo" out in the chicken house. One of the Dutchie hens has gone to reside with her permanent "husband" and sister/wife, my lavender roo Romeo and his lavender mate Juliet. So DooRoo and one pullet, Song, are now the only ones inside. As soon as I made the changes, and I mean within moments of Sir leaving the cage, DooRoo was doing his rooster dance for Song, and he hasn't done it for me since. He and Song are also calmer and even more spoiled than before, happily lounging on the arms and back of my recliner while I have my morning coffee, and checking out my breakfast plate for leftover goodies (scrambled eggs, yogurt, etc.). So my question is this ... is it just the "human bond" that can trigger mating/aggression transference, or is it perceiving the human caretaker as "top hen" that causes it? When Song was in competition with other pullets, somehow she AND the others had to compete with me (or so it seems). Yet when I removed Song's feathered competition, she clearly became "top hen" and I now no longer figure in the equation. At least that's how it seems to me.

I am now careful to take Song out whenever I take DooRoo out for extra attention, play time, etc., so that I don't inadvertently create any "hen competition" between her and me. I must admit, I laughed until I cried when DooRoo first did his little dance for me, but in retrospect it was kind of disturbing. Have I REALLY started looking that much like my chickens?!!!!!​

 

[Wild Trapper]

from Ohio

I got 3 roosters, but none are all that tame, on has gotten used to me.

 

[3goodeggs]

Welcome! I like your avatar.

 

[Symphony]

from central SC!

 

[featherbaby]

Quote:
It might be a good idea to trim your feathers a little. And that eau de poo cologne has GOT to GO!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

[featherbaby]

Chicken.Lytle :

I do not have a lap rooster but I am curious about them.

My Handling Rooster Aggression page includes a link to an article (the #45 link to an imprinting study) discussing issues around animal-human bonding. The article conjectures that animals that bond to humans are more likely to turn their mating and aggression behaviors toward humans.

So I wonder, are your lap roosters still young cockerels or are they mature males doing all the normal rooster behaviors with their flock? Are your lap roosters secondary roosters or alpha roosters in a flock that has more than one? Does your lap rooster ever get aggressive with you?

I am very interested in collecting data that would shed more light on the imprinting study.

Good questions! Mine is 8 months old, was raised with another roo just like him and 3 pullets. They were about 6 weeks old when I got them. I picked them all up at least twice a day since then. Some were resistant to holding, others liked it. At this point he is in a smaller outdoor cage with a small 11 month old pullet and shows no aggression to her. When I open the cage he practically leaps into my arms. She was less snuggly but now has become more willing since watching his behavior for the last 6 weeks. So I'd say he was an alpha roo for a while (after his brother was sold) and now is an only-roo with his lady and me. He has shown no aggression to me as yet. I'll keep you posted......if I can stand the crowing. Last night I covered the kitchen cage with a dark blanket and he didn't crow until I uncovered him. YEA!​

 

[spiritdance]

Quote:
It might be a good idea to trim your feathers a little. And that eau de poo cologne has GOT to GO!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Greetings down there in Jax. How's the weather doing? Do you know Fire Tigeris from Jax? What area are u in?

 

[4-H chicken mom]

and

from Ohio. I have a bantam roo that just loves to be held.

 

[aprophet]

My Serama roos are not lap roosters but when I am feeding them they fly into me and climb into my jacket so I will hold them and snuggle with them a little bit