At what age do cockerels start tid-bitting

[TaylorGlade]

Meet Bubo, our 13.5 week cream legbar cockerel. I'm hopeful that he will be a good rooster . So far, he's not human aggressive and snuggles with the girls. We have 12 leg bar girls hatched the same week - and week after him.

Perhaps it's too early, but I haven't seen him tidbitting for the girls. Last week, he did pull down some sweet potato vines for our baby Australorp, though.

When do they normally start this behavior?

 

[Rose_adamaj]

Meet Bubo, our 13.5 week cream legbar cockerel. I'm hopeful that he will be a good rooster . So far, he's not human aggressive and snuggles with the girls. We have 12 leg bar girls hatched the same week - and week after him.

Perhaps it's too early, but I haven't seen him tidbitting for the girls. Last week, he did pull down some sweet potato vines for our baby Australorp, though.

When do they normally start this behavior?

What is ‘tidbitting’? I’ve not heard that term before. Thank you in advance.

 

[TaylorGlade]

What is ‘tidbitting’? I’ve not heard that term before. Thank you in advance.

It's the behavior of picking up and dropping food for their flockmates. They usually do it for their girls, and sometimes they do it for chicks

 

[tranquiliti]

Meet Bubo, our 13.5 week cream legbar cockerel. I'm hopeful that he will be a good rooster . So far, he's not human aggressive and snuggles with the girls. We have 12 leg bar girls hatched the same week - and week after him.

Perhaps it's too early, but I haven't seen him tidbitting for the girls. Last week, he did pull down some sweet potato vines for our baby Australorp, though.

When do they normally start this behavior?

Just here to drool over the gorgeous birds

 

[TaylorGlade]

Just here to drool over the gorgeous birds

Thank you. The black ones are australorps. I love how in the sunlight their feathers have a beetle green sheen. And if you look real closely, you can see blue and purple but they don't show up in that photo. The little one is the cream leg bar and they make beautiful roosters. I'm looking forward to him growing up, I just hope he is a gentleman

 

[Rose_adamaj]

It's the behavior of picking up and dropping food for their flockmates. They usually do it for their girls, and sometimes they do it for chicks

The light bulb goes off - yes, perfect word for the behavior! I had not heard it called tidbitting before your post. I love BYC, I got my first chickens almost 40 years ago and I learn things all the time here.

 

[TaylorGlade]

The light bulb goes off - yes, perfect word for the behavior! I had not heard it called tidbitting before your post. I love BYC, I got my first chickens almost 40 years ago and I learn things all the time here.

I grew up with them - they were my grandmother's and I am over 50. I am still learning all the time. For instance, on of those australorps in that photo is PROBABLY a Cockerel, but has never crowed. It was the only male. It is 24 weeks old. It acts like a pullet, has legs like a pullet, and ran from Bubo when Bubo was 4 weeks old. But, if you look at the feathers, it is very different than the other Australorp. I've never seen such a feminine Cockerel. If it IS a Cockerel and continues being very gentle, I'll keep it. Still learning. Lol

 

[LaFleche]

The earliest I saw little cockerels do it was about 4-5 weeks old, but little pullets do it as well, even when raised by broodies.

 

[picklestheduck]

I’m not sure there’s a general age that they start it, I think it’s all about timing and when they mature enough etc, hard to say though

 

[picklestheduck]

Pretty birds though!