Can Roosters get embarrassed??

[ladybug99]

Well my little boy is finally becomming a man... I have a 61/2 moth old Welsummer rooster and 11 hens.. raised them all since they were chicks.. This morning I was out in the run with all the girls and Brewster the rooster when all of a sudden out of nowhere comes Brewster with his wings a flapping and he is growling ... I was a bit shocked and lifted my leg up to defend my self and hit him squarely in the chest with my boot.. he fell back and I proceed to scream at him and tapped him on the top of his head... I must have knocked the wind out of him as it took him a few moments to stand back up...I followed him around the pen giving him the stink eye and told him to stop that behavior. Then I noticed that he was actually cowering and when he went to stand up he held one leg up....

Now I am thinking oh dear lord I hurt him....when I went to pick him up he cowered even more....then he got up and ran away and started to crow. Well I went into the house and got reaady for work...the whole time thinking about the poor rooster and how he must be hurt and suffering... so I go down to the coop in my dress suit and heels just to check up on him before I left for work....as I came up to the coop I could see him walking around the run, eating his treats.. as I come up to the pen he sees me and starts to cowering again.... is it possible I embarrassed him in front of his girls??? he should know better.....I will always be the boss....

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I think that embarassment is an awfully complicated emotion for a chicken to feel. You did right to assert your dominance over your roo when he attacked you. Perhaps his reaction means that he will remember his lesson for a long time.

 

[KimberlyJ]

Embarrassed---NO. Dominated--Yes.

 

[CMV]

You are anthropomorphizing. Chickens don't feel embarrassment. He was giving you credit as being the dominant leader of the flock. He acted as a good lackey should.

 

[ladybug99]

I hope he doesn't try that again inthe morning....I would hate to do that all over again....I do give a good stink eye

 

[Joey8765]

hahahahaha funny funny post! i think he just felt that he lost and so he backed off

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Well, actually, I think you did embarrass him which is exactly what you should have done. You needed to establish that YOU and not him are the top bird in the flock and you did. If he gets to feeling full of himself and jumps you again then do it all over each and every time.

 

[Kaceyx73]

Definitely an "attitude adjustment."

Don't feel bad about. It's like with people, you hate having someone put you in your place, whether its a boss or parents, or a LEO. When the person adjusting your attitude starts rubbing it in, your attitude will likely be worse than before. If the adjuster goes back to being normal and friendly, then its hard to keep hating their guts. Even if you didn't like your adjustment, you instinctively recognize DOMINANCE. The a hole that rubs it in isn't dominant, he's just a narcissist. Its a big difference. Go back to respecting your roo, giving him treats, and such. Correct him when he needs it, love him when he's good. He will respect your dominance, and may even show you the sincerest form of flattery... imitation.

My 5 1/2 month old RIR cockerel is sure trying every trick in the book to get the ladies attention. With a full grown rooster present, the attention all goes to the top cock. Today I noticed Vic (the adult) calling the girls over to check out something he found. When he raised up, the girls would lightly peck at his wattles and beak. There was poor Roo (the cockerel) watching from the sidelines. It was so funny to watch him trying the same trick, and still wondering why the girls wouldn't come to him. He knows who the dominant rooster is, and after being grabbed by the neck for biting, he knows I'm still atop the pecking order.

 

[ladybug99]

He came at me three times yesterday morning... I did the same thing.. he did back down. I am wondering if this is a space issue, we had a huge amount of snow in the past couple of weeks and due to an injury and limited time due to day light we were only able to dig out a small area of the run. He only does this only out side. They are used to an area of 20 feet by 40 feet and now they only have 5 feet by 5 feet.....he is ok when I am inside the coop.

 

[greenriver]

I think his age and spring time coming has more to do with his attitude than confinement.

In his mind he is number one and that may not change.