Chicken Toe Fetish

[cundare]

OK, this is a strange one.

Our Australorp rooster has a strange fascination with toes. When one of us sits out with him & takes our shoes off, he walks up to our toes, positions his head an inch or two away, and seems to go into a trance, motionless, just staring at the toes. I can even tap him on the beak with a toe or pet him with my foot and he doesn't move a muscle. This goes on indefinitely, but when we put our shoes back on, he "reboots" and starts behaving normally.

At first, this was just weird, but now it's starting to get creepy. Other than this, the guy acts like a normal, healthy, exceptionally good-natured rooster who will even sit on our laps.

Does anybody have any idea why he does this?

 

[HappyClucker7]

Is he just staring at them, and an interested way, or is he giving the challenge stare?

 

[topochico225]

I'd say this is one of the more interesting thread titles on BYC. Definitely following

 

[cundare]

Is he just staring at them, and an interested way, or is he giving the challenge stare?

He's standing motionless, with his head an inch away from my big toe. It's disconcerting. He'll stay like that until I put my shoes back on.

How do I tell if this is a challenge stare?

 

[Ruby Rogue]

This is so odd. Can we see a video?

 

[Folly's place]

Wear shoes!!!
Or is it more fun to wait for that first bite?
Sorry, Mary

 

[topochico225]

I got a lorez video down to 3MB, but don't see any way to attach it. The attach function on this site accepts only photos.

You have to post on youtube or vimeo, then link here

 

[Isadora]

I'm not sure how to do that. Not worth setting up an account & figuring out all the details to post one video one time. The video doesn't show anything other than what I described, though.

We would even take a picture! Or a series of them. He sounds like an interesting bird

 

[cundare]

We would even take a picture! Or a series of them. He sounds like an interesting bird

OK, I'll try to get a snapshot in the morning. And yes, he's a very interesting bird, a rescue pet that wandered into our yard with injuries, a bandage, and a tie wrap around one leg. There are a lot of cockfighting rings around here & I suspect he escaped, or was thrown in the street, after an injury. Brought him to the vets and have had him for almost a year now. He's a wonderful pet. At night he walks up to the garage and waits for us to open the door. (He sleeps in a cage we built in the garage b/c he might not be able to defend himself from predators.) At one point, a wild hen wandered in and he trained her to go into the garage with him at night. When she decided to leave one day, he was furious. Came up to the house and pecked, then crowed until we came out, then led us to the spot where she jumped over the fence. He then whined until one of us went out to find her. He was really PO'd when it looked like we wouldn't go after her. So he knows the house rules and enforces them. Part of the family.

 

[cundare]

You have to post on youtube or vimeo, then link here

I figured out how to do this. Here is a link to a short video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/qThpP68JGbxwxtd68