Cockerel behavior

[BabasCoop]

That's good IMO.
Will he hand feed?

He is hesitant, but yes, he will come peck crumble from my hand. Especially if the others are.

 

[aart]

He is hesitant, but yes, he will come peck crumble from my hand. Especially if the others are.

That's good, IMO..means he trusts you.
He doesn't need to do it all the time.

 

[BabasCoop]

That's good, IMO..means he trusts you.
He doesn't need to do it all the time.

Here is my little cockerel, Blue. I’m just sitting out here in the coop near the food and water interacting with my chicks. He walks right up next to me, starts drinking, then just calmly walked away. I didn’t reach for him because I wanted a picture. But if I would have extended my hand he would have backed up and not let me touch him.

 

[Sahraschweiss]

I stumbled onto this thread after doing a search for cockerel behavior; I am a first time chicken person with a 9 week old buff orpington cockerel that I've named Barney. I've read @Shadrach 's article, but still need help. My flock can't free range.

Here's a little background: Barney is in a group of same age pullets (3 buffs and 4 barred rocks). They all get along very well. I also have another group of 12 mixed 18 weeks pullets that are in an adjacent run. I tried to merge a few weeks, but the big girls were relentless against my boy that was 5 weeks at the time. Now both groups do there morning and afternoon naps next to each other with the fence separating them. They have stopped pecking at each other through the fence. He is the only boy in either flock.

Like most people, I want a rooster that doesn't attack me, and he hasn't yet. However, I have started noticing big boy behaviors. First he started crowing at 4 weeks-- it was a sad screech, but 6 weeks he has it down. He comes up to me when I enter the run, and will be one of the first to eat out of my hand. He will get a few beak fulls and back away to let the girls have the rest. He's never liked to be handled, so I don't push it. He gives me space when I'm in the run or coop. His girls are not so respectful and need to be nudged out of the way.

He seems to already be protective of his girls. Even with the gentlest of nudges, some of the girls are drama queens and will raise a fuss. Barney will come running to investigate. He checks on the pullet, and then will place himself between her and myself. If the other girls try to get under my feet when I'm carrying things, he will herd them away. This always surprises me. Even before he started doing this, he would place himself between the his girls and the big girls pecking at the fence. Once I saw him fly at the fence, feet first and hackles raised, when one of the big girl got a peck on one of his little ladies. He makes sure his girls go to bed at night and waits for all of them to leave in the morning. At 9 weeks he seems to be a good little man.

My concern is what happens when his hormones really kick in? I can't free range as we have way too many predators ( foxes and coyotes among many others). Barney and I seem to have a mutual respect, but some of the girls will jump on my shoulder when I'm checking waters and feed. He doesn't seem to mind that; however, when I set them down, they give attitude and ruffle their feathers. Barney doesn't like that and will start shouldering them away from me while giving me side eye.

Right now the combined runs are 700 sqft and covered. I can add another 1000+ but without the top being covered.

@Shadrach , as first time chicken person, what do you suggest I can do to help keep my 9 week cockerel respectful?

 

[Shadrach]

I stumbled onto this thread after doing a search for cockerel behavior; I am a first time chicken person with a 9 week old buff orpington cockerel that I've named Barney. I've read @Shadrach 's article, but still need help. My flock can't free range.

Here's a little background: Barney is in a group of same age pullets (3 buffs and 4 barred rocks). They all get along very well. I also have another group of 12 mixed 18 weeks pullets that are in an adjacent run. I tried to merge a few weeks, but the big girls were relentless against my boy that was 5 weeks at the time. Now both groups do there morning and afternoon naps next to each other with the fence separating them. They have stopped pecking at each other through the fence. He is the only boy in either flock.

Like most people, I want a rooster that doesn't attack me, and he hasn't yet. However, I have started noticing big boy behaviors. First he started crowing at 4 weeks-- it was a sad screech, but 6 weeks he has it down. He comes up to me when I enter the run, and will be one of the first to eat out of my hand. He will get a few beak fulls and back away to let the girls have the rest. He's never liked to be handled, so I don't push it. He gives me space when I'm in the run or coop. His girls are not so respectful and need to be nudged out of the way.

He seems to already be protective of his girls. Even with the gentlest of nudges, some of the girls are drama queens and will raise a fuss. Barney will come running to investigate. He checks on the pullet, and then will place himself between her and myself. If the other girls try to get under my feet when I'm carrying things, he will herd them away. This always surprises me. Even before he started doing this, he would place himself between the his girls and the big girls pecking at the fence. Once I saw him fly at the fence, feet first and hackles raised, when one of the big girl got a peck on one of his little ladies. He makes sure his girls go to bed at night and waits for all of them to leave in the morning. At 9 weeks he seems to be a good little man.

My concern is what happens when his hormones really kick in? I can't free range as we have way too many predators ( foxes and coyotes among many others). Barney and I seem to have a mutual respect, but some of the girls will jump on my shoulder when I'm checking waters and feed. He doesn't seem to mind that; however, when I set them down, they give attitude and ruffle their feathers. Barney doesn't like that and will start shouldering them away from me while giving me side eye.

Right now the combined runs are 700 sqft and covered. I can add another 1000+ but without the top being covered.

@Shadrach , as first time chicken person, what do you suggest I can do to help keep my 9 week cockerel respectful?

It seems it's your hens doing the post mating shake when you put them down that is causing problems at the moment.
I would suggest that you try to take the hens off your shoulder/arm/whatever by placing one
hand under their feet and lifting them without covering their body. This has worked for me with some hens.
He sounds like a great young cockerel. Love that he'll herd the hens out from under your feet. I wish a few of the roosters here would do that. I'm constantly worried about stepping on the bantam hens in particular when they think I've got food.
You could also try to discourage the hens from jumping on you in the first place. This is difficult, partly because it's a good feeling to have the hens show that much trust.
Try the one handed feet lift and see how you and he get on with that. Basically if they don't shake then they don't think they've been mated and he won't either.
Do get back and let us know how you get on.

 

[Sahraschweiss]

It seems it's your hens doing the post mating shake when you put them down that is causing problems at the moment.
I would suggest that you try to take the hens off your shoulder/arm/whatever by placing one
hand under their feet and lifting them without covering their body. This has worked for me with some hens.
He sounds like a great young cockerel. Love that he'll herd the hens out from under your feet. I wish a few of the roosters here would do that. I'm constantly worried about stepping on the bantam hens in particular when they think I've got food.
You could also try to discourage the hens from jumping on you in the first place. This is difficult, partly because it's a good feeling to have the hens show that much trust.
Try the one handed feet lift and see how you and he get on with that. Basically if they don't shake then they don't think they've been mated and he won't either.
Do get back and let us know how you get on.

The one hand thing is what I do when I handle his girls. I will lift them up with my hand under their belly. Once calm, I will check beaks, feet, wings and vents. About half of them let me do this without fuss. Some will only let me check feet. I'm slowly trying to get all of them to let me check them without fuss. I put them down single hand and they walk away without feather ruffling. Barney seems cool with that.

Sometimes when one is on my shoulder they move to a spot where I can't cleanly grab them. I have a higher platform for their pop door that I will walk to and lean against. They will usually step on to it without ruckus. I will start doing that consistently.

Thank you for creating such an incredible behavior article and responding to my post. I will keep you posted.

 

[Shadrach]

The one hand thing is what I do when I handle his girls. I will lift them up with my hand under their belly. Once calm, I will check beaks, feet, wings and vents. About half of them let me do this without fuss. Some will only let me check feet. I'm slowly trying to get all of them to let me check them without fuss. I put them down single hand and they walk away without feather ruffling. Barney seems cool with that.

Sometimes when one is on my shoulder they move to a spot where I can't cleanly grab them. I have a higher platform for their pop door that I will walk to and lean against. They will usually step on to it without ruckus. I will start doing that consistently.

Thank you for creating such an incredible behavior article and responding to my post. I will keep you posted.

I do the majority of my health checks at night, either while they are on the roost, or in the coop roof, or if necessary, in my house. This can save a lot of drama.
The roosters I can do during the day in general although there are always the recalcitrants.

 

[alwaystj9]

One of my roos (5 yr. old Americauna/exotic cross) avoids me EXCEPT when another chicken squwacks in upset mode. Last year, for the first time, he came after me and sunk a spur into my leg. I was shocked as he has always stayed away from me and it was totally a surprise. I did not know what had triggered it. I trimmed spurs and kept a closer watch, the second attack was while I was trying to scoot a hen through a gate and she squwacked and he immediately flew at me from the back. Also realized that I hadn't got those spurs clipped enough as the new hole in my thigh was 3 inches from the old one. After that he charged the fence when I caught a 1/2 grown chick that had gotten out. Now he lives with a goat & no hens, he is very meek and stays away again. He'll be cooked into dog food soon, I don't trust him.
This roo has never stood up to hawks, snakes or other animals, I am his only target.