Cockerel thinks I'm a hen!?

[Shern]

This is about my 7 month old boy Chubbs who was hatched here at home with a broody hen named Charlene. He is living with his 2 brothers and the one girl we got is with another flock. The boys get along, thank goodness! That was my biggest concern but to my shock I am dealing with my own very painful and embarrassing situation. Chubbs loved to be picked up and held, he still does, but now when you reach to pick him up, he grabs the ever loving you know what out of your hand, wrist, arm...whatever he can grab. I told my husband it's like he's trying to hold on and swing up on my arm.... well, that's exactly what he did the other day in the coop. I was talking and playing with one of his brothers and he snuck me, grabbed my forearm and swung his body up and started to wiggle. I immediately knew what he was doing and I was furious at the hard bite so I grabbed him up and hollered a cuss (maybe 2 lol) and told him absolutely not and we walked out the coop. I held him a little bit but he likes it so it's not really a dominance threat to him. He will put his head on my shoulder and close his eyes when I pet him. Today I was cleaning the coop and he came in, I talked with him and he stepped back out with one of his brothers. Then the back of my knee lit up, he bit the heck out of me!! I had no clue he came back in there! I yelled out ouch!! and yelled at Chubbs to get out! It must have scared him because he sure did and I shut the coop door and cried because it hurt so much. I had total knee replacement about a month and a half ago and the swelling from that surgery is a real bear and of course Chubbs bit that knee. I know y'all will tell me to get rid of him, put him in the pot but if there is a chance he will "grow out" of this behavior I want to give him that chance. I love roosters, I have 3 full grown fellas with their own hens and each have their own coops and runs and all 3 boys are so sweet. Only one is a super snuggler and wants me to pick him up, the other 2 like it when I do pick them up but don't "seek" out hugs. These 3 boys have their own coop and run and I let them out with me in the yard everyday while I do chicken chores. They are like dogs, follow me around and peck in the yard, hang with me when I take a break and are just great company and seem to be happy little fellas. I just cannot be Chubbs "hen" or whatever it is he is seeing me as, I'm assuming hen because of the wiggling. Not understanding the bites on my legs though, why?! And why snuggle up to me just to bite me later or bite me then want me to snuggle you?! Is there anything I can do differently with Chubbs? Hoping this biting is a hormonal thing because it just started when those kicked in.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If you don't want him to bite you, in my opinion you need to stay away from him. It won't get better. His snuggling days are over, and he's going to hurt you. Do with that what you will. I'm sorry.

 

[Shern]

If you don't want him to bite you, in my opinion you need to stay away from him. It won't get better. His snuggling days are over, and he's going to hurt you. Do with that what you will. I'm sorry.

Thing is, he dances around my feet and won't leave me alone until I pick him up to snuggle. He still wants the hugs but also wants to grab on my arm or hand for a ride on the way up for the hug He laid his head on my shoulder yesterday and closed his eyes and just almost goes limp while getting held and scratched. My other sweet roo is like him but never bites so I hate to cull him if someone has another suggestion to correct the biting or something I'm doing.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I suspect that biting is an instinctive part of the mating act. When they mate the rooster grabs the back of the hen's head. That instinctively causes her to raise her tail up out of the way so he can hit the target and fertilize the eggs.

I do not have any suggestions on how to change his behavior.

 

[Shern]

I suspect that biting is an instinctive part of the mating act. When they mate the rooster grabs the back of the hen's head. That instinctively causes her to raise her tail up out of the way so he can hit the target and fertilize the eggs.

I do not have any suggestions on how to change his behavior.

Yes, and good grief if roo's bite hens heads/necks as hard as Chubbs bites me I know why my girls squawk out sometimes! It hurts! Going on 5 years of having chickens and this is a new one, hoping someone may have had a similar experience, well not really considering, but advise me on what I could do. I kept my distance today but leaving the coop after cleaning it he bit my leg, only got a mouthful of my pants, but still darnit!! I lifted him up with my foot and followed him around the yard for a bit. He stopped and turned at me but I have a walking stick and distracted him with it and kept walking towards him, he turned around and ran away from me so maybe I'll have a chance. Thanks y'all for trying and the kind words, much appreciated

 

[SamLockwood]

Unfortunately chickens don't really have any way of understanding physical contact that isn't fighting or mating related.

If he's dancing a circle or half-circle around you with one wing down, that's a herding / mating dance.

His grabbing onto your hand and "wiggiling" is him trying to mate with you. They grab onto a hen's neck-feathers to steady themselves while mating.

Some of the other biting behavior is just a more rude way of roosters trying to get a hen's attention or get them to mate: they'll grab the hen and / or put one foot on her back to try to force her down. The polite apporach is to walk towards the hen with their hackles partially raised: if she's willing she'll squat.

So, your rooster is rude but the good news is he really likes you.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Whatever you do—in this case, probably set some boundaries—remember to be consistent! Even if his behavior changes, keep at it at least until he is well past puberty. Probably much longer. It won't help anything if he's allowed to snuggle one day and kicked away the next.

 

[Shern]

Unfortunately chickens don't really have any way of understanding physical contact that isn't fighting or mating related.

If he's dancing a circle or half-circle around you with one wing down, that's a herding / mating dance.

His grabbing onto your hand and "wiggiling" is him trying to mate with you. They grab onto a hen's neck-feathers to steady themselves while mating.

Some of the other biting behavior is just a more rude way of roosters trying to get a hen's attention or get them to mate: they'll grab the hen and / or put one foot on her back to try to force her down. The polite apporach is to walk towards the hen with their hackles partially raised: if she's willing she'll squat.

So, your rooster is rude but the good news is he really likes you.

He did put his hackle feathers up at me when I wouldn't pick him up after his little dance, awww well sorry buddy I'm not a hen. He doesn't bother my husband, only if he tries to pick him up he gets the bites too. I put on some heavy duty gloves yesterday because he kept wanting attention but every time I tried to pick him up he bit so I just fussed when he did and said no biting and told him until he can be nice no pick up's we just went on about our day. Thanks for letting me know I have a crush lol hopefully his hormones will settle and he'll be a good fella.

 

[SamLockwood]

He did put his hackle feathers up at me when I wouldn't pick him up after his little dance, awww well sorry buddy I'm not a hen. He doesn't bother my husband, only if he tries to pick him up he gets the bites too. I put on some heavy duty gloves yesterday because he kept wanting attention but every time I tried to pick him up he bit so I just fussed when he did and said no biting and told him until he can be nice no pick up's we just went on about our day. Thanks for letting me know I have a crush lol hopefully his hormones will settle and he'll be a good fella.

You're probably going to have to give up petting him, but if you're polite in your refusals he'll minght just figure you're a hen that's just not that into him.

Try making up for the physical contact with regular treats, it might flip a switch in his head and he'll lose interest in "jumping" you.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think you are sending mixed messages to him. You want to pet and snuggle him, he sees that as accepting mating. You really can't have it both ways. If you want to pet him, you will take the biting.

If you can stop him from getting into your space at all he might quit, but I don't think so. I would separate him out into some type of confinement, and I would feed and water him on the the other side of the fence.

Really I don't know why I said that, I wouldn't keep him.

Good luck,
Mrs K