Flapping roo, what does it mean?

[bigspringshatchery]

Yea I would stop it now. Mine would charge me when I turned my back on him or went to walk out. Since he's not charging you yet you don't have to have a stick. Do what joemwm said do. Walk at him and make him move. Also you can chase him around the pen a few mins everyday.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Yeah...I wouldn't be so quick to get physically aggressive. I've had really bad luck with roosters over the years and can tell you that hitting, prodding, shoving, etc, will most likely not solve the problem. Roosters seem to have a one-track mind, and run on pure instinct. You hit, and all of a sudden you are causing a problem and are stooping down to his level. My roosters NEVER learned from this, and even if it takes care of the moment, they'll remember you were fighting back. And mine never gave up. I think it made them worse.

That said, when roosters flap their wings, they're drawing attention to themselves (Look at that strong, pretty rooster!) and almost beckoning a challenge. I wouldn't act until he really threatens you, because you shouldn't go looking for a fight. Instead, walk over, pick him up, and walk around with him until he is subdued. Don't turn your back until he walks away first.

No promises this'll solve the issue, though. All roosters are different.

 

[Sjisty]

My light Brahma roo used to charge me whenever I turned my back on him. One day I got a wild notion that I would bathe him since he was looking very dingy. I brought him into the kitchen and gave him a bath in the sink, then sat him on my lap and dried him off. I'm guessing my fingers tickling his private and not-so-private spots mortified him - now he keeps his distance.

 

[chickenbarn-gal]

Quote:
Yeah, he is. Don't worry he's trying to be more dominant, but he's not gonna attack you or anything like that! My rooster was doing that a lot until he started getting a little older.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Quote:
Yeah, he is. Don't worry he's trying to be more dominant, but he's not gonna attack you or anything like that! My rooster was doing that a lot until he started getting a little older.

Exactly. All of my roosters are sweethearts and all of them do the wing flap. No aggression issues. If you resort to aggression to get him to stop (which he will not) then of course will use aggression back or withdrawal from you.

 

[Lollipop]

I`ve gotta tell you that I`ve had thousands of roosters over the years and have never associated wing flapping with aggression. Usually it is because they are moved to a larger run, or free ranged, sort of feeling their freedom. Like the Polish Princess said, it`s a posturing thing, similar to crowing, but not a threat unless he ingages you. Then it`s time to do something.........Pop

 

[PortageGirl]

My opinion is yes, he's feeling his hormones, and possibly being protective, but may also just be showing off, in rooster speak saying, "Hey, look at me!" Admittedly, that can be just a few steps away from challenging you, but not necessarily.

I'm not big on getting a broom or a boot out after them either. I mean, I would in self defense, but it'd have to be an actual attack that I had no choice about and really I like to think I'm smarter than my roo and with some forethought, I can avoid that. Getting physical with him just encourages him IMO. I've done the picking up and carrying around thing, and it really does work on many roos, even most, but I also find this article SUPER helpful... it's not so much about what specific actions to take, but more how to view things and prevent trouble which is how I prefer to act. Oh, and also, I try not to expect affection from my roosters, though if they'll tolerate it I'm as nice to them as I am to the hens. Mostly I just let them be the flock guards they're meant to be, they go their way and I go mine, but anyway, see if this helps at all!

http://www.plamondon.com/faq_roosters.html

I like the attitude of this article, this guy makes sense to me, though there are other equally non-violent methods that can and do work. Keep in mind though, a lot of this depend on you, your temperament, your rooster, his temperament, and the set up of your coop, pens and or yard. What works perfectly on one rooster, for one person, may not work for you, or me, or Joe Schmo from Kokomo.

 

[Babsadon]

Please don't hit your rooster! My Jersey Giant, Houdini flaps his wings all the time. With his enormous claws, he could deliver quite a blow, but he has never attacked me. I keep him in the house at night so he won't bother the neighbors with his early morning crowing. In the evening he makes sure his hens are settled down for the night. Then he waits by the back door. I open the door and give him a few pieces of dried dog food. Then he walks through the house until he gets to his special perch in the guest bedroom shower. (A couple of pages of newspaper underneath him is all it takes to keep the shower clean.) He stays there until morning when I open the door so he can walk through the house to go outside to be with his hens. I had another rooster who was quite different. He was a crazy Polish rooster who used to attack me from behind. He was small so it didn't hurt, but it was bothersome. I would pick him up and give him a hug. He was gorgeous and funny, but I had to find him a home when I was busted for having a rooster. That's why my second accidental rooster, Houdini comes into the house every night.

 

[silkiesRawesome]

Thanks! I would NEVER hit any of my animals, I don't think that actually teaches them anything. I've been picking him up and trying to convince him that he likes me

 

[WhetzelMomma]

My roo does this all the time... especially when he seems to be proud that he's found a tasty morsel for the girls... If you're interested in aggressive rooster PREVENTION I suggest this post. I return to it regularly. The writer is the Caesar Millan to my chicken speak. lol I've used the methods since I got my roo at 6 months, and so far, he's been great! https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=4810