Help, my rooster is in love with me!

[jstlitlome]

I bought a year old black copper maran last fall. The guy told me that his maran roos are pretty docile, which I was glad to hear because my last roo would attack me at every turn. I don't think he has ever free ranged because for a month or so he wouldn't stray from his coop or even eat scraps that I brought them. Didn't last long. Now he spends the whole day walking circles around my house crowing into my windows. He's good with the ladies and they like him quite a bit. Lately the whole flock has taken to sitting on my back porch waiting for me. Or course that means my landscaping is a mess. He even sometimes does the little stomp dance he does with his girls before mating! I use the hose on them every time I see them there

Any idea on getting them to range a little further from my house? They have 15 acres to run around if they would!

Isn't he lovely?

Here they all are on my back porch waiting for me.

 

[enola]

Fence. If you want them to wander the entire 15 acres, you will have to put the fence around the house to keep them away.

 

[enola]

And the stomp dance is his way of showing you that he demands your respect. This could be the first sign of him becoming aggressive toward you. When he does this little dance, you need to abruptly move him out of your way. Walk directly toward him and aggressively force him to move to the side.

Does he mate his hens when they are near you?

 

[jstlitlome]

I don't care how far they wander. Just don't want them around the house all day long!lol my last rooster kept them all over. They would wander to the house. I like seeing them. But they didn't camp out here. I am putting fence around my landscaping and my front porch to keep them out from under it. I really don't want fence around my house. We like the free of it.

 

[jstlitlome]

And the stomp dance is his way of showing you that he demands your respect. This could be the first sign of him becoming aggressive toward you. When he does this little dance, you need to abruptly move him out of your way. Walk directly toward him and aggressively force him to move to the side.

Does he mate his hens when they are near you?

He mates his hens all the time. Lol. I will start working on showing him who's boss. I started just picking him up and carrying him around a bit. My last rooster hated it. Reggie seems to like it. When my last rooster would attack I would hold him upside down for a few seconds and lay him down gently and that would do the trick. I've never felt the need to get that aggressive with him.

But just making him get out of my way would be a good first step. When I try to get him to move somewhere he usually trys to hold his ground which, your right, it's probably the start of something. Thanks!

 

[rahbunn]

I dont have a roo ... but totally understand your desire for a Poo Free Zone around you home. Mine hear the sliding door open and they come running...I do love seeing their little legs in petticoats running toward me for snacks, tho. My flock of six girls has systematically ruined all of the flower beds...even eating Hostas...hahahaha
My concrete patio looks like they play tic tac poop all day long...ahhhh...but I do love them.

 

[jstlitlome]

I dont have a roo ... but totally understand your desire for a Poo Free Zone around you home. Mine hear the sliding door open and they come running...I do love seeing their little legs in petticoats running toward me for snacks, tho. My flock of six girls has systematically ruined all of the flower beds...even eating Hostas...hahahaha
My concrete patio looks like they play tic tac poop all day long...ahhhh...but I do love them.

I know. it is cute, which is why this all started. My hens all come running and strangely, Reggie hops! Its adorable. I didnt nip it in the bud when it started. My husband even fed them off the porch while I was cooking dinner there for a while, exacerbating the problem. lol He is no longer allowed to do that. I try to feed them from a different direction but they are not easily fooled!!!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

He mates his hens all the time. Lol. I will start working on showing him who's boss. I started just picking him up and carrying him around a bit. My last rooster hated it. Reggie seems to like it. When my last rooster would attack I would hold him upside down for a few seconds and lay him down gently and that would do the trick. I've never felt the need to get that aggressive with him.

But just making him get out of my way would be a good first step. When I try to get him to move somewhere he usually trys to hold his ground which, your right, it's probably the start of something. Thanks!

The question of him doing so near you was raised as this is another way in which he is making his opinion of his place vs. your place quite well known. A subordinate cockerel in the flock would never mount/mate a hen in proximity to the dominant as doing so would be to invite a swift reminder of just what his place in things was.
The behaviors you are seeing are not cute or funny, unfortunately that is often how they are seen when looked at through the human eye vs. what is being communicated in chicken speak.

 

[lazy gardener]

Do you give them access to food 24/7? You might try with-holding feed until late afternoon/early evening. That will force them to stop porch lounging and get out there to rustle up some grub(s!).

You can make a fence that is practically invisible, but very effective out of deer fencing. It comes in a 7' tall roll. You can easily cut through the entire roll with a regular pair of scissors, giving you 2 lengths of 3.5' tall fencing. A few light weight fiberglass posts, some clothes pins to hold the fence up on the posts, and some pegs to hold it down, and you're in business.

Re: rooster aggression. I agree with PP regarding the beginnings of him trying to test you. Don't allow it. When my roo makes eye contact with me, I immediately "walk him down". I also reach out and grab his tail often enough that he knows to keep out of my reach. He has a healthy respect for me. I've never had to take my training of him to the next level, but I firmly believe that roosters should always yield the right of way to all of the humans in their territory.

 

[Naser]

Stop giving them treats near the place you don't want them to be in it
You can sneak through another door and call them when you are away.