i think my cockerel is trying to mate with me

[cifsu]

so my cockerel has been trying to mount me for a while. every time i go outside, usually the first time i go out for the day or after it's been a while, he rushes over to dance and tries grab my hand. he's grabbed my legs/hands before and i thought it was aggression but after some thought on how he behaves i don't think it is.

i've raised him when he was 2 weeks old to now and have interacted with him the most. hes flogged and chased everyone in my family EXCEPT me. hes been raised with another chicken (one died when he was a month old from raccoons and the other when he was 3 months old from illness, he's been around a hen since 3 months old to now). he has 3 hens now and dances/mates with them. he follows me around (with my grandma's hen, Chito, who he's been with the longest out of the 3), always wanting to see what i'm doing, perching on the top of the rocking chair when i sit on it or even standing on my lap, and only eats from my hands. If i try to pick up one of his flightly hens and they scream, he does nothing but watch. but when my brother was petting our newest hen who was perching, he ran over and tried to flog him. why is he doing this to ME and not any of my family members he was raised around?

also the newest hens don't trust me yet and don't like getting picked up. i only pick them up to check them for things before putting them back down and they walk off like nothing happened.
also attached a pic of Menace perching next to me, they're all mutts

 

[nuthatched]

If you held him often or let him sit on you, he might have in his head that you're a lower on the pecking order chicken.
He's trying to make you submit

 

[JedJackson]

I have no idea. Unless you've seen him actually going through the motions of trying to mate with your foot then I suspect it is just more aggression. It's dangerous to have a rooster around who attacks as you have described. He could take out an eye, and could seriously hurt a child. So I would start trying to fix the problem. There are folks in here that know how to help with that problem.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I had a bantam rooster who literally mated my leg- full action. That bantam was an out-of-control aggressive rooster that was so aggressive, I couldn't even pick him up without gloves on because he bit so painfully hard. It could be a mixture of your rooster's aggression and he might see you as a hen, especially because of the time you've spent with him. If he is removed from hens, he might make a good only pet after awhile and his hormones calm down, but it might be best if he is put in freezer camp or given to someone who is aware of his aggression.

 

[Red Mangrove]

If you held him often or let him sit on you, he might have in his head that you're a lower on the pecking order chicken.
He's trying to make you submit

Play chicken games, win chicken prizes

 

[gimmie birdies]

I never had a rooster try and mate me, I don't have problems with roosters period. Even if I have brought on an adult rooster from another farm. Just never show fear, don't kick them off with your shoe, don't let them sneak up on you. Don't use a broom, they will see it as a challenge. With me, roosters either get held, or they stay away. I am okay with both.

 

[Mrs. K]

"Yet" I think is the word to use here. He hasn't attacked me YET. I think it is coming. Be very aware, keep him away from your face. His jumping on the back of the chair is to make him taller than you are. I don't see this ending well.

 

[BawksAndRecreation]

Just chiming in to say dominance theory is a very human-centric approach to explaining the actions of chickens, especially roosters, and modern studies disprove it. Please do not assume this has anything to do with aggression or trying to “dominate” you or “make you his hen”.



Sounds to me like he’s a good boy that has a very strong bond with you and is doing what he knows is the best way to take care of you - and that’s considering you part of the flock and enjoying your company (in all the ways a rooster might enjoy the company of another chicken).

The issue of his reluctance to accept new people into his “flock” can be addressed you would with a pet dog - slowly and gradually introduce people with lots of positivity and treat. Make people FUN!

Our feathered friends respond to positive reinforcement just as well as canines. And, similar to canines, responding to temperament issues with aversive and aggressive behaviors creates MORE problems and side effects you definitely don’t want.

Google a positive reinforcement based program for dogs that’s for people-reactivity and do your best to modify for your rooster while still keeping the PR principles. It’ll take time and patience but it’s an opportunity to grow your flock AND your family and potentially create some very awesome bonds. ^

 

[McChooky]

I separated my 2 cockerels from my pullets at 12 weeks( should have done it sooner) They free range every day with 8 hens (integrated 8 weeks -divided by wire) I'm hoping my older hens will teach them both to respect the hierarchy of the flock, how to treat their caretakers (me)and how to treat them so they'll be gentlemen. I only carry my cockerels once a day(when I put them in separate cages at night). After my pullets start laying the roosters will have 21 hens. I've tamed bad roosters but its not worth it. I wish you the best with yours but have to say its not looking good...

 

[jpalmatier83]

Mating, dominance, pecking order and all other things aside, I would have serious concerns about ANY rooster who has “flogged every member of my family except me”.

That could result in real injuries. Grown adults have died from an unlucky spurring.