Is it normal for roosters to feed the hens?

[donrae]

My main rooster is three this spring. I've just started giving him treats to dispense to the hens the last few months. Before I'd just scatter treats on the ground, but for some reason I decided to start giving them to him and let him hand them out. We have an established relationship and he's never challenged me, so I'm comfortable with this. He's also still pretty skittish about taking food from my hand. But I love watching him dole out the treats to the hens

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My junior cockerel in the flock is learning to call the hens, but they tend to ignore him still. He's not helping his case when he uses a treat call when there's no treat, he's just trying to bait a hen closer so he can jump on her

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My roosters don't seem to crow when there's a potential danger around. There's an alert call they make that's different. Hens ignore crowing, but when that alert call sounds they freeze and look around to see what's up. So, you don't have to go check things out when your rooster crows. Listen to the different sounds he makes when say a dog goes by the run, or a hawk flies overhead. They actually have different calls for different types of dangers, it's pretty interesting.

 

[mg15]

It is so interesting. I think so too. I love to watch them interact in ways I have not seen before or missed.

 

[jackcreek]

So if I'm understanding right in regards to feeding the rooster I just need to make sure he understands I'm higher in the pecking order than him. Like when I first brought them home and tried to walk through the run. The hens would move out of my way but he would challenge me for my path by refusing to move and looking "fluffed" up. I insisted he yield the "right of way".by stepping in closer and the one time he still refused to move I reached down to touch him. Since then he yields the "right of way" and doesn't present me with the fluffed up look.

 

[aart]

So if I'm understanding right in regards to feeding the rooster I just need to make sure he understands I'm higher in the pecking order than him. Like when I first brought them home and tried to walk through the run. The hens would move out of my way but he would challenge me for my path by refusing to move and looking "fluffed" up. I insisted he yield the "right of way".by stepping in closer and the one time he still refused to move I reached down to touch him. Since then he yields the "right of way" and doesn't present me with the fluffed up look.

That sounds good.
Calm and confident 'rules the roost'.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

He should always move out of the way. I personally wouldn't feed out of hand, dominant birds take things out of submissive birds mouths, so scatter the treats and stay out of the pecking order.

 

[donrae]

I also would not hand feed a new rooster, especially one that wasn't totally submissive. I also don't reach down to touch them to get them out of my way, I use my foot. I not-so-gently push them out of my way if they don't move themselves. they get the message pretty well.

 

[METAPAAPS]

My rooster has been jumping on me and it makes me BLEED sometimes it's like he thinks he's the king of me and my hens can someone tell me how to make me the alpha again???

 

[aart]

My rooster has been jumping on me and it makes me BLEED sometimes it's like he thinks he's the king of me and my hens can someone tell me how to make me the alpha again???

Looks like you got some answers here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/why-does-my-rooster-do-this.1254197/

 

[Deblett]

I know this is a pretty old thread but you all talk about the Rooster giving treats to the girls but my Rooster is totally selfish. I got 2 hens and a Roo when they were 10 weeks old, all from same clutch, they are now about 20 weeks, combs have turned red, no eggs yet and no obvious sign of mating yet. But all treats are taken by him and he absolutely won't let the hens have any and gets very aggressive towards them if they try to sneak some. Is this abnormal or is it because he is still a juvenile? He is not aggressive towards them at any other time.

 

[Chickassan]

Still just a baby, he will get better once the booty starts flowing.

I know this is a pretty old thread but you all talk about the Rooster giving treats to the girls but my Rooster is totally selfish. I got 2 hens and a Roo when they were 10 weeks old, all from same clutch, they are now about 20 weeks, combs have turned red, no eggs yet and no obvious sign of mating yet. But all treats are taken by him and he absolutely won't let the hens have any and gets very aggressive towards them if they try to sneak some. Is this abnormal or is it because he is still a juvenile? He is not aggressive towards them at any other time.