Is it normal... Rooster Behaviors & Questions

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Enchanted1s

Enchanted1s

Songster
Sep 25, 2017
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New Mexico
So much to learn... So, we have now had our Tootie for almost a year, and still very much novices! So my question today... is it normal behavior for a rooster to show his young hen where she is supposed to lay her eggs??

We acquired two young pullets (Rosie & Tina) that flew over from the neighbor several weeks ago. Both appeared to be from the same hatch. We can hardly tell them apart. On Jan 22, Rosie laid her first egg in the nesting box. Every day, I figured Tina would give us an egg - but no. Tina has become Rudy's (the rooster) buddy and hangs with him all day. This past week, I noticed Rudy seemed to be taking her inside their house and showing here how to get in the nesting box! He would literally get in the box (while talking to her). On 9 Feb, Tina laid her first egg! NOT in the nesting box (on the ground, outside). So, I am wondering if I am crazy, or was he showing her what she needed to do?

I also noticed, with Rosie - when she started laying - he would sit outside and wait patiently (as he always did with Tootie - our one laying hen), BUT, when he thought she had been in there long enough, he would start squawking, yelling, screaming, whatever he does - until she would come out and walk off with him!

He is quite interesting and entertaining to watch! Just this week, he hurt his foot or leg and is limping really bad. We don't know what to do for him. In all honesty, we are a little afraid of him and his 9 inch spurs! (okay, slight exaggeration) ONE time I got him to take treats from my hand, but that is the closest we have ever gotten to him. I thought the kindest thing might be to put him down, but he has always been so good to his girls! We are also introducing 10 week old babies (3 of them) to the flock and I am worried that his bum leg might make him mean? But, we just don't know what to do. ONE day, I was able to get him with the net and put him in a cage to rest his leg. I let him out at dusk to go to bed with his girls - we have not been able to catch him again!
Rudy.1Dec17.jpg
 
I have a rooster that has 3 girls he is very involved in the egg laying for some reason I'll try to get a pic tomorrow he climbs in box sometimes while a hen is laying and I thought it was wierd the other thing is he sleeps in nesting box and orders the girls to roost on top of it if they come down at night he orders them back up he seems to have a handle on his household compared to my other flocks keep posted on your boys leg please
 
I tried the getting him at night thing once. His bachelor pad is an unused nesting box attached to the coop. He likes it - and sometimes Tina & Rosey sleep with him - so I just built other nesting boxes for egg laying and let him have his own. Anyway - as soon as I opened the lid to his sleeping box, he started to move and I chickened out!

I tried to get pics of his legs the other day. Other than one leg is much bigger than the other - I saw no signs of a problem - or anything helpful. I will post them here since I don't really know enough to know!
Rudy.Legs.jpg Rudy.Legs1.jpg
 
Chickens are pretty sturdy.. do you know how did he hurt his foot/leg?

One of my young hens jumped out in front of the horses as they made their way out the barn. My hen started screaming and the largest horse (of course) a Belgian draft.. was standing on her foot. In my panic I prayed it would be 'just a toe' and not the entire foot. Nope. Her entire foot was feverishly hot, red and swelling in front of me. No compound fractures so any damage is contained under her legs skin/scales. I called the vet who cared for chickens.. and they said all they could do was splint it. For $73.00 which chose against due tobthe swelling. I was torn I didn't want to put her down.. I decided to wait a few days. I went down to put her on her perch for 3 nights because she could not do it herself. She couldn't walk well at all, but after 4 days when I lost hope she was doing this really great fast hop. She also was able to roost herself that night! Now it's been 2 months and she walks and runs and flys into he hay loft.. 35 ft up. Not sure if it was a terrible sprain or her bones just healed best they could but you would never know her story by looking at her. Very tough bird. Im glad i gave her a chance. My advice is give him some time.
 
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The things your rooster is doing for his ladies are very sweet :love, a little rare, but quite normal (if you can call anything these silly featherbabies do "normal," LOL!).

As for the limping, his leg is swollen, and that swollen leg really does need to be looked at. It could be a cut on a footpad that's gotten infected. It could be he's developing bumblefoot (which is the next step in an infected footpad, and requires intervention). It could be he's just sprained his leg by hopping out of the nestbox and landing awkwardly. It could be he's gotten bitten or stung by something. It could be any number of things. But if it's an infection, or especially Bumblefoot, it needs to be treated. Not treating it could end up with him facing a slow and painful death. No one wants that to happen. :old

I don't want to scare you unnecessarily, but let me give you an important warning: If he does have Bumblefoot, that is dangerous and must - must - be dealt with. See, Bumblefoot is a type of Staph infection that will continue to eat at his foot, and then leg, and then the rest of his body, until it reaches a vital organ or until he becomes septic and dies of blood poisioning. We're talking dire enough that I've known someone to have their bird's severely infected foot and lower leg amputated to save her. It worked, but that poor bird went through awful pain beforehand, a significant surgery, weeks of antibiotics, and then some major life adjustment in order to become a happily adjusted hen again. And they had the $$$ available and a vet willing to do the surgery, which is extremely dangerous to a chicken, anyway. MUCH better to just treat it when it's minor than to let it get to a life-threatening situation.

Hopefully, it is some minor strain or sprain or bruise. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you both, and for those lucky girls that have such a loving fellow watching over them. :love But you do need to figure out how to catch him so he can be examined... even if you need to phone a fellow chickenkeeper or friend or relative or whatever, or even pay a vet to do it. It must be done, one way or another. I know you can do it. If you are that concerned with those spurs, make sure you have plenty of layers between them and your skin. If you know someone that welds, a pair of welding gloves help a lot for that kind of thing, so borrow them - or, heck, go buy your own welding gloves. They're available for as low as $15 or so, since you don't need the high end ones just for chicken wrangling. :)

Okay, I've said my piece over the situation. I hate being so dramatic-sounding, but I really want to impress upon you how important it is to check him over. Again, I wish you the very best of luck. Now, go catch him. ;)
 
I think I figured out where / how he MAY have hurt his foot. This rooster was thrown over the fence by the neighbor. He had two that were fighting. At the time we had only Tootie - the pullet that flew over the same fence. She was alone, and neighbor said she needed company and threw him over. That was almost a year ago now. Rudy always goes to the fence to square of with his rooster(s). It's a different rooster over there now. I put roofing tin across the bottom of MOST of the fence, but there is one small area that I did not put the tin. Rudy goes there and paces back and forth - a good portion of the day. Right there, by the tree, there are several small stumps where saplings were cut, sticking up out of the ground. I have covered them now - but it is very likely that he stomped on them and injured his foot.

As far a catching him - he is as scared of me as I am of him. It has taken a year to get him to where he would come up to us and take a treat. When he sees me with that net he send out the panic call to all! and he runs. I can catch the girls, but that Rudy! I have managed to catch him 2 times in his life. Once he was roosting in the trees and left the property - I was able to corner, catch and return him to the property. AND Friday - I was able to catch him and put him in the cage for one day of rest. He managed to cut his comb trying to get away :( I tried to catch him again Saturday and Sunday - without success. I did not try today. Now, I do have some welding gloves and thought about that - but I have to catch him first! and that seems to be next to impossible. He can still run - regardless of what is going on with his foot/leg! I on the other hand, have had TEN major spine surgeries. I don't think chicken chasing is on the list of things I should be doing! LOL I am a little ticked - when the neighbor threw him over, we had a conversation about him taking him back if we ever decided we couldn't keep him. I asked him Thursday (the day I noticed him limping) if he would take or cull him and he said 'oh, he will be fine!' We were not sure that we wanted him put down, but... anyway... I am aware that NOT treating him is really not an option - but I am at a loss. I can't do it! If it was one of the girls - I think I would be able to, but he is scary! I would NEVER have gotten a rooster on my own. We have given him a happy life and have enjoyed watching how he cares for his girls, but I have heard too many horror stories about roosters - I NEVER would have got one in intentionally!

I did talk to the neighbor once - he has never had chickens before either! He is a very nice old man. He was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer when I bought the house in 2016. He has been undergoing chemo all this time. He is now in remission. Week before last, he got more chickens and TWO MORE roosters. The new roosters were fighting with the old rooster - he asked if we wanted him, "NO!" Rudy fought with him constantly thru the fence. 10 minutes later he had 'Fancy Pants' (the rooster) and an Axe in his hands! No more Fancy Pants. So, I did not expect him to tell me no when I asked about Rudy Friday. I THINK - if he does not get better - that the neighbor will take Rudy to freezer camp. I don't really want to do that either - but I want to remember him fondly - he has been an almost perfect gentleman. I fear, if it is Bumble Foot - we are not prepared to deal with it. We do not want him to suffer, and I do NOT want him to get mean because he is in pain! I do not know any other chicken people. We bought our place here in April 2016. We have only one neighbor.
 
Enchanted1s said:
I think I figured out where / how he MAY have hurt his foot. This rooster was thrown over the fence by the neighbor. He had two that were fighting. At the time we had only Tootie - the pullet that flew over the same fence. She was alone, and neighbor said she needed company and threw him over. That was almost a year ago now. Rudy always goes to the fence to square of with his rooster(s). It's a different rooster over there now. I put roofing tin across the bottom of MOST of the fence, but there is one small area that I did not put the tin. Rudy goes there and paces back and forth - a good portion of the day. Right there, by the tree, there are several small stumps where saplings were cut, sticking up out of the ground. I have covered them now - but it is very likely that he stomped on them and injured his foot.

As far a catching him - he is as scared of me as I am of him. It has taken a year to get him to where he would come up to us and take a treat. When he sees me with that net he send out the panic call to all! and he runs. I can catch the girls, but that Rudy! I have managed to catch him 2 times in his life. Once he was roosting in the trees and left the property - I was able to corner, catch and return him to the property. AND Friday - I was able to catch him and put him in the cage for one day of rest. He managed to cut his comb trying to get away :( I tried to catch him again Saturday and Sunday - without success. I did not try today. Now, I do have some welding gloves and thought about that - but I have to catch him first! and that seems to be next to impossible. He can still run - regardless of what is going on with his foot/leg! I on the other hand, have had TEN major spine surgeries. I don't think chicken chasing is on the list of things I should be doing! LOL I am a little ticked - when the neighbor threw him over, we had a conversation about him taking him back if we ever decided we couldn't keep him. I asked him Thursday (the day I noticed him limping) if he would take or cull him and he said 'oh, he will be fine!' We were not sure that we wanted him put down, but... anyway... I am aware that NOT treating him is really not an option - but I am at a loss. I can't do it! If it was one of the girls - I think I would be able to, but he is scary! I would NEVER have gotten a rooster on my own. We have given him a happy life and have enjoyed watching how he cares for his girls, but I have heard too many horror stories about roosters - I NEVER would have got one in intentionally!

I did talk to the neighbor once - he has never had chickens before either! He is a very nice old man. He was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer when I bought the house in 2016. He has been undergoing chemo all this time. He is now in remission. Week before last, he got more chickens and TWO MORE roosters. The new roosters were fighting with the old rooster - he asked if we wanted him, "NO!" Rudy fought with him constantly thru the fence. 10 minutes later he had 'Fancy Pants' (the rooster) and an Axe in his hands! No more Fancy Pants. So, I did not expect him to tell me no when I asked about Rudy Friday. I THINK - if he does not get better - that the neighbor will take Rudy to freezer camp. I don't really want to do that either - but I want to remember him fondly - he has been an almost perfect gentleman. I fear, if it is Bumble Foot - we are not prepared to deal with it. We do not want him to suffer, and I do NOT want him to get mean because he is in pain! I do not know any other chicken people. We bought our place here in April 2016. We have only one neighbor.
Click to expand...
Roosters are actually more friendly than hens he won't attack you I was scared of mine at first but there's a certain way to pick them up and calm them down that I've learned from reading from black thistle farm and it works
It's that your scared of him and he sees your unsure of the situation so he is very unsure
 
Skipper81 said:
Roosters are actually more friendly than hens he won't attack you I was scared of mine at first but there's a certain way to pick them up and calm them down that I've learned from reading from black thistle farm and it works
It's that your scared of him and he sees your unsure of the situation so he is very unsure
Click to expand...
Hmm..In theory yes, although they mature and are highly protective..
 

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