Little roo treads inanimate objects?

[tjbaker70]

Hi folks! I have a sweet little Mille Fleur D'uccle (Joe) who is about 15 weeks old. He has what I think is an odd behavior, but maybe this is normal. He "treads" sticks and other objects in the yard with his favorite being the top of a solar pathway light that fell off. He crows and crows and then hops on. The first time, I thought he was scratching his belly but after seeing this every single morning for about two weeks now, I think he is trying to tread these objects. His flock consists of him and five hens (3 bantams [Cochin, Silkie, Easter egger] and two LF [cream legbars]. There is another flock in my yard and they all get along but keep separate. That flock is all LF except the rooster, which is an Bantam OEG that is quite old and is definitely in charge of the yard.

Is this a normal behavior? Is it because there is already a dominant roo in the yard, even though the two flocks keep fairly separate? Do I try to correct it or let it be? I'm not trying breed him and have no other D'uccles.

 

[sylviethecochin]

It's normal, and tends to happen when cockerels are separated from, but exposed to, the hens. Ours used to do it to empty milk jugs. It tends to stop as they age a bit.

 

[tjbaker70]

Thank you @sylviethecochin
Good to know it's a more common behavior. Up until recently, we had 4 roos in the yard but two had to go. This little guy had been really quiet and shy until then but now crows all day and treads everything in sight.