Loving family seeks advice on roo behavior...

[ChooksChick]

My two roos are just hitting maturity, and the Cochin banty (Thurston Howell, III) is treading the girls (if he can reach, and if they let him) and he pretty much does his job, manning they yard, eating, pooping, crowing.

... and the EE roo is like a baby. He's had a **really** crossed beak since 2 wks, and though he's giant, the other roo is alpha, because Professor can't do anything back with his beak.

Professor, at 16 weeks, has just crowed for the first time, and wants to be in a lap at all times. I have to hand feed him (the vet broke his lower beak during a trim and he has a prosthesis in place) and he is content to sit on us and lounge around the house most of the time. He's terrified of the BR hens and runs to me, flying up to sit on my shoulder if they approach him.

He's going to be massive. He's half again the size of the other EE's we got at the same time. He coos as he sleeps on our laps.

If he's this social with me and my family, will he be a threat to us as he matures? I have 2 daughters who carry him around, who call to him (by name) and get a chortle out of him as he tears across the yard to get to them- he loves them! I've seen posts in which people say the roo must respect us, and being friendly with them is a mistake. I can't fathom him turning on us.

Anyone have a relationship with a roo like this that can say how it will progress?

 

[pipermark]

Think of it like a dog, you can show affection, you just should not tolerate bad behavior , and by you , I mean all people that want to remain in friendly contact with the animal, (by the way I have had many roos that never show aggressive behavior)

DONT.s .

1. The rooster dance is not cute if he does it around you or your daughters. The second he starts doing the dance stop him, pick him up, run at him, just break it up, anger and or physical violence is not required or necessary , in fact the calmer you are the more profound of an effect it will have on him.

2. Flapping the wings vigorously in your close proximity, don't allow it, again move toward him rapidly (which means you should only have to take a few steps , I said close proximity)

3. Crowing , do not enter into crow offs with him, why because if he out crows you , he will take the next step towards dominating you.


The way you describe him , I think you will be fine. I would make a habit of following these simple rules though. it makes living with roosters enjoyable , and you can make a game out of it.

 

[lux_interior]

Those are great tips, and yes, I think he will be fine. Any animal raised with that much love and care won't turn on his family without cause, so don't give him one!

 

[Jenski]

OMG, your vet BROKE his lower beak??? Holy smokes. Sorry to drift from the point of the post, but will be prosthesis be permanent?

. . . and will you keep the same vet?


I have safely used a dremmel tool fitted with a sandpaper tip to file down overgrown beaks - - after watching my avian vet do it and charge me $70 for two hens! Don't know if that info helps you now, but anyhoo. . .


There's already good advice from pipermark here, and I would say you may find Professor's behavior changes as he matures (some mature later). I personally would be very cautious about roos running around with kids, but you can rely on your mothering instincts and just keep an eye on things.

Good luck, and please keep us posted! Pics of your boys would be nice too.

 

[ChooksChick]

...Yeah...

Well, I went in and the female vet, who is a big chicken kisser herself, wanted to trim it down a certain way that would make a lot of improvement for him. I agreed that it would, and later called back to schedule.

Somehow, it was scheduled with a different vet in the office and he botched it.

I'm not sure what to do about it- the guy was nice and very caring, and is caring for a turkey poult to untwist its femur- it's clear he didn't mean this to occur. He also trimmed the top beak WAY back from where I wanted it and what I had agreed with the female doc...and I don't know how uch it will grow from where it is...and that was Professor's only tool. It was important!!

I didn't throw a fit, and was too shocked to react with logic...took my guy and left.

I've been thinking about it for days, and now see that he'll require more, rather than less care. I'm mad and upset for my boy.

*Vent done*

He never dances in front of us, but I'll look for it. He never flaps his wings and has only crowed once. I hope to not hear much crowing, as we live in an urban neighborhood and I don't want to tick off the neighbors.

I'm glad to hear that aggression isn't just par for the course. He's too well loved to just write off...obviously.

 

[Balfour Girl]

I had a lovely little rooster (just killed the other day by a coyote with pups, sob) who did do the dance with me (which I didn't know was a bad thing... oops!), and we had crow-offs (again, I didn't know!), and he occasionally bit me. When that happened I would just pick him up and dangle him by his feet till he stopped flapping and then he'd be good for weeks. I think that affection and a loving relationship with your pet is so cool to experience! And it makes your poor deformed guy feel special so I think you're wonderful!

 

[ChooksChick]

Thanks! I do love him...now he's not eating and may have a fever. I'm so livid with that vet for botching this beak- if I lost this guy I'm going to have a fit!

And I'm so sorry you lost your little guy!

 

[Mrs. Glassman]

Sorry to hear about the vet hurting your guy more than helping. It's scary stuff when you have to depend on the knowledge & expertise of others only to have this happen.

 

[Jenski]

ChooksChick, I am so sorry to hear the update on your roo. Please keep us posted on how he does.

I have had mixed results on my chickens even with an avian vet. I figure we hard-core chicken folks just need to learn to do more of the vet stuff ourselves - - even if it's hit-or-miss sometimes. My track record is better than the vet's!

Sending healing thoughts to your boy. . .

 

[pipermark]

I will share something that a judge at an APA show shared with me. Dangling struggling chickens by their feet can cause a slip tendon, Often just holding them snugly, tucked under your arm will accomplish the same behavior change, but less harmful to the chicken (unless you havent showered in a long time).

Also the dancing, wing flapping, etc, isnt wrong, its natures way. The suggestions I made are in step with nature, they are the things that a more dominant roo would do to a subordinate roo, but with more a slightly more caring approach.