Mean D'uccles!!!

[echickenlove]

Well finally got the roosters of my dreams..two beautiful D'uccles! But despite how beautiful they look their attitudes dont match! One is determined to shred my hand (yes he bit me hard enough to make it bleed) while the other flaps around like i'm going to murder him (found this all out when I went to bathe them and nurse their sore feet). They are relatively new..just a couple days..and I am wondering if their attitudes will clear up in time? I dont think they were ever handled just left to free range. What do you all think? They are relatively a small bird but wow what attitude!

 

[TheMartianChick]

They probably would be nicer if they had been hand raised by you. I think that a lot of animals have to build up trust before they will be nice. We had that problem with ducks when I was a kid. Our Muscovy ducks were grown when we got our first two. They never fully trusted us. The baby Muscovys that we raised would come running anytime we appeared, hoping for a treat!

 

[silkhope]

I feel your pain. My d'uccle roo I just got three weeks ago hates me with a passion. I can't even walk by the pen without him trying to get me. Silly boy, trying to spur wire!! My plan is, when it gets warmer, is to go out at night and start holding him, messing with him after he and the girls have gone to bed. Otherwise, daytime, he's going to try to tear me up!!

 

[a2ms4chickens]

I have a Mille Fleur D'Uccle who was the same way when we bought him from a Poultry show. My son and I held and talked to him for about a week, he is more friendly now. We still hold and talk to him occasionally, and he has never tried to spur or bite us.

Give it time, he'll warm up to you.

 

[ZuniBee]

Wow, I guess I got really lucky. My d'Uccles are the sweetest little roosters. I have three in the same run and they are just the tamest birds I have.

Sounds like yours have the little guy syndrome...kind of like a chihuahua!

I agree, if you give it some time and let them get to know you they will come around. However, they will probably never be as tame as if you hand raised them.....

 

[echickenlove]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Yes..I am going to work with them and see if I can tame em down a little. They are the cutest things to boot..one even has chipmunk cheeks with the little tufts of feathers! You just want to kiss his face but you dont dare too LOL! Hopefully, I can get them so they will at least allow me to hold them without flipping out on me.

..they certainly have an attitude like a chihuahua ..small but man are they feisty!

 

[Nupine]

They were probably not hand raised. My D'Uccle roo is very sweet and was hand raised. But my Sebright roo who wasn't hand raised is very frightful of me and has tried to bite me. I would certainly try to tame them down.