my protective hens

[kkidsmom]

So the other day I am in the coop taking new pics of our flock. Mick Nugget, our rooster, seen below:







Begins to pay attention to the amount of time I have been in his territory. After dancing around me for a few minutes he comes in for the attack scratching my foot. What happened next! Victoria our friendliest hen and her compatriot get between Mick Nugget and myself. Victoria was quiet obviously protecting me from our rooster. I thought this was just precious.

Victoria
Elizabeth


Victoria
Another of Victoria seen here between Mick Nugget and myself when I first started taking pics. Mick Nugget better watch out. I keep him because he is so beautiful and up until that day he only went after my husband which I blamed male jealousy as the source of aggression. Truth is he is very territorial. But if he doesn't watch out I he may become his namesake if one of his babies turns out to be a rooster like I believe.
Being half brown leghorn and half buff orpington, I believe this little baby has the potential to be a kinder protector for my hens. I can't complain about the fertility of Micky though as every egg that I have set thus far has been fertile.

So I have only one question, is Victoria barred rock or dominque??? I was supposed to have two of each. Victoria and Elizabeth are of the same type and Mary is the other. Hatchery bred of course.

Mary. Such beautiful comb, wattles, and earlobes!

 

[donrae]

Not to come off too strong..........

why did you allow the rooster to "dance around" you for several minutes? This is an overt sign of aggression and should never be allowed. He was giving you clear warning he was going to attack you and you did nothing? I just don't understand this.

Victoria is a barred rock.

 

[GuppyTJ]

Donrae is spot on. When my cockerals have done what yours is doing, they're testing their limits as they are maturing. He's trying to figure out just who he can dominate and just how dominant he can be. Just in the past few days, my chosen cockeral (I had 8 to choose from, the others are now eaten or in the freezer waiting to be eaten) has tried to attack my feet. He does a little fly up and double kicks my feet with his legs. Very Matrix-like but without the wires, if you've seen that movie. Anyway, when he does this, I sort of roll him with my boot. Not kick him so much as give him a good strong shove. I don't want to injure him but he needs to understand that I am higher in the pecking order than he is. If he keeps going for my feet a few times, I chase him and he runs and I grab him by his tail feathers and then I sit down and hold him and "pet" him in front of the rest of the flock. As I pet him, I put my hand near his face and if he pecks at my hand, I sort of grab him under the neck so he can't peck me, yet I have his head firmly in my grasp. Again, I do not hurt him AT ALL. I then pet him some more, then put my hand near his face and repeat until I put my hand near his face and he turns his head away, rather than peck me. Then, eventually, when I think he's gotten the lesson well, I put him down in a controlled manner, on my timing, not his. He tried this little show of dominance twice and hasn't done it since so I guess he's learned. If he shows any more signs of dominance towards me again, I'll just keep showing him that it doesn't work and that I'm going to dominate him every time.

Don't let him think for a second that he's more dominant than you. He might test you and I'm not so sure this is bad. For me, I truly need my rooster protecting his flock as I free range (no fence, no run, secure coop at night) on the edge of 3,000 acres of Daniel Boone National Forest so I need all the predator protection he can give. BUT, that does not include "protecting" the flock from me. Or my husband. I instructed my husband on what to do if the cockeral tries this stuff with him and I know my husband will have none of this either. I also have 2 dogs that do a great job of predator patrol for me and the chickens so again, I need the cockeral to understand that they are also OK to have around.

Anyway, best to take control and practice being dominant, even if you do have a young cockeral that you could replace this one with. Even the Buff/Leghorn cross you are thinking of making your rooster will likely try to boss you and your husband around and be a problem for you if you don't just make sure your cockerals know you're in charge. There are some cockerals you can't teach this to but you should probably give it a try with all of them and get use to exerting your dominance so eventually, you get a good rooster that does his job and does it well, without being aggressive towards you and your family.

Yup, Victoria is a Barred Rock.

Hope this helps,
Guppy

 

[kkidsmom]

Not to come off too strong..........

why did you allow the rooster to "dance around" you for several minutes? This is an overt sign of aggression and should never be allowed. He was giving you clear warning he was going to attack you and you did nothing? I just don't understand this.

Victoria is a barred rock.

Not at all. Usually he backs down for me, I was just being to passive this particular day i suppose. Thanks for clearing up the mystery.

Donrae is spot on. When my cockerals have done what yours is doing, they're testing their limits as they are maturing. He's trying to figure out just who he can dominate and just how dominant he can be. Just in the past few days, my chosen cockeral (I had 8 to choose from, the others are now eaten or in the freezer waiting to be eaten) has tried to attack my feet. He does a little fly up and double kicks my feet with his legs. Very Matrix-like but without the wires, if you've seen that movie. Anyway, when he does this, I sort of roll him with my boot. Not kick him so much as give him a good strong shove. I don't want to injure him but he needs to understand that I am higher in the pecking order than he is. If he keeps going for my feet a few times, I chase him and he runs and I grab him by his tail feathers and then I sit down and hold him and "pet" him in front of the rest of the flock. As I pet him, I put my hand near his face and if he pecks at my hand, I sort of grab him under the neck so he can't peck me, yet I have his head firmly in my grasp. Again, I do not hurt him AT ALL. I then pet him some more, then put my hand near his face and repeat until I put my hand near his face and he turns his head away, rather than peck me. Then, eventually, when I think he's gotten the lesson well, I put him down in a controlled manner, on my timing, not his. He tried this little show of dominance twice and hasn't done it since so I guess he's learned. If he shows any more signs of dominance towards me again, I'll just keep showing him that it doesn't work and that I'm going to dominate him every time.

Don't let him think for a second that he's more dominant than you. He might test you and I'm not so sure this is bad. For me, I truly need my rooster protecting his flock as I free range (no fence, no run, secure coop at night) on the edge of 3,000 acres of Daniel Boone National Forest so I need all the predator protection he can give. BUT, that does not include "protecting" the flock from me. Or my husband. I instructed my husband on what to do if the cockeral tries this stuff with him and I know my husband will have none of this either. I also have 2 dogs that do a great job of predator patrol for me and the chickens so again, I need the cockeral to understand that they are also OK to have around.

Anyway, best to take control and practice being dominant, even if you do have a young cockeral that you could replace this one with. Even the Buff/Leghorn cross you are thinking of making your rooster will likely try to boss you and your husband around and be a problem for you if you don't just make sure your cockerals know you're in charge. There are some cockerals you can't teach this to but you should probably give it a try with all of them and get use to exerting your dominance so eventually, you get a good rooster that does his job and does it well, without being aggressive towards you and your family.

Yup, Victoria is a Barred Rock.

Hope this helps,
Guppy

Great suggestions. I will share them with my husband as well.

 

[Teri Metcalf]

Nice pictures! And handsome rooster even if he is aggressive.

 

[kkidsmom]

Nice pictures! And handsome rooster even if he is aggressive.

Thanks, I picked him out based solely on his looks. LOL my brother questioned my sanity then saying that they are known to be very noisy. I laughed and said I didn't think he could be as bad as six roosters (my first experience with backyard chickens.)