my rooster has cramps?

[Rach4]

My poor rooster boy Bubba seems to do a michael flattly number on the spot.... In other words he looks like he is dancing on the spot, I'm guessing these are cramps? if not, what would it be, if so is it normal, and should I be concerned?

 

[rebrascora]

Is he not just doing his mating dance?... It involves dropping a wing and dancing in a circle.

 

[Rach4]

Is he not just doing his mating dance?... It involves dropping a wing and dancing in a circle.

Ahh that's possibly what it could be, he drops both wings down by his side almost touching the ground and almost jumps on one leg and kicks the dirt with the other one.... like a tap dancer, so I am guessing that is what it is, never owned a rooster before all new experience their. Thanks heaps for that

 

[theoldchick]

Roosters do have some funky body language. And each one has a special way to entice the ladies. The wing dance involves dragging the wing along the ground in a semi circle. The head flip involves a wattle swinging and the head bob involves a lot of bobbing. Then there is the rooster strut that looks like some sort of weird Egyptian dance. All these moves are designed to impress the ladies and warn other males. What you don't want to see is loss balance and rolling along the ground.

 

[rebrascora]

Is he doing this to you or one of the hens? If he is doing it to you, it is disrespectful and you should discourage it.
Usually if it is for the hens, he will find a nice morsel of food, pick it up and drop it several times all the while calling the girls to show them what he has found and then when they come he may do the mating dance to woo them.

 

[Rach4]

Oh gosh no, I don't think he is doing it to me. i have been around him doing this no more then 2 or 3 times, but in saying that Dookie our hen has been right next to him as he nearly squishes her. Most of the time I notice when I am watching them from the windows or back veranda. The times he has done it round me, I have been cleaning out the coop or changing water in the coop, he has been outside of the coop with Dooks

 

[rebrascora]

That's OK then.... it can just be an early sign of human aggressive behaviour if he was doing it to you.

Do you just have the one hen? She may become over mated and possibly bare backed or even injured, if there are no other hens for him spread his attention with. Cockerels, particularly young ones can be very virile and it is better to have lots of hens to share the burden or his amorous advances!

 

[Rach4]

Crap, I wasn't aware of that so thank you, we are hoping to get a couple more hens after a bit of research, but, we didn't really know as to why, guessing that could be part of the reason why. We noticed everyone has a flock, we only have the rooster and hen, they hatched 4 chicks nearly 3weeks ago.

 

[aart]

What a great pic @theoldchick !

 

[theoldchick]

Thanks!