Need Help Deciphering Rooster Body Language

[MissLavender]

This is Talon, he's a Qaib Hmoob Hmong, turned 1 year old in April. He has never attacked me, takes treats gently from my hand and calls the hens and babies over when he sees that I'm carrying treats. He moves quickly out of my way when I move toward him, and I have never felt unsafe to turn away from him or anything (which is more than I can say for my other rooster, who is in a separate pen on the other side of the property).
Lately I've been picking up on some tension from him, probably due to his 3 month old sons coming into sexual maturity. He bit my fingertip once pretty good last week while I was giving treats from my hands (didn'tdraw blood or anything but didn't feel great either), but I'm wondering if he mistook my finger for a treat or was feeling tense because of the other cockerels...I dunno. I got pretty upset and chased him around the pen for a bit, but now I'm thinking that wasn't the right move because he seemed wary of me after that. Well, duh...I'd be wary of someone who chased me around angrily too. I feel terrible!!! He has never done anything like that before or since, and as I mentioned before has always been very gentle. But he HAS seemed very tense. I removed the cockerels to a separate pen a couple of days ago, and he seems much more relaxed with fewer cockerels in the pen. But anyway, whenever I walk up to the pen, he does this thing where he drops the shoulder closest to me, pecks and the ground and makes these low, rapid "bup-bup-bup-bup-bup," sounds. As far as I can recall he has always done this, but now I'm questioning WHY he's doing it.I read an article that this can mean 2 different things:
1. "I’m happy to see you and I think you are really cool." A rooster will turn sideways and give you a soft eye. He will bow, tidbit (touch the ground quickly and pick up things to give you as a gift), incline his body in an arc while dropping the shoulder that is on your side. The opposite shoulder will be raised. He will dance as he steps towards you. Some roosters make a “coo” or trill while they are dancing towards you.

2. Some of the bird’s warning signs appear similar to the happy to see you display, but with tense body language. The rooster will turn sideways and display that to you (just like a bull). He will have an energized body and lifted hackles. The eye turned to you is not soft and will glare. He may begin grabbing at the ground or pretending to eat, or walking up to you with an upright posture with or without a dropped inside shoulder. Attacks happen with lightening speed at any time during this conversation.

Here's the full article:
https://www.efowl.com/rooster-wants-know/

I got a video of him doing this behavior too, so that you can get a good idea of what I'mtalking about. Sorry about the mess...my daughter likes to leave the treat jars laying in the pen, we're working on some irrigation projects and I haven't raked out the run in a week.

Any help or input is greatly appreciated. ☺

 

[The Happster]

My lads also do this. To me it always seems like a non confrontational way of approaching me. But @Shadrach may have different thoughts.
Sorry again Shadrach.
I'm interested about this too.

 

[Shadrach]

View attachment 2208772
This is Talon, he's a Qaib Hmoob Hmong, turned 1 year old in April. He has never attacked me, takes treats gently from my hand and calls the hens and babies over when he sees that I'm carrying treats. He moves quickly out of my way when I move toward him, and I have never felt unsafe to turn away from him or anything (which is more than I can say for my other rooster, who is in a separate pen on the other side of the property).
Lately I've been picking up on some tension from him, probably due to his 3 month old sons coming into sexual maturity. He bit my fingertip once pretty good last week while I was giving treats from my hands (didn'tdraw blood or anything but didn't feel great either), but I'm wondering if he mistook my finger for a treat or was feeling tense because of the other cockerels...I dunno. I got pretty upset and chased him around the pen for a bit, but now I'm thinking that wasn't the right move because he seemed wary of me after that. Well, duh...I'd be wary of someone who chased me around angrily too. I feel terrible!!! He has never done anything like that before or since, and as I mentioned before has always been very gentle. But he HAS seemed very tense. I removed the cockerels to a separate pen a couple of days ago, and he seems much more relaxed with fewer cockerels in the pen. But anyway, whenever I walk up to the pen, he does this thing where he drops the shoulder closest to me, pecks and the ground and makes these low, rapid "bup-bup-bup-bup-bup," sounds. As far as I can recall he has always done this, but now I'm questioning WHY he's doing it.I read an article that this can mean 2 different things:
1. "I’m happy to see you and I think you are really cool." A rooster will turn sideways and give you a soft eye. He will bow, tidbit (touch the ground quickly and pick up things to give you as a gift), incline his body in an arc while dropping the shoulder that is on your side. The opposite shoulder will be raised. He will dance as he steps towards you. Some roosters make a “coo” or trill while they are dancing towards you.

2. Some of the bird’s warning signs appear similar to the happy to see you display, but with tense body language. The rooster will turn sideways and display that to you (just like a bull). He will have an energized body and lifted hackles. The eye turned to you is not soft and will glare. He may begin grabbing at the ground or pretending to eat, or walking up to you with an upright posture with or without a dropped inside shoulder. Attacks happen with lightening speed at any time during this conversation.

Here's the full article:
https://www.efowl.com/rooster-wants-know/

I got a video of him doing this behavior too, so that you can get a good idea of what I'mtalking about. Sorry about the mess...my daughter likes to leave the treat jars laying in the pen, we're working on some irrigation projects and I haven't raked out the run in a week.

Any help or input is greatly appreciated. ☺

This is the herding shuffle.

As far as I can recall he has always done this, but now I'm questioning WHY he's doing it.I read an article that this can mean 2 different things:

I would think the peck was a request to put the food down so he can call his hens and take credit for it. This seems especially likely with having sons who will at some point try to compete by finding treats for the hens. Perhaps showing him the food, letting him take first peck and then placing it on the ground might help him increase his status with the rest of the flock, which is what will work best for both of you.

Without seeing what he does without the fence between you it's difficult to say.
The first description you give is what I call the herding shuffle and that has no aggressive intent. It's not so much pleased to see you as you're one of my tribe. This can and often does involve a peck to your foot. A rooster that does that to me isn't going to be a problem unless you don't like the attention.

I don't quite agree with the second description with regard to intent. The repetitive pecking at the ground isn't usually done by a rooster to a human with intent to fight. Having a fence inbetween may make a difference.

I don't think roosters will do the wing drop and the hackle flash in a combination prior to launching an attack. The ground pecking and sideways shuffle is fighting talk between roosters but not usually between humans and roosters. On the occasions I've been attacked by a rooster there has been no body language preamble really; they've just flung themselves at me.

The roosters here are all free range so behaviour with a fence between isn't something I've had a lot of experience with. The ground pecking could be taken as the start of fence fighting behaviour.
Having young cockerels about is likely to stress the rooster, but given they are his offspring I wouldn't expect much change in behaviour towards you.

I wrote this article about rooster behviour and while not directly applicable to contained flocks, the body language and why they do what they do should still apply. Have a read and see what you think.
To me from what you've written I don't think you have a problem on your hands.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

 

[LaFleche]

Well, from what I can see from the video he is somewhat excited about the food he is expecting you to bring. The sounds he makes is just calling his hens for food.

I would not see this as a threat and he might just have been in a hurry to get the treats before the cockerels could get them and therefore was not as gentle as usual.

If he starts to pace back and forth, lowering his shoulder to your side, pecking the ground and picking up some sticks and stuff without the foodcall, then you might have him threatening you.

 

[MissLavender]

This is the herding shuffle.


I would think the peck was a request to put the food down so he can call his hens and take credit for it. This seems especially likely with having sons who will at some point try to compete by finding treats for the hens. Perhaps showing him the food, letting him take first peck and then placing it on the ground might help him increase his status with the rest of the flock, which is what will work best for both of you.

Without seeing what he does without the fence between you it's difficult to say.
The first description you give is what I call the herding shuffle and that has no aggressive intent. It's not so much pleased to see you as you're one of my tribe. This can and often does involve a peck to your foot. A rooster that does that to me isn't going to be a problem unless you don't like the attention.

I don't quite agree with the second description with regard to intent. The repetitive pecking at the ground isn't usually done by a rooster to a human with intent to fight. Having a fence inbetween may make a difference.

I don't think roosters will do the wing drop and the hackle flash in a combination prior to launching an attack. The ground pecking and sideways shuffle is fighting talk between roosters but not usually between humans and roosters. On the occasions I've been attacked by a rooster there has been no body language preamble really; they've just flung themselves at me.

The roosters here are all free range so behaviour with a fence between isn't something I've had a lot of experience with. The ground pecking could be taken as the start of fence fighting behaviour.
Having young cockerels about is likely to stress the rooster, but given they are his offspring I wouldn't expect much change in behaviour towards you.

I wrote this article about rooster behviour and while not directly applicable to contained flocks, the body language and why they do what they do should still apply. Have a read and see what you think.
To me from what you've written I don't think you have a problem on your hands.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

When I enter the pen he moves out of the way, and back a good distance. When I kneel down, he approaches a little and looks at me kind of expectantly like, "Alright, where are the goods?" I either give treats or show him my empty hands, at which point he just goes about his business.

 

[The Happster]

One of my rooster starts calling his hens if I even walk up to them.
I can't go without something tasty now.
I also don't see anything aggressive in his behaviour. I've only once been attacked by one of my boys, and I agree with Shadrach. He didn't give much warning, just jumped at me. He barely missed my face, actually. I still kept him until he died. He was the roo in my profile photo.
And it wasn't out of character for him. I was expecting it, to a certain extent.
Your rooster sounds like a nice guy.

 

[MissLavender]

One of my rooster starts calling his hens if I even walk up to them.
I can't go without something tasty now.
I also don't see anything aggressive in his behaviour. I've only once been attacked by one of my boys, and I agree with Shadrach. He didn't give much warning, just jumped at me. He barely missed my face, actually. I still kept him until he died. He was the roo in my profile photo.
And it wasn't out of character for him. I was expecting it, to a certain extent.
Your rooster sounds like a nice guy.

He really IS a nice guy, and reminded me of it this morning when one of the young cockerels challenged me (ran up on me with flared hackles), and he got between us and sent the youngster running with a firm peck on the head! I left a couple of the best cockerels in with him so that they can learn "how to rooster" from a really GOOD rooster!
I guess the combination of me still being relatively new to chickens (started with 8 laying hens in 2018) AND already having one mean rooster has made me feel not-so-confident in my understanding of their body language. I really appreciate all of your input.

 

[The Happster]

That's so sweet! I want him now.

 

[Aunt Angus]

So I had to bring my rooster inside (long story), but he does the exact same thing to me. He was getting a lil confrontational outside (mainly directing all of his ire to the food bucket - not to me - weird to see him flog that bucket). My guy has NO hens or other chickens now. I kind of take it to mean that I am part of his flock now. Maybe you are part of Talon's flock?

He's lovely, btw. I adore Hmongs.

 

[MissLavender]

That's so sweet! I want him now.

If only we could ship birds internationally! LOL I have several sweet cockerels from him looking for their own flock. ☺