normal mating behavior for an adolescent roo?

[pipthepeep]

I know roos grab the hen by the neck when mating, but when they are young and inexperienced, is it normal for him to chase her around, corner her, and continue to just bite the top of her head/neck? He doesnt look like he is trying to mate, so I am wondering if it is just aggression? I know he knows what he is doing, since I have seen him try to mate with my running shoes....but I guess it is different with an actual hen for the first time?

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

We have had a couple of teenagers do that when they were first learning. We would just interfere with a little boot or pull him away with a rake or what ever was handy. We would act like that was our hen and he was intruding. Soon he would stop and started mating as usual. We have had the young roos drag the girls by the head or a wing or by the tail feathers. Now the older big girls stick up for the younger ones and beat the young roosters up if they do not mate correctly.

 

[pipthepeep]

ok good to know and thanks for the suggestion! he does stop when i come over and yell at him, then just takes a few light pecks and walks away....i will keep an eye and see if things improve!

 

[Egg Rookie 2010]

THANKS FOR THIS POST! The last few days Ive been thinking Wyatt is a rapist....chasing them and jumping on while hanging onto those neck/head feathers. The girls scream and struggle. I was hoping it is just inexperience. He certainly is amorous and I hope he gets the hang of it pretty quick before he has them all gun shy.

 

[7L Farm]

He's practicing. I would also think the pullet has to be somewhat submissive to the cockerel for him to mate with her. I have two flocks that consist of 10 hens & 1 roo in one flock & 16 pullets in the other flock. They live in two different coops but they range together. I've noticed the roo trying to mate the pullets but he's never been successful the girl just runs off. She I guess has no reason to mate because she doesn't lay eggs. I'm just guessing from what I've observed.

 

[pipthepeep]

Here I thought that him practicing with my running sneakers would be enough...seems to know what he is doing when he tries mating with an inanimate object....but give him a real chicken and he has no clue what to do! I think he lacks social skills....typical adolescent male!