Rooster Courting Behavior

[Melrow1015]

Hi all. I’ve posted before about getting a few successfully fertilized eggs (finally!) from our flock and we finally witnessed our young roo doing the deed. He’s about 7.5 months old right now and has been part of the flock for about a month and the hens seem to have accepted him pretty well. They follow him around everywhere but still peck at him here and there and he usually just runs away. We’ve never witnessed any kind of aggression or overly zealous behavior from him toward us or the hens other than a few spats with the hens occasionally.

He can be a bit greedy when it comes to treats though, he’s not keen to share then but I have seen him back off of certain things for the hens to get little tidbits like bagels (which they loved it was spare from our neighbor) I do put an extra waterer in their run because he still doesn’t seem to get the idea of how chicken nipples work. He’s seen us show him and the hens use it billions of times but i think he may be missing a few pieces up there. We’ve never seen him use it and he attacks puddles on the ground like he hasn’t drank in months so .

Anyway, we’ve seen a huge uptake in his advances toward the hens but we’ve never seen him dance or really do much “asking” but more “taking.” He will kinda stratch around the hen where shes pecking a little bit and strut a little and then walk up right behind her standing really tall, puff his neck feathers and if the hens I assume either allow or don’t notice him, he’ll jump on their backs and then do the job. Sometimes the hens are fine after and sometimes they’re super ticked and retaliate which he doesn’t do much fighting back so it usually doesn’t escalate. He’s not rough either just very… awkward? None of our hens have ripped out feathers, bloody combs, or anything like that other than the regular molting bareness.

Is the rooster dance necessary or will he learn eventually? I assume he’s just a hormonal teenager still learning how to be a rooster but I was wondering if it’s learned or innate? Everything online I’ve read is a rooster dancing before mounting is the mark of a good roo but we haven’t seen it yet. We’ve also never heard him crow.

 

[Shadrach]

Hi all. I’ve posted before about getting a few successfully fertilized eggs (finally!) from our flock and we finally witnessed our young roo doing the deed. He’s about 7.5 months old right now and has been part of the flock for about a month and the hens seem to have accepted him pretty well. They follow him around everywhere but still peck at him here and there and he usually just runs away. We’ve never witnessed any kind of aggression or overly zealous behavior from him toward us or the hens other than a few spats with the hens occasionally.

He can be a bit greedy when it comes to treats though, he’s not keen to share then but I have seen him back off of certain things for the hens to get little tidbits like bagels (which they loved it was spare from our neighbor) I do put an extra waterer in their run because he still doesn’t seem to get the idea of how chicken nipples work. He’s seen us show him and the hens use it billions of times but i think he may be missing a few pieces up there. We’ve never seen him use it and he attacks puddles on the ground like he hasn’t drank in months so .

Anyway, we’ve seen a huge uptake in his advances toward the hens but we’ve never seen him dance or really do much “asking” but more “taking.” He will kinda stratch around the hen where shes pecking a little bit and strut a little and then walk up right behind her standing really tall, puff his neck feathers and if the hens I assume either allow or don’t notice him, he’ll jump on their backs and then do the job. Sometimes the hens are fine after and sometimes they’re super ticked and retaliate which he doesn’t do much fighting back so it usually doesn’t escalate. He’s not rough either just very… awkward? None of our hens have ripped out feathers, bloody combs, or anything like that other than the regular molting bareness.

Is the rooster dance necessary or will he learn eventually? I assume he’s just a hormonal teenager still learning how to be a rooster but I was wondering if it’s learned or innate? Everything online I’ve read is a rooster dancing before mounting is the mark of a good roo but we haven’t seen it yet. We’ve also never heard him crow.

Roosters don't dance, honestly. What people are talking about is the herding shuffle. The herding shuffle has no direct relationship with mating.

Your cockerel ( a rooster is one year old and over) is attempting to do the right thing. The walking up behind a hen and giving her bum a nudge with the chest is the proper way to invite a hen to mate. Random flying assaults where the cockerels just grab the feathers on the back of the hens neck and attempt to make her crouch isn't the right way to go about mating.
If a hen doesn't crouch, the placing a foot or even two on her back to try and push her into a crouch is pretty common in cockerels. This tends to stop as the cockerel matures and hens that don't crouch are left alone until the next opportunity.
If your females are of a similar age then it may take a while for them to learn to crouch properly and for long enough. Senior hens should know all this and a senior hen who isn't interested in mating is usually able to shake a cockerel off her back given he's trying to balance on a moving bird it's easy to see how.

Your boy seems to be doing the right things, or at least trying to. The hens that like him will crouch for him in time and in my experience most hens will crouch for him after he's established himself fully.

 

[fluffycrow]

Hi all. I’ve posted before about getting a few successfully fertilized eggs (finally!) from our flock and we finally witnessed our young roo doing the deed. He’s about 7.5 months old right now and has been part of the flock for about a month and the hens seem to have accepted him pretty well. They follow him around everywhere but still peck at him here and there and he usually just runs away. We’ve never witnessed any kind of aggression or overly zealous behavior from him toward us or the hens other than a few spats with the hens occasionally.

He can be a bit greedy when it comes to treats though, he’s not keen to share then but I have seen him back off of certain things for the hens to get little tidbits like bagels (which they loved it was spare from our neighbor) I do put an extra waterer in their run because he still doesn’t seem to get the idea of how chicken nipples work. He’s seen us show him and the hens use it billions of times but i think he may be missing a few pieces up there. We’ve never seen him use it and he attacks puddles on the ground like he hasn’t drank in months so .

Anyway, we’ve seen a huge uptake in his advances toward the hens but we’ve never seen him dance or really do much “asking” but more “taking.” He will kinda stratch around the hen where shes pecking a little bit and strut a little and then walk up right behind her standing really tall, puff his neck feathers and if the hens I assume either allow or don’t notice him, he’ll jump on their backs and then do the job. Sometimes the hens are fine after and sometimes they’re super ticked and retaliate which he doesn’t do much fighting back so it usually doesn’t escalate. He’s not rough either just very… awkward? None of our hens have ripped out feathers, bloody combs, or anything like that other than the regular molting bareness.

Is the rooster dance necessary or will he learn eventually? I assume he’s just a hormonal teenager still learning how to be a rooster but I was wondering if it’s learned or innate? Everything online I’ve read is a rooster dancing before mounting is the mark of a good roo but we haven’t seen it yet. We’ve also never heard him crow.

This seems like a good resource for you.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

The “rooster dance” is far from the only way roosters initiate mating, and is definitely not the only correct way (and in my personal experience, very rarely does it end up in mating). This cockerel seems to prefer the way that is most commonly used by the boys here as well, a mix of hackle feather flashing and a foot on the back, and a bump on the back by their chest.
As you have found out, the hens are still free to give or remove consent, and/or reprimand the male if they deem it necessary. If the male responds accordingly, as yours does, then why wouldn’t this be gentlemanly behaviour?

Your cockerel is young, as is evident by his juvenile tendency to hoard treats, but that seems like his biggest issue right now. He sounds like a very proper cockerel, especially in regards to his age. The former should fix itself by the time he gets to a year old, but his mating behaviour already seems good enough. As mentioned before, the dance (which isn’t really a dance) only one of the many courtship behaviours males can display.
I really don’t see anything worrisome with your cockerel. Any over the top excitement with mating should calm down as he ages, and as he continues to establish himself in the group; he’s already doing a fine job of that!

Edit to add after Shad’s post: The herding shuffle much better describes this dance, I think. In my experience with all the males I have had the privilege to observe and tend to, it has rarely ended up in a mating (especially if the recipient is a mature hen). Many BYCers however claim that this is the main way their roosters initiate mating. I simply can’t deny their experiences, hence why I still mention it as a possible courtship behaviour

 

[Melrow1015]

This seems like a good resource for you.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

The “rooster dance” is far from the only way roosters initiate mating, and is definitely not the only correct way (and in my personal experience, very rarely does it end up in mating). This cockerel seems to prefer the way that is most commonly used by the boys here as well, a mix of hackle feather flashing and a foot on the back, and a bump on the back by their chest.
As you have found out, the hens are still free to give or remove consent, and/or reprimand the male if they deem it necessary. If the male responds accordingly, as yours does, then why wouldn’t this be gentlemanly behaviour?

Your cockerel is young, as is evident by his juvenile tendency to hoard treats, but that seems like his biggest issue right now. He sounds like a very proper cockerel, especially in regards to his age. The former should fix itself by the time he gets to a year old, but his mating behaviour already seems good enough. As mentioned before, the dance (which isn’t really a dance) only one of the many courtship behaviours males can display.
I really don’t see anything worrisome with your cockerel. Any over the top excitement with mating should calm down as he ages, and as he continues to establish himself in the group; he’s already doing a fine job of that!

Thank you for the reply! That’s relieving that he seems to be a good boy so far lol. This is our first roo and we didn’t really know what to expect or look for. To us he seems to be a pretty sweet guy and he loves our 3 year old (the treat man lol) so we’d be heartbroken to have to get rid of him.

 

[Melrow1015]

Roosters don't dance, honestly. What people are talking about is the herding shuffle. The herding shuffle has no direct relationship with mating.

Your cockerel ( a rooster is one year old and over) is attempting to do the right thing. The walking up behind a hen and giving her bum a nudge with the chest is the proper way to invite a hen to mate. Random flying assaults where the cockerels just grab the feathers on the back of the hens neck and attempt to make her crouch isn't the right way to go about mating.
If a hen doesn't crouch, the placing a foot or even two on her back to try and push her into a crouch is pretty common in cockerels. This tends to stop as the cockerel matures and hens that don't crouch are left alone until the next opportunity.
If your females are of a similar age then it may take a while for them to learn to crouch properly and for long enough. Senior hens should know all this and a senior hen who isn't interested in mating is usually able to shake a cockerel off her back given he's trying to balance on a moving bird it's easy to see how.

Your boy seems to be doing the right things, or at least trying to. The hens that like him will crouch for him in time and in my experience most hens will crouch for him after he's established himself fully.

Good to know! I didn’t know that lol. It seems like most homesteading videos or guides on YouTube praise the “rooster dance” and I assumed it was a trait they needed. We’re very relieved to hear he seems to be a gentleman so far. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Mrs. K]

“To us he seems to be a pretty sweet guy and he loves our 3 year old (the treat man lol) so we’d be heartbroken to have to get rid of him.”

Be very wary of him around your three year old, always stand right next to the three year old. I would not want him approaching that child’s space.

Cockerels are notorious for attacking children. This forum is full of where the darling became the nightmare, be careful. Roosters have ruined the whole chicken experience for a lot of kids

 

[Melrow1015]

Be very wary of him around your three year old, always stand right next to the three year old. I would not want him approaching that child’s space.

Cockerels are notorious for attacking children. This forum is full of where the darling became the nightmare, be careful. Roosters have ruined the whole chicken experience for a lot of kids.

Yeah I don’t let my kiddo out of my sight for that reason.