Rooster dancing

[Hopeful homesteader]

This year we hatched out chicks and when the cockerels from that hatch reached maturity and started harassing the hens, my rooster Jake stopped dancing for his hens. From what I observed, he spent most of the time chasing the cockerels away and protecting his hens cause they were jerks and if Jake mated with the hens he'd just jump on without dancing first which he's never done before. This lasted for 2-3 weeks until we processed the excess cockerels and now that they are gone, Jake is back to dancing for his hens again and overall back to his normal gentlemanly self. I'm curious if anyone knows why he stopped dancing for his hens for that short time?

 

[azygous]

You've already answered your question - Jake was a very busy boy.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Because he had his hands full defending his harem from multiple suitors and didn't have time to entertain the ladies.

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

Ok, that makes sense. In the future when I decide to keep 1 to be Jake's replacement, will he act this way again or be more laid back? There were 4 cockerels this time but idk if the numbers make a difference? My thoughts are if he's to raise a cockerel and teach it how to properly treat the hens, how would they learn if he's too busy being defensive? Or do they not learn by observing the behavior of the head rooster?

 

[kcan2]

My rooster was raised by himself, away from other roosters and even for a little while, without even hens. But when the time came, he just inherently knew how to dance and is quite good at it, too. He is a small guy and is very gentlemanly, without ever really having been shown how.

 

[azygous]

Numbers do make a difference. If you had four unruly teens running around making mischief, you'd be a lot more frazzled than if you were only tracking one such teenager.

I've watched as an adult roo trains his rookie-roo. A lot depends on the number of hens. I happen to have eighteen hens at the moment, so the two boys manage to divide them just about equally. However, if the younger roo gets too frisky and a hen complains, the older one immediately disciplines the younger one and runs him off, giving good chase.

I go to serious lengths to keep the number of roosters to just two for the number of hens in my flock. Any more roos would probably upset this nice balance which makes for a very peaceful flock.

 

[3KillerBs]

I've watched as an adult roo trains his rookie-roo. A lot depends on the number of hens. I happen to have eighteen hens at the moment, so the two boys manage to divide them just about equally. However, if the younger roo gets too frisky and a hen complains, the older one immediately disciplines the younger one and runs him off, giving good chase.

At the beginning of the summer I had some young cockerels in the coop with Ludwig, then the senior rooster, and Rameses the senior cockerel. The two older boys were run ragged trying to keep the youngsters in line, responding every time a hen complained.

But one of those boys must have had the right stuff because I saw him mounting a willing, non-complaining hen with both Ludwig and Rameses supervising.

It wasn't a fluke either, they permitted Purple Band to make several times while continuing to prevent the others from mating.

 

[LizGio]

At the beginning of the summer I had some young cockerels in the coop with Ludwig, then the senior rooster, and Rameses the senior cockerel. The two older boys were run ragged trying to keep the youngsters in line, responding every time a hen complained.

But one of those boys must have had the right stuff because I saw him mounting a willing, non-complaining hen with both Ludwig and Rameses supervising.

It wasn't a fluke either, they permitted Purple Band to make several times while continuing to prevent the others from mating.

They're so fascinating! Wonder what qualifications must be met in the eye of the head roos and at what point they willingly relinquish some of their mating authority by sharing hens.

 

[3KillerBs]

They're so fascinating! Wonder what qualifications must be met in the eye of the head roos and at what point they willingly relinquish some of their mating authority by sharing hens.

Ludwig always supervised Rameses when he mated.

During this time there was a point when Rameses was rounding up latestayers at roosting time and was dominance mounting a hen who wouldn't go in. The hen was complaining, Ludwig CHARGED out of the coop, and almost skidded to a halt when he saw it was Rameses, and stood there supervising until Rameses was done.

Then they both herded her inside to the roost.