Rooster mounting hens in front of us.

[NonnasBabies]

Quote:
I've read the same thing and for the life of me I can't remember where!!

Not something I practice for sure!! My roosters have never given me any trouble. They will go the other way if I walk toward them. My head roo is so scared of my son that if he walks in the yard he starts making his predator call and runs away. It's the funniest thing to watch cause you'd have to know my son he will have nothing to do with them except close the coop up if I'm working nights!!

I figure why mess with nature

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Quote:
I've read the same thing and for the life of me I can't remember where!!

Not something I practice for sure!! My roosters have never given me any trouble. They will go the other way if I walk toward them. My head roo is so scared of my son that if he walks in the yard he starts making his predator call and runs away. It's the funniest thing to watch cause you'd have to know my son he will have nothing to do with them except close the coop up if I'm working nights!!

I figure why mess with nature

I agree

 

[gardeningsis]

It doesn't bother us when our Roos do their rooster thing when we can see them. I've not had an issue with my roos that were sweet natured. When you have children or grandchildren of course there is always some explaining to do I just act calm and answer any questions that they might have and then move onto another subject.

 

[AlbionWood]

Maybe some of y'all need to work on your control issues... why do you care if the rooster mounts a hen when you're watching? The chickens don't care.

Lot of misconceptions about chicken psychology floating around. If your rooster thinks you are another rooster, you're doing something wrong. They should perceive you as a useful source of food and treats, otherwise harmless and ignorable.

 

[Beekissed]

They should perceive you as a useful source of food and treats, otherwise harmless and ignorable.

Tell that to the folks getting attacked by a rooster!

I can just see it all going down.....woman desparately fending off a dancing, flogging roo while Albion cheers her on... "Remember!!! You are just a useful source of food and treats! Repeat after me! A useful source! Harmless and ignorable!"

Albionwood turns to interested bystander and asks, "Why isn't he ignoring her? She is just a useful source of food and treats!"

Sorry...that imagery just tickled my funny bone and I just had to share....

 

[AlbionWood]

A dancing, flogging roo has decided you are a rooster. Why go along with that decision? Fighting him confirms it, so that's not a good long-term strategy. Convince him you're neither a rival nor a threat to the hens. It's hard for me to believe we can't outsmart our chickens.

http://www.plamondon.com/faq_roosters.html

 

[Beekissed]

All in fun, Albion! All in fun...

I have managed to successfully outsmart any roo that I have owned so I cannot speak for others. I've been keeping chickens for many years and never have been flogged or seriously attacked.

Though my chickens don't really view me as harmless or ignorable....they more or less see me as an intruder in their little chicken world.

More of an annoyance, really.

 

[Moochie]

Roosters should be sweet natured cuddle muffins. Like my silkie roo Skippy. He doesn't crow much and is starting to mate with the young cochin pullets (they're largefowl though, weird) and it doesn't bother me one bit if he does, really. If he tries to dominate over me his pecks are like little finger squeezes and I would assume his attacking would be like a little push, like "oompf". Which reminds me, do silkies grow spurs? With their fives toes and all I'd think it look a bit odd.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Run that by me again - a rooster is mating hens where you can see him and so you are supposed to intervene?

And you should do this, why?

Probably the best thing Ive read here is this:

"Maybe some of y'all need to work on your control issues... why do you care if the rooster mounts a hen when you're watching? The chickens don't care.
Lot of misconceptions about chicken psychology floating around. If your rooster thinks you are another rooster, you're doing something wrong..."

The first problem is the belief that there IS a chicken psychology. Chickens have only those attributes we assign them - it's called anthropomorphism.
The birds themselves dont give a rats behind about you, or what you think of their behavior. Life for them is simple, and it doesn't involve psychology:

They eat,
They reproduce,
They fight for dominance,
They strive to survive.

There is no more required of you but to cater to these things. They don't require Moral Police or the Human Dominance League to intervene in their lives.
Honestly, I'm really surprised that OUR psychology has gone far enough to suggest anything different.

Dont wring your hands over each and every thing they do. Just leave them alone and let them do their thing. It's educational.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Quote:
Run that by me again - a rooster is mating hens where you can see him and so you are supposed to intervene?

And you should do this, why?

Probably the best thing Ive read here is this:

"Maybe some of y'all need to work on your control issues... why do you care if the rooster mounts a hen when you're watching? The chickens don't care.
Lot of misconceptions about chicken psychology floating around. If your rooster thinks you are another rooster, you're doing something wrong..."

The first problem is the belief that there IS a chicken psychology. Chickens have only those attributes we assign them - it's called anthropomorphism.
The birds themselves dont give a rats behind about you, or what you think of their behavior. Life for them is simple, and it doesn't involve psychology:

They eat,
They reproduce,
They fight for dominance,
They strive to survive.

There is no more required of you but to cater to these things. They don't require Moral Police or the Human Dominance League to intervene in their lives.
Honestly, I'm really surprised that OUR psychology has gone far enough to suggest anything different.

Dont wring your hands over each and every thing they do. Just leave them alone and let them do their thing. It's educational.

==========
Well written.