Rooster pulling on clothes

[Smileybans]

So this guy is the last in the rooster pecking order. Probably last in the whole flock because he’s second newest. He’s a big baby and just starting to come into his hormones. Lately he’s been grabbing and pulling at my clothes. He’ll take a piece of my pants or sweater in his mouth and kind of twist his head while pulling back. When he does it I peck him on the head but I’m wondering why he might be doing it.
Monster and his girl Roz

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

I have a hen that does this when she wants a hug. To be honest it's pretty annoying - although I do enjoy giving her the hugs.

 

[Smileybans]

yeah just do that

if he starts getting angry about it, just walk away and go inside.

Walking away hasn’t worked out well for my other roosters. That actually makes them more aggressive. But I know every chicken is different. I just hope he doesn’t get to that.

 

[JaeG]

He's beautiful. I have hens that will do this. I think it's just curiosity. I keep telling them I'm not edible.

 

[chickentrains]

mine peck my toes, my shoes, my fingers, my pants, my hair, my ears, my earrings, my eyeballs (ouch)... if they can peck it, they will peck it.

 

[Smileybans]

He's just curious. Chickens explore a lot of their world by pecking at it. They spend all of their day pecking and scratching. Its only natural they peck at something interesting to them

Okay. Thank you. It was just weird behavior because he’s the only one that has ever done it. My other roosters left me alone once they got their hormones. His girl will sit on my lap but doesn’t peck at me. Just sits there. This is probably a preference thing but should I keep letting him do it? Or is giving a little poke on the head okay?

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

a poke on the shoulder is a better idea, and it's fine if you are fine with it. If my girl is pecking me really hard for attention - I will give her a little tap on the shoulder.
most of the time she just lightly pecks my clothes, and I don't mind.

 

[Smileybans]

a poke on the shoulder is a better idea, and it's fine if you are fine with it. If my girl is pecking me really hard for attention - I will give her a little tap on the shoulder.
most of the time she just lightly pecks my clothes, and I don't mind.

I’ll try the shoulder poke. I just know with him being a rooster he could get aggressive if I left his pecking unchecked. So I wanted to be sure to curb any pecking he might start up. He hates to be touched to I don’t really have to even poke him. Just getting my hand near him he backs up.

 

[Smileybans]

yeah, I just figured pushing him away would make him more aggressive, but I have never had a roo.

would throwing food away from you make him knock it off?

I found that getting into their space, roosters in general, doesn’t make them more aggressive. Since it’s all about dominance with them, my pecking back shows I’m not going to back down. At least that has been my experience so far. I’ve only really had to train one cockerel, my head roo, and I think his temperament helped. My head roo and the hens have helped train the other cockerels as they come into the flock.

Throwing food probably would make him stop. But he wouldn’t end up getting any. All the hens and my other two roos would. For a chicken whose name is Monster he’s a softee. But I’d rather him be a softee than a meanie.

 

[Nero70002]

mine peck my toes, my shoes, my fingers, my pants, my hair, my ears, my earrings, my eyeballs (ouch)... if they can peck it, they will peck it.

Teeth-