Rooster trying to be bigger than me?

[Penny spender]

So Alvin has finally become a rooster...and all at once too! At 23 weeks he seemed to find his big boy voice and start covering the ladies and suddenly has a glorious feather coat too. I'm pretty proud of him.....so I'm hoping the best for his behaviours.

I was away last week and so yesterday spent some time hanging with the chooks. I noticed that Alvin seems to stare at me and if opportunity arose, he tried to get up on something to make himself taller than me. Jumped on the hay feeder and eyeballed me, then later jumped up on top of the manure pile to stare at me again. I stare back and walk towards him, but it's a little intimidating when he's eye level. When hes on the ground he always gets out of my way. Hes not offered to wing dance to anything like that at me. Do you think I have anything to be worried about? Should i get a broom and gently remove him from his perch when he Does it? Am i reading too much into it?

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Roosters do that. I wouldn't worry about, u less he starts attacking you, or winging you. I think it you broomed him, it might trigger him to attack. I train mine not to attack.

 

[BantyChooks]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/is-it-worth-it.1217178/page-13#post-19443949

I wrote this on raising cockerels. You do need to do something; that's a definite precursor to aggression. Good job spotting it.

I would drop the staring as when prolonged it antagonizes the bird. Keep making him move out of your way. What I'd do in that case is go over and remove the bird from his high perch and set him on the ground so he's no longer at face level. Then walk through him. I think I had a bird do that once---try and get higher than me, I mean. He turned out okay but I had to correct him quickly.

 

[sourland]

I agree with @BantyChooks. Disrupt this behavior before it escalates.

 

[chickens really]

He isn't putting his attentions on you..He is getting up higher to watch the ladies.
If he acts aggressive towards you? You will know about it.
My Huge Brahma sits on the park bench I have in their out door forage area and watches over the Hens..as long as he has not attacked you, your good and so is the Rooster..

 

[BantyChooks]

He isn't putting his attentions on you..He is getting up higher to watch the ladies.
If he acts aggressive towards you? You will know about it.
My Huge Brahma sits on the park bench I have in their out door forage area and watches over the Hens..as long as he has not attacked you, your good and so is the Rooster..

Ladywatching is significantly different from watching you. I have seen both. One is innocuous, the other can result in damage if he decides to lash out from that height. What the OP describes sounds like the latter.

There are always precursors to outright aggression. If one has a rooster suddenly explode then I'd rather say they're not too observant. I think the OP is going to have issues if she doesn't change something, and that it's good she noticed him acting off.

 

[chickens really]

Ladywatching is significantly different from watching you. I have seen both. One is innocuous, the other can result in damage if he decides to lash out from that height.

There are always precursors to outright aggression. If one has a rooster suddenly explode then I'd rather say they're not too observant. I think the OP is going to have issues if she doesn't change something, and that it's good she noticed him acting off.

Lester watches everything and everyone Although has never attacked people..Thank the Lord because he is Huge.
Only attacked a orange pail when I switched from white..I carry the white one now..lol

 

[Beer can]

Don't let them get the upper hand.
I do pretty much what BantyChooks said, I walk 'through' them daily, make them get out of my way. I don't chase or antagonize, just go about my business and expect them to move, though sometimes I do walk towards them just to make sure they move and behave. I don't coddle pet or pickup. I have some pretty nice well behaved roosters, nicer than the hens lol.

 

[chickens really]

Don't let them get the upper hand.
I do pretty much what BantyChooks said, I walk 'through' them daily, make them get out of my way. I don't chase or antagonize, just go about my business and expect them to move, though sometimes I do walk towards them just to make sure they move and behave. I don't coddle pet or pickup. I have some pretty nice well behaved roosters, nicer than the hens lol.

Yes..ignore them is key..Mine is no Pet..I don't touch my Birds unless needed.

 

[SA&P]

Hi. I had 5 cockerels and two hens born at the end of June last year. I managed to rehome four cockerels leaving me with my desired trio. We kept the smallest cockerel, Sheldon........who has now been renamed, ‘Kung Poo!’
He took a dislike to my eldest grown up son a week after the other roosters left. Ran right across the garden to jump up at him, flapping his wings! Matthew ran after him with my broom.
Weird because when Matthew visits he feeds them a treat. Not now
He feeds the girls and Kung Poo keeps his distance
I’ve always ‘walked through’ him after reading up on their behaviour on this forum.
He is a good rooster. Guards his girls, and when I take out mealworms he always stands back and let’s them eat out of my hand. Then I toss him a couple so he’s not left out.
Matthew is a big fella and can handle big horses and is not frightened of anything so it seemed odd that the rooster was attacking him. He doesn’t do it to my husband or the other son. Anyway, it was sorted straightaway. I didn’t want a situation that I couldn’t handle as my garden gate opens onto our village Main Street!!
Good luck with your boy.