Sorry..another rooster question :(

[Futuregreenefarm]

He is looking at me when he starts crowing. And he is fluffing up and wing flapping. Is there anything I can do to curb this without making him more aggressive? It's okay if I can't. I won't be devastated if I can't keep him. I'm just trying to make sure I do the right things and if it doesn't work out, so be it.

 

[EggWalrus]

I have a cockerel that 19 weeks. He's the leader. He crows close to me and sometimes when I am stooped down to their level, it feels like he crows in my face. He also does the herding dance around my second cockerel when I'm around but I've seen him do it to the pullets also. He's pretty pushy about food and not too concerned that the pullets eat first, sometimes bumping them out of the way. Yet he knows to make the "I found food" call. They come running but he usually eats whatever it is.
I am wondering if he is keeping them from me because I've got food he wants or already seeing me as a threat to his flock? And is the crowing bad?

There isn't a "herding" dance. It's called "dropping a wing" or a romance dance and what he's is telling the other bird is to bend over and get ready for a good "blanking".
I wouldn't put up with him dropping a wing on me either. He might think he is just gonna knock him off a piece, but he could scratch you up pretty bad.
And he ain't gonna call the next day or give you any flowers when he's done!

 

[Futuregreenefarm]

So I got the term herding shuffle from an article @Shadrach wrote about understanding your rooster. He feels the herding shuffle is to move hens or even other cockerels in the group. Not necessarily a mating thing. I don't know how to attach the article or I would. It's a good article. I don't think my leading cockerel wants to mate with the other cockerel. I think he wants to keep them away from me. Either he wants all the food I have to himself or he thinks I might harm them. I have no idea why he thinks I would harm them as I have never done anything close to that. ??

 

[EggWalrus]

So I got the term herding shuffle from an article @Shadrach wrote about understanding your rooster. He feels the herding shuffle is to move hens or even other cockerels in the group. Not necessarily a mating thing. I don't know how to attach the article or I would. It's a good article. I don't think my leading cockerel wants to mate with the other cockerel. I think he wants to keep them away from me. Either he wants all the food I have to himself or he thinks I might harm them. I have no idea why he thinks I would harm them as I have never done anything close to that. ??

When they drop a wing on another rooster, it's a dominance thing, just like when alpha male dogs do that to betas. He's letting the other rooster know that he's boss and that you belong to him, so that the other rooster doesn't get any ideas about trying to mate you. The Alpha rooster thinks you are his, he just hasn't figured out quite how to do you yet. Get it?
You need to let him know who the boss really is. That or you can try to explain to your spouse all the scratches on your back.
PS Shadrach has some pretty good articles on here.

 

[CalBickieMomma]

In my experience, he sounds like he’s just really comfortable with you being around and doesn’t see you as a threat. I once had a RIR roo who, while I was holding him (lying half on his back and side like a kitten or a baby), he crowed. I have it on video somewhere and it’s hilarious. He would do the wing dance with me, too, but he never attacked me. He was a good, sweet boy.

I guess it all depends on what you consider aggressive. This same rooster’s brother tried to show me he was boss when he was around 5 months old and would run at me as I entered the coop. I nipped that in the bud right away by coming into the coop in an aggressive manner and picking him up and showing him I wasn’t going to tolerate a mean roo. I would hold him and he soon figured out I was bigger and more dominant than him (can’t say if this will work for all roos).

Of course, my chickens have always been pets and I’ve never needed a rooster to protect the flock (they are in a coop and run that is really well constructed and I don’t have a big predator problem), so mine are babies and treated with love (unless they need their attitudes adjusted ).

Hope this helps!

 

[getaclue]

At this stage, he's learning to take over his job as protector of the flock. He's training the girls to pay attention to his commands, and get behind him, so he can protect them. There are no real predators, so you are filling that role. While it's good he's doing this, and the girls are learning, it's not good that you are the substitute predator. When mine get to this stage, I do allow the cockerel(s) to herd the girls, and stand between us for a couple minutes, then I usually will move him out of the way. I have actually picked them up, and put the cockerel(s) separate for a few minutes, while I enjoy the company of the pullets, without the cockerel(s) interfering. This helps keep the females from seeing you as a threat, no matter what the cockerel is trying to tell them, and by moving the cockerel out of the way, it sends the message that you are in charge, not to be confused with being a threat. Rooster training begins early, and gently.

 

[getaclue]

As to calling the pullets, and not giving them any treats, or being a bully; that's normal at this stage. Cockerels learn to actually share when they're more mature. This is more of the practice stage.

 

[MROO]

He is looking at me when he starts crowing. And he is fluffing up and wing flapping. Is there anything I can do to curb this without making him more aggressive? It's okay if I can't. I won't be devastated if I can't keep him. I'm just trying to make sure I do the right things and if it doesn't work out, so be it.

Take a few steps towards him, so he knows he's not scaring you away, then go about your business. He should eventually figure out that you're not after his hens ... but he's going to remind you, anyway, 'cause that's part of his job.

 

[getaclue]

Again, he needs to start learning that from the moment he sees you, he's to regard you as the alpha, not a practice predator, or threat. His message sends the wrong signal to the females as well. Don't worry, he will find other ways, and other substitute threats to teach them with. Maybe that's why I have so many roosters, but so few problems with them. I start them early. The only other time a bit of "training" might be needed, is when they go through that hormonal stage, when they would be the equivalent of teenagers. That's when they have more hormones than good sense. Due to starting them out with the right attitude at an earlier age, when they become hormonal later, it's very easy, and to get them quickly back under control.

 

[Shadrach]

So I got the term herding shuffle from an article @Shadrach wrote about understanding your rooster. He feels the herding shuffle is to move hens or even other cockerels in the group. Not necessarily a mating thing. I don't know how to attach the article or I would. It's a good article. I don't think my leading cockerel wants to mate with the other cockerel. I think he wants to keep them away from me. Either he wants all the food I have to himself or he thinks I might harm them. I have no idea why he thinks I would harm them as I have never done anything close to that. ??

Hello Futiregreenefarm.
The easiest way to link to an article is to get the article on your screen. At the top of the page is something called a search bar. It's with the Icons for back and home e,t,c.
When you have the article open, in the search bar is an address. It will start with https://backyardchickens and after comes the page details.
If you click on this address with your mouse the writing in the search bar should change colour. If you right click your mouse while the mouse pointer is on the address bar an option to copy should show in a drop down menu. Just click copy and return to the post you want to place the link to the article in. Once at the post right click your mouse again and select paste. This will put a link to the article in your post.