Submission and Other roo behaviors....all about ChickenDuck!

[4H kids and mom]

Ok, so this thread is all about the Mighty ChickenDuck! (For all you fans! lol) I have a bunch of questions~!

So, being the Top Dog (err, Chicken! lol) of the flock, of course he must keep them in line. This I get. But what I dont get is the behavior of the roo or hen getting beat down.

They run all over trying to escape him, and eventually find a place where they bury their head (wether it be through the chain link fencing, under a chair, in a cement block...you name it) and go completely still. ChickenDuck will sometimes sit on them holding their neck feathers and just stay like that for ages. Neither makes a sound and they usually will just stay like that until ChickenDuck gets bored and runs off to chase bugs. (He never really hurts them, mind you) Then the hiding one stays hiding its head for a long time afterwards. Why? Is it in shock or something? Or is this normal submission behavior?

Also, he (ChickenDuck) has begun "servicing" his flock. He chases off the ther roos and will beat them pretty good if he catches them "servicing" HIS gals. All in all, he seems pretty gentle with the gals, but they want nothing to do with all that! They run, duck, and cover their heads and hide. When he gets them cornered, he does his 'deed'. So is this just 'practice' or the real thing? Will my pullets first eggs be fertile? (No, I am NOT going to try incubating them or anything! I'm just curious!) So my questions are: Will the other 2 roos EVER get to 'help' in that area, or will ChickenDuck dominate the 'deed doing'? I want to know mainly because I want to breed ChickenDuck specifically, but if I would know, for example, that ALL the eggs were HIS, then it would be much easier! lol

And also, he's been doing alot of his 'dancing' at me. I cant help but think its cute, but I dont want to encourage it either, should he approach a child that way. I just gently move him with my foot and tell him "Knock it off" and he stops. Can he learn NOT to do it at all, or is that just asking WAY too much of a chicken...even if it IS the all Mighty ChickenDuck! (Who by the way, was seen CARRYING a small chick today when he did his dusk call and the little one didnt come in the coop! lol)

 

[Alleyoops25]

I know this is off the point but what is a Chickenduck? I have geard and have Turkins. But not a chickenduck.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

4H kids and mom
I think they are just young and learning to interact with each other. I'm sure your girls will calm down after a while, probably Chickenduck looks kinda "phyco" to your hens (as I'm sure his never really been too interested in them until of late) and it's just a part of it all.

In my experience there is usually a top roo and then the lesser guys. (Similar to a wolf pack) Last year it was my Lakenvelder, then my Phoenix and the rest were all lower. My Phoenix did see some "action", he has his own little group of girls. There were enough girls around that I guess my Lakenvelder didn't see him as a threat, but if any of the other roos were caught with a lady or wooing one, they were promptly chased off. I think this all normal flock interaction. My Lakenvelder has since been sold as part of a pair and my Phoenix has stepped up into his place, without any fuss.

That's funny he dances to you, I don't know if it's a good thing though. You might want to chase him off when he does that, but not really sure. That's just what I've always done, no dancing for me...I'm not a hen, lol. If he stops when you move him away he'll probably get the point sooner or later. But if he gets too frisky a good chase across the yard will tell him you're the head "roo".

My Jap does "sing" to me, but that's as far as he's ever taken it. I think he's watched me chase roos off when they were getting to "brave" around my daughter.
Also, I'm not sure when rooster sperm becomes potent, so I don't know if the eggs will be fertile yet or not.

 

[chickbea]

Quote:
Hee, hee. ChickenDuck is a chicken, but apparently he looked like a duckling as a baby, thus his name. 4H kids and mom have many posts on here chronicaling (sp?) the life and times of the intrepid ChickenDuck. He's a character!