Very tame rooster, but he started biting - how to stop it?

[BWchicken]

I have a blue D'uccle cockerel 18 weeks old. He lives with one bantam roo the same age that he grew up with and they are bachelors, no hens (baby girls coming next week). He is very tame, loves to sit on my lap or shoulder. He can't wait for me to hold out my arm so he can fly up on it and climb onto my shoulder. But lately, when he flies up onto my arm, sometimes he reaches down between his feet and grabs ahold of my skin, and moves around like he's mating my arm. That's how it started, but now he occasionally bites my hand while just sitting on my lap if I reach to touch him. He's a tiny bantam so it doesn't hurt, but I want him to stop.

This behavior just started and I'm sure is because of his hormonal age. All that raging testosterone with no hens must be frustrating. Or maybe it's because the roo he lives with recently started picking on him a little bit. When he bites me, I've tried grabbing and holding his beak, I've held him down in a squat, I've thumped him, I've grabbed his comb and held his head to his breast, I've carried him around. These are all suggestions I've read on here. He is completely still and submissive while being "punished". But I can't tell if anything's working yet. Other than this new biting thing, he is still a real cuddle bug, and I don't want to lose that. So what do you do with a sweet rooster who is submissive to you, but still thinks it's okay to bite you sometimes?

Thanks!

 

[DTchickens]

Are there any moles, odd colors, etc.. On your arms or hands to make him want to bite them? I have that problem because my family has a lot of moles/freckles all over their arms, legs, etc and chickens seem to think "Food" sometimes... It could be hormones, and then another question i have to ask.. Is he molting? When they are molting they can get a little aggressive because it makes them sore when being held..


Some go the aggressive route, but i've never found kicking them around, holding them to the ground to "embarass him" or any of that to work.. My approach has always been gentle, then if they continue or get worse get aggressive as well, if nothing happens.. Chop their heads off >

.... But that's usually from complete all out, coming at you with spurs.. The bite every now and then never bothered me as long as they didn't hurt... Maybe try giving him some food right before too so he isn't pecking because he's hungry?

 

[BWchicken]

Thanks for your reply. I have a few arm freckles that he used to "taste" sometimes, that doesn't bother me. The kind of biting he's doing now is fast, hard, grab ahold and bite down. I don't think he's molting, there's no feather loss. I guess an occasional bite wouldn't bother me, but it's becoming almost daily now. I wonder why he wants to sit on me all the time (I mean ALL the time), but then bites me. I can't figure him out. I do agree with you about a gentle approach. I really don't want to be mean to him. I'm just not sure what to do. Can you tell me about more gentle methods I can try?

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
My methods are pretty simple, i pick up the chicken and hold him gently.. No matter how much he bites, scratches, or anything. Just hold him and rub him under his chin, along the comb, or where ever.. No quick reactions of being afraid or anything when he bites.

You can also take a apple, or some kind of other treat and just hold it out there for him. I'll say some chickens are just a loss cause but this helps with a lot of them that aren't genetically "altered".. I'll do it for about thirty minutes a day, give or take 15 minutes. Depends on how long i want to sit with them.. I'll also go out there and do this to them all once a day, once a week, which ever to just hold them.. Check for mites, if they're getting skinny, and stuff like that. Doesn't necessarily have to be a long time either, just enough to keep 'em gentle and where you can check the health..


ETA: For extremely aggressive roosters, it's good to use boots, long sleeve shirts, and maybe gloves for protection. But that's all up to you.

 

[nivtup]

Bite him back

Hey, it worked on my sister when we were kids

 

[Happy Chooks]

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[BWchicken]

Thanks. I must say, other than the biting, he's not aggressive at all, he's very sweet and docile. He never comes at me or anyone aggressively. Ever. He seems to like people, especially me.

I guess I'll try just holding him. He won't protest though, he likes it. He wants to be near me or on me all the time anyway. I think he is in love with me.

That's why I can't figure out why he started biting me.

Although biting him back is tempting, lol, I'll just try spending more time actually holding him instead of letting him just fly up and sit on me. We'll see if that helps.

 

[greathorse]

Its your cuddle bug thing. That rooster has no respect for you and likely never will given the cuddling etc. You do not need to be mean to him but you sure have to be the top bird in the flock.

Roosters breed the females and compete with the males. They leave the superior males alone because they are down the chain in terms of the pecking order. If you are not the top bird you will almost certainly be challenged. This is particularly true in young cockerals. The rooster that does not challenge for top spot is quite rare.

Never let him approach unless you ask. Push him away from you by walking toward him aggressively if he approaches in an arrogant manner.

Good luck

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I agree.