What does it mean exactly when a rooster flaps his wings at you?

[EggSighted4Life]

He is just over a year old.

For me.. his intent was to cause harm to little sis... who already has enough issues facing her, (no doubt)... without having to be afraid of a chicken. That alone is reason. No kid shouldn't be and feel safe to play in their own back yard. They'll grow up soon enough, let her run..

He only hit her because she was running away. If she were running towards him... bet he either tucks tail and run or high tails it outta there... they aren't completely stupid and know when they've met their match. I am NOT suggesting it.. but finding another way to build your sisters confidence around chickens again will be much more rewarding in the long run than trying to reform a rooster... life is too short, and in my 40's now... each year is flying by faster and faster.. NO joke!

Even folks with good practices of keeping fences shut and such can have accidents.. (fences blow over, latches get half latched, etc). I don't actually know much about your set up, and when I say across the yard, I mean a good 30 yards away in my "yard". What if it was of little sisters' friends, would the parent be as understanding if their kid lost an eye?

Since you will have to choose what to do with you other cockerels eventually anyways... I would consider letting this one to have served his purpose already, including an upcoming supper (make sis some chicken and cheese enchiladas) and take my chances with one of the up and comers that will be learning some manners from elder flock members...

That being said I am NOW in the zero tolerance for human aggression group (after that series of attacks) and have very little tolerance for any bullying outside of standard pecking order. I always try to help folks find the right solution for themselves though... Roosters will come and go... from my heart... cherish your sister!

Sorry team... I know that was completely off topic from the original question .

Which I admit I have wondered especially lately about the wing flapping. As many know I do keep a stag pen which holds many curiosities of its' own... and much learning for me. Body language of different species is fascinating!

 

[LikeTurkeys]

For me.. his intent was to cause harm to little sis... who already has enough issues facing her, (no doubt)... without having to be afraid of a chicken. That alone is reason. No kid shouldn't be and feel safe to play in their own back yard. They'll grow up soon enough, let her run..

He only hit her because she was running away. If she were running towards him... bet he either tucks tail and run or high tails it outta there... they aren't completely stupid and know when they've met their match. I am NOT suggesting it.. but finding another way to build your sisters confidence around chickens again will be much more rewarding in the long run than trying to reform a rooster... life is too short, and in my 40's now... each year is flying by faster and faster.. NO joke!

Even folks with good practices of keeping fences shut and such can have accidents.. (fences blow over, latches get half latched, etc). I don't actually know much about your set up, and when I say across the yard, I mean a good 30 yards away in my "yard". What if it was of little sisters' friends, would the parent be as understanding if their kid lost an eye?

Since you will have to choose what to do with you other cockerels eventually anyways... I would consider letting this one to have served his purpose already, including an upcoming supper (make sis some chicken and cheese enchiladas) and take my chances with one of the up and comers that will be learning some manners from elder flock members...

That being said I am NOW in the zero tolerance for human aggression group (after that series of attacks) and have very little tolerance for any bullying outside of standard pecking order. I always try to help folks find the right solution for themselves though... Roosters will come and go... from my heart... cherish your sister!

Sorry team... I know that was completely off topic from the original question .

Which I admit I have wondered especially lately about the wing flapping. As many know I do keep a stag pen which holds many curiosities of its' own... and much learning for me. Body language of different species is fascinating!

Hi! Your reply so far has been the most convincing of the others I have read here and on other threads. Many people immediately take the side of "safety of the child" without explaining, or asking the situation and being overall understanding.

The yard is large, I think 30 yards would qualify as "across the back yard" easily. (Btw, about the part that they grow up fast, I am in my teens, and soon when I become an adult my chicken keeping experience will likely end. There is just no way you can keep chickens when you live in an apartment.)

You are right, if she were running toward him he would leave. I have seen this and he behaves the same with me as well.

Obviously the answer to the question of whether a parent would be understanding of their kid losing an eye is a definite no. Certainly I wouldn't want that to happen to my little sister either. Many of the stories I read where a child gets hurt are after blatant disregard of the roosters behavior or the safety of the child (e.g. no supervision after multiple aggressive actions on the part of the rooster toward the child). Of course there are exceptions, and I understand that you don't want to risk it.

This is my second year of chicken keeping. I don't have that much experience, and I'm still just a kid but I'm learning all the time. I want to be responsible with chickens in the future, and I want to deal with their behaviors. Sometimes the solution is butchering the chicken, but certainly not every time and I want to address that. You are right in making the argument that since I have a little sister, the situation is slightly different, but she can still be trained and educated in how to deal with the chickens. Growing up around livestock means understanding their behavior, and understanding it can start young.

I also want to note that my parents do know about this attack. So, it's not just me making the decisions. I'm going to talk to them about butchering the rooster and see what they think. When I do, I'll present to them the reasons that you shared and also the possibility of raising another rooster. Ultimately if they say no, or 'wait and see', then there is nothing I can do.

Okay... so with that out of the way... a few questions pertaining to the matter at hand. Yes, I do have some cockerels that were either going to be eaten or sold, but since this situation has come up, perhaps the fate of one will be otherwise. They are Black Copper Marans; a friend gave me some eggs and loaned me her incubator and that's how I have 6 more chicks! (I hope not all are cockerels, but I have my eye on 2 that I think are going to be). They are around 4 weeks old and decent training needs to be worked into them beginning now for them to turn out okay. My question is, are BCM roosters any more aggressive than other breeds? I've heard they are related to game birds, which could be more aggressive, no?

Among those same chicks is one that is either son or daughter of the guilty rooster. I've heard you're not supposed to breed aggressive roosters, what will the temperament of this one be? (just throw out some opinions). Nothing I can do about it now obviously, the chick was hatched before the attack.

If this rooster gets butchered, chicken enchiladas is a must (the cockerel who was this roosters son got turned into chicken quesadillas, it was delicious!).
Thanks.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

are BCM roosters any more aggressive than other breeds

Actually... one of my favorite breeds rooster thus far. Seemingly of stable mind. Seemed more aggressive as growing chicks with each other, but over all just fantastic birds and never had to cull one for personality yet. I even cried when I lost Nugget (despite sending 50+ to the freezer already) as he was a truly fantastic rooster to the ladies, the chicks, other pasture pets (dogs move fast like kids), and not friendly to but respectful of folks. He still fed my family, but it was true loss to my entire flock. I haven't raised any actual game breeds, but believe their aggression is more opponent focused than human directed.

Among those same chicks is one that is either son or daughter of the guilty rooster. I've heard you're not supposed to breed aggressive roosters, what will the temperament of this one be?

It's a good general rule of thumb and I agree that demeanor can breed forward. But each bird is treated and will behave as an individual. Some traits go from father to daughter and mother to son... not sure if this is one of them that goes same gender offspring or opposite, but I personally also consider the hens input equally. That being said, I'm not sure if he was being truly aggressive or just had a stupid moment. I always TRY to give benefit of the doubt. It was definitely more than just testing her though. He may have tested her previously without getting noticed.

That's fantastic that your parents are able to let you have a chicken adventure AND your're getting to share it with your sister! And good for you for being willing and able to put food on your families table and KNOW where it came from and had a good life!

Maybe you will get time to try quail once settled in apartment since they are less ideal for free range. Chicken math!

I hope you enjoy what's left of your parents' rule and teen age years, and it sounds like you will. I also hope your transition to adult life goes smoothly.. and you reach to achieve your dreams!

 

[LikeTurkeys]

Actually... one of my favorite breeds rooster thus far. Seemingly of stable mind. Seemed more aggressive as growing chicks with each other, but over all just fantastic birds and never had to cull one for personality yet. I even cried when I lost Nugget (despite sending 50+ to the freezer already) as he was a truly fantastic rooster to the ladies, the chicks, other pasture pets (dogs move fast like kids), and not friendly to but respectful of folks. He still fed my family, but it was true loss to my entire flock. I haven't raised any actual game breeds, but believe their aggression is more opponent focused than human directed.


It's a good general rule of thumb and I agree that demeanor can breed forward. But each bird is treated and will behave as an individual. Some traits go from father to daughter and mother to son... not sure if this is one of them that goes same gender offspring or opposite, but I personally also consider the hens input equally. That being said, I'm not sure if he was being truly aggressive or just had a stupid moment. I always TRY to give benefit of the doubt. It was definitely more than just testing her though. He may have tested her previously without getting noticed.

That's fantastic that your parents are able to let you have a chicken adventure AND your're getting to share it with your sister! And good for you for being willing and able to put food on your families table and KNOW where it came from and had a good life!

Maybe you will get time to try quail once settled in apartment since they are less ideal for free range. Chicken math!

I hope you enjoy what's left of your parents' rule and teen age years, and it sounds like you will. I also hope your transition to adult life goes smoothly.. and you reach to achieve your dreams!

Thank you so much. I wish it were just a stupid moment. You are right, he may have tested her without me noticing despite my careful watch on his actions. I'm glad you've had a good experience with the breed . I've heard Dominiques can be aggressive, and the rooster in question is a Dominique. The BCM chicks are not aggressive, in fact they are very scaredy-cat, much more so than my store bought chicks. I have one I'm keeping my eye on that I think would make a good choice.

One more question, will the new rooster be able to handle ~15 hens? Also, I only have 3 adult hens to discipline, and the head hen recently changed hands from a RIR to a BO. The character is vastly different with regards to disciplining the younger chickens, so how do you think that will affect his behavior?
Thanks again!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

One more question, will the new rooster be able to handle ~15 hens? Also, I only have 3 adult hens to discipline, and the head hen recently changed hands from a RIR to a BO. The character is vastly different with regards to disciplining the younger chickens, so how do you think that will affect his behavior?

No problem for 1 rooster to handle 15 ladies. I never reduce to just 1 in case pf predator attacks or accidents. That MIGHT be enough ladies to keep two roosters if you like.

Mostly a wait and see with regards to how any chick will develop. This was a good read...
https://freefromharm.org/chicken-behavior-an-overview-of-recent-science/
Another, just for fun...
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/09/do-you-speak-chicken-flock-social.html
http://citygirlfarming.com/2017/09/26/what-your-chickens-body-language-is-telling-you/http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/09/do-you-speak-chicken-flock-social.html

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

It was funny to watch two of my roosters walking towards each other, but they couldn't see each other because they were approaching the corner of an object that obstructed their view. When one roo rounded the corner about 10' away from the other, they both saw each other and flapped their wings together. Then the less dominant roo walked away and flapped his wings again.

 

[kathtus]

I think that behavior is just their egos/showing off. Everyone is different, but I personally wouldn't tolerate any aggression in my flock.

Well you have to get to their level and put them in their place before they put you in one. Many will change towards you when put in place.

 

[kathtus]

Little sister is 8 years old and not small for her age. Normally she is very confident around the chickens and doesn't do things that would set them off (I've tried to tell her about keeping them out of her space etc. as much as possible) it was just this one time when she was running past (yeah, I know little kids running can set them off, it was an accident). In fact, she didn't even know that he was chasing her until she felt him peck the back of her leg. There was no warning.

I am seriously considering slaughtering him, because I know the dangers of keeping an aggressive rooster around children. The bite wasn't deep, but it did draw some blood. I just don't know if this is enough to warrant the hassle considering that he's been good with everything else, even to her. I'm trying to follow this articles advice: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/a-viewpoint-on-managing-roosters.74690/, which I've been following since he was a little chick.

Yes, I've noticed that the hens do the same, just not quite so often. Sometimes they don't even lift their wings fully, just a little bit; then put them down.

My hens do also. I thought one was a rooster because she's not fully grown yet. ....but I guess now I see hens DO flap their wings sometimes.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think the best training a rooster chick can get is being raised in a multi-generational flock. Even so, roosters are a crap shoot, and the best way to get a good rooster is to not keep a rotten one.

Keep a flock of birds, rather than individual birds. Yes there will be favorites, but birds do not stay static, they are constantly changing, so the darling today can be the nightmare tomorrow.

People often times think that if they got a good rooster they have one for life. That today's behavior can predict tomorrows, and that is not true. You asked about the flapping of wings, and mentioned the first attack. Some said that no - the flapping is nothing...but they are not there in the pen. Your are, and I think your gut is telling you this is aggressive. Trust that. Yes a rooster can flap as a stretch, but often times it is in an effort to make himself larger and more intimidating.

Mrs K