What does this rooster noise mean?

[DonyaQuick]

My rooster Ziggy has just quit crowing and started making a weird new noise that I don't understand. I've tried to embed a video below; hopefully it works. What does this sound mean? He only seems to do it when I'm around.

He had a traumatic event very recently where he got upset that I was moving his food bowl (he's weirdly attached to it) and normally he would tug my pants to tell me he wants it back. Unfortunately it was hot so I was wearing shorts and and flip flops, no pants to tug, so he looked for something that wasn't skin and stole my flip flop instead - and my hens unexpectedly charged in and steamrolled him for it. I think they thought he was injuring me, poor guy. They've gone back to normal with him but immediately after that event he started being very timid and being cautious about vocalizing. I realize he could just be needing to get his confidence back (he's also molting which doesn't help for that, being a big prickly porcupine in places) but I want to make sure it's not a distress sound in case I need to be checking him for other problems.

 

[neo71665]

Hes telling you to back off

 

[DonyaQuick]

Hes telling you to back off

Not sure what I'm doing to upset him if that's the case but I guess I'll have to figure it out. He will do that noise and then will come right over to ask for a hug though which is part of what confused me. He's a very friendly guy.

 

[neo71665]

"His" flock abandoning him to protect you was prolly stressful for him and now he doesn't like you. lol

I'm sure he will calm down over time but my roo makes a similar noise before he attacks a dog or something that gets too close to his girls.

 

[DonyaQuick]

He doesn't seem mad at me...but this afternoon he does seem lethargic. I'm getting worried now he was either injured by the hens when they slammed him or somehow came down with something following that stress event.

 

[Sussex19]

I'm not convinced that he's telling you to back off, but I'm not sure what it does mean.

 

[DonyaQuick]

So just a bit ago I went out and sat in the chair that's in the run. He perked up a little and came straight over to get a hug, so he's definitely not upset with me. If he didn't want hugs he would surely nip or jump down rather than draping himself over my shoulder. But then he made the noise directly at an approaching hen who also wanted a hug. Could he be telling the hens to give him space? Because the whole flock likes to be wherever I am, the ladies definitely crowd him more when I'm around.

 

[DonyaQuick]

My rooster has basically gone silent now and this morning I discovered a crop issue. Just posted in emergencies/diseases here. It may be that his slow-emptying crop was a factor in the unusual noise and lack of crowing; I don't know for sure when the crop problem set in.