What happened..?

[Erika Shumway]

Chicken behavior always fascinates me and I'm always trying to figure it out. So, today I picked up a hen to hold and I could tell my rooster was concerned for her and watching me closely. He's been growing more concerned over the weeks when I pick one up, he used to not care at all, but now he comes over and watches intently.. Anyway l carried her out of the run and sat down and held her. I could see my rooster was watching me from the run and then he starts crowing, three times (which was very odd and he rarely does, he's still young)and the others seemed to respond and gather in the coop. The hen I was holding was, every few seconds making her kinda, warning short trill sound I would call it, I know she doesn't love being held.. Anyway, I let her down and she walked around a little, didn't rush into the run. But once my rooster noticed I wasnt holding her anymore, he came CHARGING out of the run, head low, wings slightly spread, and briefly attacked her! He chased her a bit and wouldn't let her back in run! It's as if he seemed PISSED she didn't listen and come back to the coop when he crowed. Maybe he was mad at me, but took it out on her, I don't kow, but it was super fascinating.. He's a very sweet docile rooster, that was the most aggressive behavior I've ever seen him display. I'm just so curious, what the heck happened.
Oh and then I went and picked him up out of the run and walked around with him in my arms for a bit and guided the one hen back into the run. I put him back down and he went back into the run and everything was fine. He walked up to the hen and they stared at each other for a sec and then life went on...
Do roosters use crowing to call the hens to the coop?
Are they proned to getting mad at a hen for "not obeying"?

 

[Suzi18]

I don't have a rooster but I find your story fascinating so I'm going to be curious to see what other rooster owners say

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

I have read that the crow is a sort of roll call. I am inclined to believe it is. I started looking into it when my first rooster Big Boy would crow in the middle of the night. Generally around 2 am. He would also crow when I came from work. I work a sort if second shift so 10:30-11 pm was a normal time for me to arrive. It never failed I would shut the car door and about half way to the house I'd hear him crowing. LOL I really think he would hear the car door as a disturbance and call the girls to make sure they were all there. (Why he needed to do it again at 2 am...) I have seen when the dominant male crows everyone turns and looks at him. Sometimes there are some soft clucking noises. He crows and they all check in.
Why your rooster would be aggressive to the hen you were holding could be like you said she didn't obey. He was reasserting his role and saying you need to check in when I call. The pecking order is very important. You could see what he does if you hold a more dominate hen. His main girl may not get the same treatment. Or see if you hold a hen close enough that you know he heard her respond.
I have heard my boys grunt their upset low cluck if I handle a hen and she squaks about it. No matter how friendly a rooster is he is always on guard. That is their job.
Very interested to see what else you observe.

 

[Hensndoes]

I don't know. But I'd do it again. Probably think about a handful of scratch afterword. I'd think about it... That's just me.

 

[lazy gardener]

My roo used to get upset if I held his girls also. I don't usually pick them up unless I need to. Though, when i discovered that he was uncomfortable when I DID pick his girls up, I started doing so more often just to condition him to the fact that I would be handling his girls, "So, get used to it, Jack!!!" He would come and watch very intently, as you described. When he did that, I'd keep the hen in my arms, but step towards him and herd him away. When handling a hen, I'd use his name, speak calmly to him, and tell him it was ok. This roo does understand a bit of my verbalization to him. He certainly knows his name! I would also not set the hen down until she was calm, usually giving her a bit of a facial massage. I find that after handling, the hens that have been handled are more apt to be under my feet in the future.

Your rooster charging the girl when you put her down was IMO an act of misplaced aggression. He was upset. He knew better than to take that aggression out on you, so he spent his aggression on the other object that had his attention at this time. Misplaced aggression can happen with all animals, and even with people!

An example of misplaced aggression: My dtr had a cat that was in a growling/hissing spat with a stray cat who had come up to the deck. There was a patio door between them. My dtr came to close the drapes and shoo the stray cat away. Her cat attacked her, doing some serious damage, with deep puncture wounds close to her knee joint which required an antibiotic.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I agree with Lazy Gardener that it was likely misplaced aggression. He really wanted to attack you but chose instead the hapless hen.

I would work with this boy. He has definitely decided this is HIS flock and is beginning to view you as an intruder.

He needs to know these are YOUR hens and that you are the "top rooster."

Dominant roosters won't let subordinate roosters handle (mate) their hens nor even walk in their presence.

He is growing up and needs to know his place to avoid troubles in the future.

My thoughts.
LofMc

 

[adstowe]

Kinda apples to oranges, but I used to have a really dominant paint mare and if you rode off on any of the other horses she's pace back and forth along the fence calling to them the whole time you were gone. Then, when you turned the horse back out to the field she'd beat the crap out of it. You really felt bad. It wasn't the horses fault that you decided to ride him/her that day, but in her mind it had disobeyed her and needed to be taught a lesson. I loved that horse, but she was a handful. Anyway... Similar to your situation and quite likely the same thing going on.

 

[Erika Shumway]

I have read that the crow is a sort of roll call. I am inclined to believe it is. I started looking into it when my first rooster Big Boy would crow in the middle of the night. Generally around 2 am. He would also crow when I came from work. I work a sort if second shift so 10:30-11 pm was a normal time for me to arrive. It never failed I would shut the car door and about half way to the house I'd hear him crowing. LOL I really think he would hear the car door as a disturbance and call the girls to make sure they were all there. (Why he needed to do it again at 2 am...) I have seen when the dominant male crows everyone turns and looks at him. Sometimes there are some soft clucking noises. He crows and they all check in.
Why your rooster would be aggressive to the hen you were holding could be like you said she didn't obey. He was reasserting his role and saying you need to check in when I call. The pecking order is very important. You could see what he does if you hold a more dominate hen. His main girl may not get the same treatment. Or see if you hold a hen close enough that you know he heard her respond.
I have heard my boys grunt their upset low cluck if I handle a hen and she squaks about it. No matter how friendly a rooster is he is always on guard. That is their job.
Very interested to see what else you observe.

So this hen he attacked is actually in fact my dominant hen, by far. In her second day in the coop, she told the rooster who was boss, (and it was his home to begin with!) I saw her jump kick him and make him sqwak real good so he rarely messes with her.. Oh and he is a bantam cochin, while she is a large Barred Rock, so almost double his size..so anyway, the incident was just super interesting, I wish I had recorded it, I've never seen my rooster so angry lol and the hen was pretty shocked too

 

[Erika Shumway]

I agree with Lazy Gardener that it was likely misplaced aggression. He really wanted to attack you but chose instead the hapless hen.

I would work with this boy. He has definitely decided this is HIS flock and is beginning to view you as an intruder.

He needs to know these are YOUR hens and that you are the "top rooster."

Dominant roosters won't let subordinate roosters handle (mate) their hens nor even walk in their presence.

He is growing up and needs to know his place to avoid troubles in the future.

My thoughts.
LofMc

Thank you very much for your input. He is a Cochin bantam, about 16 weeks old. I hold him and "cuddle" him all the time lol and have since he was about 8 weeks old. I really hope he's not going to totally change into a jerk...

 

[Erika Shumway]

Kinda apples to oranges, but I used to have a really dominant paint mare and if you rode off on any of the other horses she's pace back and forth along the fence calling to them the whole time you were gone. Then, when you turned the horse back out to the field she'd beat the crap out of it. You really felt bad. It wasn't the horses fault that you decided to ride him/her that day, but in her mind it had disobeyed her and needed to be taught a lesson. I loved that horse, but she was a handful. Anyway... Similar to your situation and quite likely the same thing going on.

Sounds exactly the same, just with horses.. Animal behavior is so fascinating, the good, the bad and the ugly...