What is my Rooster trying to tell me?

[McChooky]

I don't want to be a party pooper, but I had a rooster that behaved similar to yours (never a lap bird though) When he was about a year old, it turned into full on attacking. He was my first cockerel too, and I spent a lot of time holding and feeding him. As soon as he got that surge of testerone, he became a total jerk, attacking me and chasing my kids everywhere. He went to freezer camp and I don't try to socialize cockerels anymore. I hope that's not the situation with your boy, but just a word of caution.

I fully expect he will try and he will die. If the hens can't get along with him theres a fat chance in h*** I will.I love my girls and had them along time before I got him.A good rooster is accepted very quickly.It doesn't take months.Thats the biggest clue.Thank you for warning me as I have seen some signs he is trying to get the courage up.He just hasn't yet.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Very interesting to read!

 

[McChooky]

I cleaned the nest boxes ,coop and run today and added fresh bedding .The hens ate some dandelion leaves while he watched. Roosters that are bored get into trouble. He was a perfect gentleman today.

 

[jBabychickn]

I cleaned the nest boxes ,coop and run today and added fresh bedding .The hens ate some dandelion leaves while he watched. Roosters that are bored get into trouble. He was a perfect gentleman today.

I think you’re gonna have a really good Roo on your hands!!! A good Roo should be possessive of his territory, not aggressive …

He’s already showing amazing signs; such as letting the hens eat first, being possessive of his protected territory(coop) without direct human aggressiveness or attacks, and uses the wing dance appropriately. — I’ve heard that while choosing a grown Roo, always pick the one that does the Wing dance…

This YouTube video link below is information that I found helpful and meaningful ~ Check it out!
——
Choosing a Good Roo

~Good luck with your Little Guy!!~

 

[Shadrach]

View attachment 3032117

Eagley is a 7 month old rooster who I raised from a chick. He shares a flock of around 20 hens (+ a few ducks) with Tarzan, a bantam Roo. Despite Eagley being three times the size of him already, Tarzan is dominant rooster and Eagley is submissive. He’s also still a total mama’s boy and comes running for pets and cuddles whenever he sees me.

Eagley is my first boy and I’m learning a lot from him. There are a few interesting behaviours he does that I’m not sure how to interpret. I’m not very worried about him - just super curious and would love to hear your thoughts!

1. Drooping wing. Whenever he sees me and gets excited he drops one wing to the ground, so his feathers are all fanned out. Often he’ll trip over it in his own excitement and get all flustered! This only ever happens when I arrive, and nobody else. It’s the back wing, furthest away from me.

You can see it a little bit in this video:

https://imgur.com/bdnKv36

2. Blocking. As I enter the pen he runs up to me and sort of blocks my path by turning sideways. It’s very deliberate and it sort of reminds me of an aggressive Roo, except he’s definitely not showing any aggression when he does it. His vocalisations are chatty and happy, and he moves easily when I take a step - but then loops back around and repeats it a few times as I walk across the paddock, as if he wants to sit on my feet!

3. No pooping (or crowing). Eagley will never, ever, ever poop on me. He’ll often sit in my lap for up to an hour snoozing, but in that whole time he will never poop. If he needs to go he will jump down to do it. Similarly, he will never ever crow on me, or generally if I’m there. Once I leave, he starts crowing his head off. Does this mean he thinks I’m the top rooster or something?

4. Not eating. Eagley will not eat until all the hens have finished. That means when it comes to treats etc, that means he just never gets any unless I take him aside and feed him separately.
I can’t tell if he’s just being a good ‘provider’, or if he’s too intimidated to eat with them there. The hens vacuum everthing up so quickly and it seems to take him about 6 attempts to finish a single piece of sweetcorn, which doesn’t help. Compared to many of the hens he still feels too light and bony but it’s hard to bulk him up when he won’t eat until everyone else is finished! Any advice? Does he look skinny to you?

View attachment 3032120

Most of your questions are answered in this article.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

 

[stargirl]

I don't want to be a party pooper, but I had a rooster that behaved similar to yours (never a lap bird though) When he was about a year old, it turned into full on attacking. He was my first cockerel too, and I spent a lot of time holding and feeding him. As soon as he got that surge of testerone, he became a total jerk, attacking me and chasing my kids everywhere. He went to freezer camp and I don't try to socialize cockerels anymore. I hope that's not the situation with your boy, but just a word of caution.

I hear you - it’s always a risk with roosters, from what I can tell, and it doesn’t seem like there’s any sure fire way to predict it.

I’m not sure if you were talking to me or the other poster here, but I think it’s probably true for us both!

He does love a cuddle though (he’ll often fall asleep in my lap with his head over my shoulder ) and is very submissive when any of the hens or the tiny bantam go for him. He just panics and runs!

The only aggression I’ve ever seen from him was when my husband tripped over one of ‘his’ hens, and he did a bit of a warning pounce to tell him off.

Spring is definitely here this week, so with the weather warming up, I’m sure time will tell.

 

[stargirl]

Most of your questions are answered in this article.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

This was a wonderful read! Just what I’ve been looking for, thank you!

I was cheered to read that the herding isn’t aggression, and is more of a ‘you’re one of my flock’ behaviour.

Also, that all the grooming sessions I do for him are helpful to reduce aggression! He’s so happy to let me groom him I even carry little clean mascara brushes to brush his head and cheek feathers with, and he just let’s me! He loves me to give him a good long scratch under his wings too. Hopefully this continues to be a calming/bonding experience for us both!

He is at risk of being “tribeless” as an unrelated rescue, but I’ve noticed a few hens follow him around now, and squat when he walks near them (although he still seems to be oblivious to this). Hopefully that’s the beginning of his own little flock forming!

 

[stargirl]

I think you’re gonna have a really good Roo on your hands!!! A good Roo should be possessive of his territory, not aggressive …

He’s already showing amazing signs; such as letting the hens eat first, being possessive of his protected territory(coop) without direct human aggressiveness or attacks, and uses the wing dance appropriately. — I’ve heard that while choosing a grown Roo, always pick the one that does the Wing dance…

This YouTube video link below is information that I found helpful and meaningful ~ Check it out!
——
Choosing a Good Roo

~Good luck with your Little Guy!!~

Aw, I loved this video! Thank you so much for sharing!

I really hope this is true and the rooster dance is a predictor of good character, because Eagley does it all day long for me!

 

[Goosey Girl]

Your roo is in love...with YOU!!! Would be interesting if you walked over to him with someone else.
My roo really liked me when he was younger. Now at 16 months he just tolerates me...but still chases my husband awayGreat fowl fun!

 

[stargirl]

Your roo is in love...with YOU!!! Would be interesting if you walked over to him with someone else.
My roo really liked me when he was younger. Now at 16 months he just tolerates me...but still chases my husband awayGreat fowl fun!

Haha! Oh man, it’s going to break my heart when he dumps me for his hens! Men can be so fickle

My husband will often come into the paddock with me, and Eagley just sort of ignores him. Apart from one occasion when he tripped over a hen, and Eagley gave him a good telling off - before going right back to ignoring him.

We haven’t had a cuddle or anything in there though, come to think of it. I’m guessing in rooster-speak, any physical contact might be construed as ‘mating’, so that might be an interesting experiment!