"What IS that you're doing, rooster?"

[foxyloxy]

Hi everyone. This is my first post here! I have a rooster that's around 13 weeks old, and he's just started crowing. Something he's started doing just this week is, when I go into the run.. if I squat down to talk to the chickens (we have 8 hens), he comes over to me and does this sideways shuffle thing, and gets all puffed up and kinda chordles at me. I can guess that this could be one of a few things, but this is our first experience with chickens, so I am unsure what this behavior is. Can someone offer some insight?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[gritsar]

He's doing the wing dance, trying to dominate you. Shoo him away when he does it. Don't ever let a rooster think he's superior to you.

ETA:

 

[theoldchick]

Howdy! Your fella is staking out his territory. Teach him to respect your space before he tries to flog you.

 

[cafarmgirl]

First of all

to BYC!

As for your young rooster, since he has started showing you beginnings of his lovely roo behavior make sure you keep an eye on him when you are out there, especially if you keep him as he gets older. They can inflict some nasty and painful injuries! Definitely start working with him, back him up or run him off when he does that. Even then, a lot of times they will get nasty and try to ambush you when you are not looking! Your's is still young so he may be ok for a while yet. Mine didn't get too nasty until he was close to a year old. Don't know if you have small kids or not but I would also keep them out of a pen with a rooster.

 

[dipence71]

Start by catching him and holding him down till he does the submissive wing thing. And hold and pet him. Make him know YOU are the head rooster in your coop. I did this to a rooster I got that was already full grown while I had him in a small pen(quarantined) and I would climb in and hold him down till he submitted then pet him and talk to him. Pretty much every day for 30 days then turned him in with my 12 hens. So far he has been ok, no flogging, he keeps his distance. He is not a pet unlike my hens who will jump in my lap that I raised from chicks.

 

[foxyloxy]

Wow, that's crazy that roosters get like that! I think it's interesting how he's changing from this harmless little thing into a big meanie! LOL!

We were actually considering keeping him, but for these reasons and others we will have to get rid of him. Does anyone have any ideas? (Besides eating him!) Our local feed store (that we got our chickens from) says we can bring him there, and people will come looking for a rooster to fertilize eggs. Is there a better option than that one?

Thanks again!

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

That's being aggressive? That's not always the case. I have had several roosters that would do that to me without a single problem with dominance. There were some that would even come over and do that, I would pick them up, we would talk, and I would put him back down and go on my way.

 

[sourland]

Very frequently roosters that have been over socialized lose all fear and respect for their owners. These roosters may become the worst floggers and attackers. Don't trust him around small children.

 

[Scrummycat]

Quote:
What is the submissive wing thing?

 

[teach1rusl]

If you're interested in keeping him around, I'd try domination techniques (which sounds odd when you type it out...lol) before automatically getting rid of him. But taking him to the feed store is an EASY out for you if you don't want to keep him.