what is up with my rooster...?

[blueheaven]

so, this is my first time owning a rooster. my speckled sussex 'sue' turned out to be a he...not she.
so 'johnny' now - the rooster is doing funny things.

can anyone tell what the rooster is trying to do when:
1. when he 'rolls' his neck (3-4 times)
2. flaps his wings

he is a nice rooster. stays clear of me, but always does these things when i am around.

 

[Blue]

1. I'm not really sure what you mean by neck rolling. If he's flaring his neck (hackle) feathers out, it could mean a number of things. I've seen roosters do this to other roosters as a challenge. Roosters sometimes do this right before they crow, and I've heard that they do it sometimes to make themselves look bigger/more intimidating as a means to ward off predators. Having said that, I have one bantam rooster who sometimes puffs out his hackles and crows when I'm around, but he's never challenged me.

If you mean something else, I'm not sure. I've seen roosters shake their heads to, as far as I could tell, resituate their wattles or shake water off them if they'd been having a drink. Roosters (and chickens in general) may also roll their necks or stretch them out a bit to try and dislodge some food that maybe didn't go down the right way.

2. The flapping is a normal rooster thing. My roosters have always done this, and I'm not sure what specific meaning the behavior may have. I know they frequently do this right before crowing.

 

[BooBear]

Neck roll, could he be trying to work up a crow?

The flapping is done to herd the girls where he wants them. Or he is saying I am top bird hear my thunderous crow!

 

[blueheaven]

neck roll...he is trying to tell me something. nothing stuck and he is good at crowing. it is not when he is going to crow. sometimes when i am giving he and the girls treats.
no other rooster to compete with.
it is fun to watch him. he does it a lot.

thanks for the help.