Why is My Rooster Following Me?

[CookieChicken18]

I just got a rooster and we let him run around today with some of the hens and he keeps following me around the yard. The coop is a good ways away from my porch and I saw him come and all the way from the coop to me. So what I'll do is I will pick him up and pet him for a bit (he is very docile during the day), then take him back and he will stay there for a little while. Then he will come right back to find me.

Is this normal? If I don't do something will he become aggressive? Thanks!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It sounds like you have an adolescent cockerel. This means that he will go trough several behavioral stages before he is fully matured. Don't freak out if during one of these
"following" episodes he tries to take you on, say mano a mano.

 

[Sunny-Side Up]

I think he just likes you, or knows that you are the food person. One of my chickens follows me around when I have a shovel. She knows that when I dog deep, there are usually worms.

 

[Mrs. K]

Is he coming towards you, or is he approaching you from behind? That can make a difference. Either way, I would discourage it.

 

[ronott1]

It might be that he likes your shoes! I had a rooster that thought the lawnmower was his mortal enemy and would attack it when he saw it...Silly Rooster!

It sounds like he is fine but watch him when he is behind you

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It might be that he likes your shoes! I had a rooster that thought the lawnmower was his mortal enemy and would attack it when he saw it...Silly Rooster!

It sounds like he is fine but watch him when he is behind you

I Used to have a rooster who would attack the discharge shoot on my 72 inch grooming mower. I stress the words "used to" it didn't end well for this gentleman.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

It depends on "how" he is following you. Is following you like he's excited he may be getting a treat and bumbling along behind you? Or is he following you in a stealthy way like he's trying to read your moves and his attention is focused totally on you?

You're questioning why he's following you. Does the following make you feel uneasy? If so, he's possibly measuring you up and you're instincts are reading his movements correctly. A rooster who's sizing you up will make you feel like the equivalent of someone's who's following you with the intent to rob you.

It's a funny comparison...but it's exactly the way I feel with one rooster I have right now. He's sneaky and is always watching for an opportunity to spike me. He is a cull rooster. I just haven't dealt with him yet...lol.

You mentioned you just got him. Do you know the background of how he was handled? Perhaps the previous owners gave him treats...or similar attention and he is just acting as he has with them.

I have many roosters who haven't got an aggressive bone in their body towards humans and they happily trot along with me. I have a couple who come running right up to me to get hugged. Their demeanor is very happy go lucky. I know this. But a person who wasn't familiar with them could take their actions as aggression...especially the ones that come running up.

In the mean time...wear tall rubber boots if you have concerns. That will at least protect your lower legs should he show aggression.

 

[lazy gardener]

I agree that roos always need to be watched. My avatar boy and I have an understanding. He knows his name. He especially knows the word no. And he knows what that word means, especially when he's chasing down a pullet/hen to breed her AGAIN when all she wants to do is be left alone. If he comes in the coop with me, and I don't want him there, I say OUT! and out he goes. My general policy is to not get friendly with roos, keep them ALWAYS at arms length, and only handle them on an as needed basis. But, I will occasionally offer him a morsel. (never in such a way that the fingers can also become morsels!) He almost ALWAYS calls his girls and gives that morsel to them. If a roo ever drops a wing, and steps sideways, gives you the stink eye, or starts tidbitting in your general direction, that is a direct challenge. Also consider it a challenge if he continues to follow you instead of just coming around to see what you are doing. You can usually tell the difference. If I have visitors, I keep them with me, or put the roo behind a fence.

 

[kwhites634]

When I first got him at almost a year old, my rooster was tame to the point that he didn't mind being picked up, carried around, and taking dried corn from my hand; a real pleasure to be around. When he realized that the hens running with him were all his & he didn't need to compete for them, he became very protective of them & aggressive toward me. We had a few run-ins, & he was almost culled, until I caught him in mid-air and knocked him to the ground as he attacked me one day. That was the last trouble I had out of him. Today, several months later, he's a perfect gentleman around me, so far. I still keep a close eye on him...if he's attacked before he's subject to do it again.

 

[BantyChooks]

It depends on "how" he is following you. Is following you like he's excited he may be getting a treat and bumbling along behind you? Or is he following you in a stealthy way like he's trying to read your moves and his attention is focused totally on you?

You're questioning why he's following you. Does the following make you feel uneasy? If so, he's possibly measuring you up and you're instincts are reading his movements correctly. A rooster who's sizing you up will make you feel like the equivalent of someone's who's following you with the intent to rob you.

It's a funny comparison...but it's exactly the way I feel with one rooster I have right now. He's sneaky and is always watching for an opportunity to spike me. He is a cull rooster. I just haven't dealt with him yet...lol.

You mentioned you just got him. Do you know the background of how he was handled? Perhaps the previous owners gave him treats...or similar attention and he is just acting as he has with them.

I have many roosters who haven't got an aggressive bone in their body towards humans and they happily trot along with me. I have a couple who come running right up to me to get hugged. Their demeanor is very happy go lucky. I know this. But a person who wasn't familiar with them could take their actions as aggression...especially the ones that come running up.

In the mean time...wear tall rubber boots if you have concerns. That will at least protect your lower legs should he show aggression.

Agreed with the above. I have some roosters that follow me around that I trust as completely as one can trust an un-neutered male animal. They are all respectful, they give me my space when I ask for it, and they never make moves towards me in an aggressive way. I also have another rooster that is pretty much just waiting to turn bad. I do NOT let him follow me or get closer than 5' away to me. He's improved on his behaviour significantly, but I still trust him as far as I could throw a tank.