You don't send me flowers- UPDATE post 7

augustwest

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New to roosters. I have an Ancona that is 5.5 months old. He's VERY randy. He's struting around our yard like he owns it and is crowing madly at all times. He's clearly immature and has hormones raging- he doesn't seem to know what to do with himself.

He's trying to "get busy" with the ladies, but they aren't impressed with his methods. I only have one hen old enough to lay and she's dominant. She won't let him near her (she squats for me) and she beats the tar out of him when he gets rough with the other 2 pullets. She's almost acting as the roo- gathering the flock up for bedtime and drawing them to treats.

Roo is a spaz- challenging the dogs, cats, brooms and even a little bucket that appeared in the yard yesterday. He does seem to back down immed if challenged. Even the cats just ignore him now. His mating method is to ambush, bite the heck out of back of the neck and hop on. If he does get up there, he clearly doesn't know what to do. After a failed attempt, he chases and chases- scattering pullets and hen everywhere.

He's really ridiculous.

I'm reading stories of roos that do a nice dance for their ladies or even bring them treats. Mine will try and chase the ladies away from any good scraps. He always keeps an eye out for the dominant hen, though, as she always wins. I see a brain in there someplace.

My question is: is there hope for him to be one of those gentle roos that woos the ladies with treats and wing dances? Is this teenage behavior indicitive of what we will see in him in a few months? Or is there no way to tell?

More curious than anything. Thanks!
 
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Lester was a wooer from the start. A bit clumsy at first, but he finally got better.
Cinnimon is a grab n pouncer, he is just starting his randiness and has a lot of polishing up to do on his technique with his girls.

Hard to say, but as they get older and more practiced they should hopefully grow out of the rough stage.
 
I agree, they do get more graceful with age. If he is going after people you will want to stop the behavior be for it gets out of hand. pick him up and carry him around or pin him to the ground as the hens go in the coop at night. you want him to know you are top dog and he may not attack any human. I have a EE roo that has always been a gentleman, feeds his girls and does a little dance is a great protector from danger. calls them to hide if hawk is near and warns if cat is near by. I have a Lakenvelder that is not so cool. I think I have broke him of going after people but if he falls back to that behavior he will have to go. Lots of good roosters around no need to keep a mean one
 
So far, he's not shown any aggression towards humans. Even the kids. We do t let him mount the hens in front of us either.

We'll hold out hope. Too many nice roos around to keep a bad boy!
 
This is very interesting reading. Since I am new to chickens, mine are a couple months old now and still look like ladies.

My Silver Cuckoo Maran however, is larger than the others and the tail feathers are starting to arc up and over, but not sure if she's still Liza, or if I have to change the name to Larry yet.
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I am learning as I go and this forum has been a godsend!

I do have to laugh about the descriptions of rooster behavior. The inept ways of roos remind of my younger years ...
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Beth
 
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Welcome to Teen Rooster Hell
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My guy is 8mos now & thinks he is All That.
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The hens do not agree.

My Top Hen will peck & chase his butt if he gets too annoying.

He does point out treats, but then he's as likely to eat them as wait for the girls to come over & see what he's talking about.

He has his abbreviated version of the Wing Dance, largely ignored by his chosen hen.

And his Alarm screech is truly pitiful & also not listened to by anyone besides himself.

Like your boy, he will hop on & grab a beakful of headfeathers, but his aim is less than true so no actual mating has occured as far as I can see...

He made a half-a##ed attack on one of my friends - jumping at her as she fed scratch to the flock.
That got him chased into the coop (by me) picked up & paraded in front of EVERYONE.

He is a handsome sonofagun & as long as his behavior is acceptable he can stay.
 
Well, I spoke too soon. Our little "goof ball" roo went after both kids this weekend. My 5 year old was terrified and I saw him try and spur her. If he had spurs yet, it would have hurt. He didn't leave any marks. She's been armed with a little pink shovel ever since and roo won't go near her. He started by following her and then, BAM! Went in for the attack. We've had her move him around to show him who is boss.

My older daughter is a bit of a dreamer and had no idea that the roo was stalking her or that he meant to attack her when he flew at her feet later in the day. She's also reported this subltle following/stalking behavior described above. She's got a method of putting her hand up and telling him to back off that, for now, sends him running and crying. It's the sneak attacks I worry about.

Darn roo seemed to be trying to intimidate me last night as I was cooping them up! But, this could have been my paranoid mind- he could have been coming for treats that I normally throw that time of night.

I've read some of the rehab tips and my biggest issue is that I can't catch this guy to pick him up. He's Ancona and a bit flighty. I picked him because I thought that if he was a bit more aloof and paranoid (someone told me that Anconas were like that) he'd be less likely to challenge us.

We're not ready to put him in a pot yet. But, we've all agreed that we will NOT have a flogging rooster. We are willing to put effort into stopping this behavior and are willing to concede that this is all hormone induced. This little crapper is only 5.5 months old! He's getting huge already and over the past few days will NOT shut up. Crowing all day non-stop. The neighbors must loooooooove me. Luckily we were all out doing yard work this weekend and we had a chat about Mr. Roo and his "trial basis". Neighbors seems appeased for now.

I want a roo! Not for the eggs, but for the support that a good roo offers to a free range flock like mine.

Just looking for support. If you think that I am crazy for even considering keeping him around for a day longer, let me know. I can take it. My husband said that he might still be tender at this age. Yummy! If we do get rid of him, we've got a group of 6 pullets in the garage brooder- I'd wait for them to confirm their gender before we ran out and got another roo.
 
I would tell you if he is that bad now, just be done with him. Going after kids and stalk/attack is not acceptable here.

I've known a lot of not so nice roosters and now a few nice ones, your guy isn't even fully mature yet and has no real weapons...yet. I'd just cull him because I wouldn't want that attitude in my babies either.
 
Bad bad boy. He was all hyped up when we drove in the driveway this afternoon. The kids wanted to play outside for a while, so I stood out there and watched him for 20 minutes. He was totally fine- concentrating on moving his hens around crowing. I went inside and within 2 minutes, my 5 year old was screaming bloody murder. I flew out there and caught that roo chasing her across the lawn- jumping and flying at her feet.

He's on craigslist as free- I disclosed the aggression issue. I'm not ready to cull a mean chicken. But I think that's what should happen.
 

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