Young Roo Behavior Question

[mattichooks]

Oh, Sage Veterans of the Chicken Yard, I am such a newbie and need help deciphering this. My newly discovered roo (yep, 2 weeks ago I thought he was a pullet) is about 4 1/2 months old and has his run adjacent to my babies' (2 months) run. I let him out to sort of free-range for a bit and he approached the babies' run with a lot of excitement, but I wouldn't say aggression. Later I saw him puffing up his chest feathers through the mesh and holding very still for the babies to peck and pull at them. When I put him back in his pen he seemed more agitated than usual and has been ever since, pacing and running his beak across the mesh. He is an only chicken in his pen and there are just 2 babies (one roo, one -- hopefully--pullet) in the other pen.
Do you think he means them harm? Is he agitated because he wants to "get at them" or because he wants to protect them? I'm nervous to let them meet face to face for fear my roo would hurt them. Please let me hear your thoughts on this. Thanks!

 

[Melabella]

waiting for answer... wonder too!

MB

Have a suprise 13 wk old roo too!

MB

 

[Den in Penn]

Are they your only chickens? If they are this is my thinking. At his age I don't think protection the first thing he is thinking of. More likely is that he wants to add them to his flock. When he puffs up he wants to show them he is the top of the order. By letting them peck and pull at his feathers he is allowing them to get to know him. Still he may peck them when they get together, to show he is the boss for real, but if they know each other through the wire it will more than likely just be a tap. I could be wrong and he'll lite out after them when they really can get interact. Give them a couple of days to sort things out through the wire. If you can leave the younger ones out and him in his pen/run, watch how they act towards him. If they stop being so excited. You can try leaving them free range supervised. If integrating them was you goal.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Are they your only chickens? If they are this is my thinking. At his age I don't think protection the first thing he is thinking of. More likely is that he wants to add them to his flock. When he puffs up he wants to show them he is the top of the order. By letting them peck and pull at his feathers he is allowing them to get to know him. Still he may peck them when they get together, to show he is the boss for real, but if they know each other through the wire it will more than likely just be a tap. I could be wrong and he'll lite out after them when they really can get interact. Give them a couple of days to sort things out through the wire. If you can leave the younger ones out and him in his pen/run, watch how they act towards him. If they stop being so excited. You can try leaving them free range supervised. If integrating them was you goal.

x2.

I had to put my 7 month old cockerel in the tractor for a couple of weeks at night so when the timer turned on the light in the coop he would not mount my healing hen( he tore her skin while mating). He would pace back and forth. He wanted the company. He is now doing the same since I put him back into the coop and moved my 6 week old chicks into the tractor. He wants them to be able to follow like the rest. I had to put a tarp on the side away from the coop so he doesn't pace it. The tractor is against the coop fencing so they can all see each other in evenings and mornings.