Rooster noises: is my roo feeling comfortable or sad? + Strange behaviors

[SamLockwood]

Three strange behaviors:
- Ébano tried to attack me for the first time today when I held Auri. He never did it for the girls. It didn't make sense for me.

Chickens in general, and roosters in particular don't really understand things like petting: physical contact is related to either mating or fighting in their brains. You've got to remember their brains are very rudimentary and most of their behavior is hard-wired.

The sound in the video is likely pleasure, because you're grooming him, which is something hens do when they flirt with their favorite rooster. They're not mammals so you can't interpret the sounds they make like you would a mammal.

For instance: this sounds like distress, but it's actually my copper maran rooster telling the ladies that he's found a cool nesting site they should try out.

This also may be why the other rooster was aggressive with you: he interpreted what you were doing was attacking or trying to mate with the other rooster. Or he may just be an aggressive idiot.


- Auri makes me the wing dance and does it for Ébano too. Why so? I just think everybody here is a bit strange.

There's a variety of reasons for that dance, depending on exactly how he does it. It can be flirting, it can be herding (especially if he sweeps a foot or tries to nudge the recipient in a particular direction), or it can be simply acknowledging you as a member of the flock.

The best way to learn exactly what it means is watch how they act with the other chickens, especially when they don't know you're watching. If he's trying to court you or push you around, it's not a behavior you want to encourage.


- Sol pecks Titania's (my brahma) head WHEN Auri is mating Titania! Is Sol jealous???

He's trying to get Titania to jump so as to disrupt Auri's mating. The reason could be something like jealousy, or he's trying to challenge Auri for pecking order status, or it's the simple chicken behavior of "that other chicken has something, so now I want it too!"

 

[blackmulberry]

Chickens in general, and roosters in particular don't really understand things like petting: physical contact is related to either mating or fighting in their brains. You've got to remember their brains are very rudimentary and most of their behavior is hard-wired.

The sound in the video is likely pleasure, because you're grooming him, which is something hens do when they flirt with their favorite rooster. They're not mammals so you can't interpret the sounds they make like you would a mammal.

For instance: this sounds like distress, but it's actually my copper maran rooster telling the ladies that he's found a cool nesting site they should try out.

This also may be why the other rooster was aggressive with you: he interpreted what you were doing was attacking or trying to mate with the other rooster. Or he may just be an aggressive idiot.


- Auri makes me the wing dance and does it for Ébano too. Why so? I just think everybody here is a bit strange.

There's a variety of reasons for that dance, depending on exactly how he does it. It can be flirting, it can be herding (especially if he sweeps a foot or tries to nudge the recipient in a particular direction), or it can be simply acknowledging you as a member of the flock.

The best way to learn exactly what it means is watch how they act with the other chickens, especially when they don't know you're watching. If he's trying to court you or push you around, it's not a behavior you want to encourage.


- Sol pecks Titania's (my brahma) head WHEN Auri is mating Titania! Is Sol jealous???

He's trying to get Titania to jump so as to disrupt Auri's mating. The reason could be something like jealousy, or he's trying to challenge Auri for pecking order status, or it's the simple chicken behavior of "that other chicken has something, so now I want it too!"

Omg, thank you so much! Your answer is truly gold!!!!!

"This also may be why the other rooster was aggressive with you: he interpreted what you were doing was attacking or trying to mate with the other rooster. Or he may just be an aggressive idiot."
I agree with you! I thought he would be jealous of Auri himself, not ME. But it makes sense since whenever I take him and pet him he's very favorable towards me, like, I need to take him out of my lap myself...

He's trying to get Titania to jump so as to disrupt Auri's mating. The reason could be something like jealousy, or he's trying to challenge Auri for pecking order status, or it's the simple chicken behavior of "that other chicken has something, so now I want it too!"
Oh, but Sol is a hen herself! In fact, Sol, in portuguese, means SUN. She's beige/yellow hen. I thought it was female jealousy! She grew up with Auri and Ébano, the two roos. I brought Titânia after. Recently I don't see this behavior... maybe she accepted Titânia as Auri's second concubine...

'Till now, they're doing quite fine even if they're only 2 females/2 males. Auri is a VERY good alpha rooster. He and Ébano are wary when I approach the room they sleep (I still don't have a coop) but he doesn't fight me, nor he pecks anymore.

 

[FAVEROLLES LOVER]

Exactly. I'm not rehoming them! I'll build a coop in which I can separate the girls from the boys if necessary in the future (saving money for it right now). It's just a prevent measure.
Also, I know Auri would become food if I rehome him and it would hurt me a lot. And he's a good rooster even for Ébano, 'cause Ébano, even though he's a rooster too, eats directly from Auri's beak sometimes. He participates from the "look, look! I found food" for the girls. lol Of course the girls are top priority.

I was worried before because Auri was plucking a lot of Ébano's feathers. It's happening less and less. I think Ébano is learning now his place as a beta in the flock. The agressive behavior when I was carrrying Auri was exceptional. He's usually the sweeter here and my mother's favorite, too. He only fights the broomstick. He's very attached to me, maybe exactly because he's not the alpha...

My 5 month old Salmon Faverolles rooster pecked me hard on my arm once as I was putting food down. He protects his ladies and they were beside me as I put the bowels down. I stood up and raised my arms high and yelled NO! as loud as I could and he went running. Stand your ground. I get love pecks on my shoes and pant legs from the little ladies curious I guess. He never pecked me again after his life changing retreat. I let him know who was the better rooster and that is me.

 

[2 Acres]

Hello, Everybody!

I came here few times since I'm a first-time chicken mom. I have 4 chickens. Three of them (2 males 1 female) are 6 months old and the other one I'm not sure but I think she's less than 1 year old (got her recently).
I was very worried about re-homing my boss rooster (Auri) but I'm managing him somehow. It's a bit different from what people told me, like I really thought my rooster would hurt me badly but he's pecking less and less.

This is Auri (on the video), the boss, but he makes 2 sounds I can't understand at all and both are present in this video. First I'm not sure he's sad I'm hugging him or he's comfy. He does the same sound also when things doesn't happen like he seems to be expecting.

The second sounds like a grumpy-mumbling. He sounds annoyed and it's the sound he makes the most. As I analysed the contexts he does it, it seems he's alert, showing discontent or threatening. What do you think? Am I guessing wrong? This sound stops when I'm hugging him, giving him treats, when he's relaxing on my lap or legs. He did it today to chase Ébano away (my Cemani cockrel) so he could jump on my legs. I find his personality a bit goofy and clumsy... He, he's complains after receiving a hug and run away. lol

Good news!
- My lavender brahma's adaptation was a success. My cemani fell in love with her and it helped her adapting. After two weeks, Auri accepted her and started mating with her. Ébano was rejected (life is hard on him). She and my other female, Sol, are laying eggs everyday now. They lay it inside the same box.
Funny fact: my chickens love watching the laying egg moment. Like a spectacle. Is it normal?
- Ébano, my male cemani is loosing less and less feathers from Auri now. Maybe he accepted to be at the rock bottom of the order.......?
- Until now, none of the ladies got hurt from mating with Auri. I check them everyday.

Three strange behaviors:
- Ébano tried to attack me for the first time today when I held Auri. He never did it for the girls. It didn't make sense for me.
- Auri makes me the wing dance and does it for Ébano too. Why so? I just think everybody here is a bit strange.
- Sol pecks Titania's (my brahma) head WHEN Auri is mating Titania! Is Sol jealous???

Still, I'm making plans to separate the boys from the girls when time comes. Thank you or reading my newbie experience!

Sounds like Ebano is jealous of Auri, and wants your affections too.

 

[Mrs. K]

I keep my chickens very differently. However, you have stated a couple misconceptions about chickens that I just want you to be aware of:

• chickens raised together - really this has almost no influence on how they get along. Chickens raised together will attack and peck each other if there is not enough space.
• you seem to anticipate that how the roosters are acting now, will be how they continue to act. This forum is full of stories where the darling became the nightmare.
• When you are preening the rooster, you are taking a submissive roll. You are acting like his hen.
• two roosters to two hens generally does not work in the long run
• You don't have a coop? And you really need two, as there is a strong possibility that you will need to separate the roosters from each other, or from the pullets or both.
• Do you let them outside?

Mrs K

 

[2 Acres]

matter of fact he was preening my hair the other day

My hens do that if they don't get enough attention.