It looks like you have less feed or just dust in your hand. I've noticed my roo does that when he wants more, he only does this when snacks are running low and I'm offering it to the girls. we are working on behavior, so I wear leather gloves when handfeeding him near the ladies until I can trust him again.
Let me say, they are quick learners. I slowly close my hand, and say "not nice" and take the treats away, if he tries to pull my fingers open, I stand up and if he bluffs me, he gets picked up. It's honestly a toddler tantrum. Four days in, less toddler tantrums and more of him standing back waiting for me to open my hand again.
We are also working on the word "safe," because right shoe with the rooster on it is chill, but the left shoe with a hen on it is scary. Some times when it's a new object or our roo decides he doesn't like it, I hold it up for him to peck. They don't have hands so pecking is there way of exploring the world around them. After a few days of him obsessively pecking it, he just kind of ignores it. Or he stops, thinks and walks away. Sucks we have to do this with every item. Like a new hen saddle. Or cleaning utensil. But it always takes him only a few days, even less if it's something I can leave or hang in the coop. It's all desensitizing him.
Little fyi, Mrs Nesbet knows the word safe, it means the thing flying over head is not a predator, no need for alarm. We are actively trying to change the meaning to " this thing is safe, no need for alarm."
Oh, you're right, I didn't notice there was less food. I did try again with more food and they're still the same tho 😅 it's like they feel someone will take the food away. I'll try closing my hand when they do this. These roosters are 4 months old so I'm guessing they'll be easier to train
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u/Accomplished_Owl_664 1d ago
It looks like you have less feed or just dust in your hand. I've noticed my roo does that when he wants more, he only does this when snacks are running low and I'm offering it to the girls. we are working on behavior, so I wear leather gloves when handfeeding him near the ladies until I can trust him again.
Let me say, they are quick learners. I slowly close my hand, and say "not nice" and take the treats away, if he tries to pull my fingers open, I stand up and if he bluffs me, he gets picked up. It's honestly a toddler tantrum. Four days in, less toddler tantrums and more of him standing back waiting for me to open my hand again.
We are also working on the word "safe," because right shoe with the rooster on it is chill, but the left shoe with a hen on it is scary. Some times when it's a new object or our roo decides he doesn't like it, I hold it up for him to peck. They don't have hands so pecking is there way of exploring the world around them. After a few days of him obsessively pecking it, he just kind of ignores it. Or he stops, thinks and walks away. Sucks we have to do this with every item. Like a new hen saddle. Or cleaning utensil. But it always takes him only a few days, even less if it's something I can leave or hang in the coop. It's all desensitizing him.
Little fyi, Mrs Nesbet knows the word safe, it means the thing flying over head is not a predator, no need for alarm. We are actively trying to change the meaning to " this thing is safe, no need for alarm."