Do roosters mark territory, or presence?

The last few days I've observed my roosters doing something different.

Inside the coop, they'll walk face first into a corner, do a forward leaning crouch pressing their breast to the ground, and (from what I've been able to see) stay still for a few seconds.

I just observed my Orpington rooster do this in the same spot my Barred Rock rooster had a few minutes previously.

Not seeing them do this all the time; just now and then.

The only way I’m aware of a rooster marking his territory is by crowing. If they have enough room they can really spread out they crow to help the other flocks from encroaching which avoids a lot of fighting.

Centrarchid is who I’d really like to see respond to this. This kind of question is right up his alley.

My rooster loves to stuff himself into corners and click away. He's "nesting" and trying to attract the attention of a hen to come lay her eggs there, even though some of the spots he chooses suit his obsessive needs more than the hers.

He will also climb into a nest box and do his clicking vocals, and many times the hens take no notice of him at all. And sometimes he will crowd into a nest box with two other hens, reveling in all the togetherness.

He's quite the domestic creature. Perhaps you have one of these, too.

azygous said:

My rooster loves to stuff himself into corners and click away. He's "nesting" and trying to attract the attention of a hen to come lay her eggs there, even though some of the spots he chooses suit his obsessive needs more than the hers. He will also climb into a nest box and do his clicking vocals, and many times the hens take no notice of him at all. And sometimes he will crowd into a nest box with two other hens, reveling in all the togetherness. He's quite the domestic creature. Perhaps you have one of these, too.

Click to expand...

That could make sense: encouraging the hens to nest.

azygous said:

My rooster loves to stuff himself into corners and click away. He's "nesting" and trying to attract the attention of a hen to come lay her eggs there, even though some of the spots he chooses suit his obsessive needs more than the hers. He will also climb into a nest box and do his clicking vocals, and many times the hens take no notice of him at all. And sometimes he will crowd into a nest box with two other hens, reveling in all the togetherness. He's quite the domestic creature. Perhaps you have one of these, too.

Click to expand...

Without details on the vocalizations to really nail it down, I would still assume what azygous indicates about. I have 30 adult roosters and everyone will do it if given the proper stimuli. The stimuli comes from a pullet / hen just coming into lay. I can walk such a female down a row of individually penned roosters and each will do as described as she passes. I think female produces a sound or has something different about her voice that indicates her status. Crowing is how mine mark presence.

I need to find a good discussion of red jungle fowl behavior. I'd assumed hens determine nest sites. This behavior suggests that at some point in their evolutionary past, roosters may have done this, possibly competed with others by identifying the best nest sites, and "winning over" hens.

Just a theory, of course.

I bet all species of jungle fowl do it.