Cockerel alert call when hens laying

[Ith]

My 10 month old Brahma cockerel does his alert call whenever a Brahma hen goes to lay in any nest box. That is, he will stand about half a metre away, face the hen / nest box after she's gone in, then shout at her.

He was hatched (incubator) alongside these x3 girls, but does not behave like this towards the older Lohmann hybrid hens (x4 bought at point of lay, 6 months before the hatched group). They all share the same space - coop/enclosure and free range of a large garden during the day.

It's quite disruptive to them laying i.e., they will often come out of the nest box because we've come out (during particularly distressed calls) to see what's the drama. Also, he will do it for the duration of the act of laying (and the sitting around bit that can happen afterwards). This can be for quite some time, so it's alarming to hear it go on and on.

There's no direct threat, so it's noisy squawking that isn't understandable to me. I'm keen to see what may be done as I'm conscious this can be annoying to neighbours.

Open to thoughts on the motivation behind this and if there's a sensible way to have this stop!

 

[azygous]

Can you get a sound recording of his call? From your description, it appears it's more likely he's doing the "egg song" cheer-leading call. The predator alert is a very subtle five-note phrase that is more like when we quietly inform another human that danger is lurking and don't look now, just let's move away from it. Another rooster alert vocal is even more quiet and barely audible, usually only picked up on by the hens who are conditioned to be prepared to respond to it by zipping to safety immediately.

Egg laying activity invites some of the noisiest behavior of both sexes and even hens who are no longer laying may join in. It's all a sign of a busy egg factory.