Odd Rooster Behavior

[Abronsyth]

We've gone through a lot of roosters, either because they attacked our ducks or because they attacked us. Finally we ended up with two roosters who have been pretty good so far, our two Old English Game bantam roosters. Tot, my black tailed buff, is the dominant rooster and takes care of the bantam hens and has been very sweet to our new girls. Piplup, my sister's blue boy, takes care of our big hens.

Lately all of our hens have gotten back to laying (they were out of it during the winter and spring), and despite having ample nest boxes they never are satisfied (usually wanting to be where everyone else is). Today I was out taking care of rabbits when I noticed something very odd. First there was Tot, in the coop with the girls, digging out nests. Two hens weren't in boxes, so he was scraping out nests, and would make the; "Food here!" noise but gestured to the nest, which the girls happily sat down in to lay. He didn't leave the coop until all unsettled hens were settled to lay. Then I went into our rabbit's barn where I heard a weird chicken noise. After moving several toppled buckets and bags, I found Piplup snuggled down onto a place where a bit of bedding have been collected. Concerned, I scooped him up to check for injury, found he was fine, and let him go. On my way back up I looked up to see Nora, my australorp cross, making very distressed noises as she apparently couldn't find a good place to lay (despite the empty nest boxes in the coop). Piplup ran over to her, briefly preened and "cooed" at her, then ran to the rabbit barn. She followed on his heels, then settled down into the space he'd been in earlier, after he showed it to her. Then, while she settled down, he took up post guarding her outside the barn.

They actually do things like this quite often- finding nests for our hens and guarding them while they lay. Then when the hens all do their; "I layed an egg!" call, the roosters join them in it. Only our two bantam roos have ever done this, and I can't figure it out very well. Are they just trying to make their girls happy?

Does any one else's rooster(s) do this?

 

[sourland]

That 'weird chicken noise' that you heard Piplup making is the very common 'here's a good nest site' sound that almost all roosters will make. Very common rooster behavior in my experience.

 

[Abronsyth]

I understand noises pretty well (they're very similar to the "treat here!" noises), it's the nest-making behavior itself that perplexes me.

 

[sourland]

Almost every rooster that I have had over the past 65 + years has helped his hens pick out nest sites.

 

[islandgirl82]

Interesting! I rehomed a roo whom I hadn't had long because a) he kept running the girls I hand-raised away from me, despite my efforts to get him to warm up to me and all their efforts to continue to be with people. He was actually chasing them out into the road. WAY too much of a liability and b) he had my girls so stressed out they stopped laying. Or so I thought. Now I'm thinking that he was just making them lay somewhere I'd never find! Jerk. They were MUCH more relaxed when he was rehomed and immediately went back to laying in their nesting box. I ended up hatching out the first egg I'd gotten in over a month and it has turned out to be a cockerel. Hand-raised and very friendly. He rushes to greet me and see what goodies I have to offer and he follows me all wherever I go. I'm hoping for a much better outcome so he can remain here for good.

So, glad I stumbled on this thread, so thank you both!!