Rooster Behavior

[Urchin]

Three questions about my roosters. I have one bantam cochin roo and five silkies.

First one . . . . I was in the coop collecting eggs and fixing a few nest boxes when my buff silkie rooster Lou wandered in and sat down. He kind of scratched around a bit like he was making a nest in the wood chips all while making some weird noises that I can best describe as the chicken version of a coo. Then he'd get up, look around a bit and find another spot on the floor and repeat the whole process. An Australorp looked at him with mild interest when she came in for a drink, but the broody silkies and black sex links coming in to lay ignored him. Eventually he gave up and left. What was that all about? I assume it was some kind of hen attracting behavior since that's all roosters seem to think about, but I can't think of any reason why he act like he's going around making nests. Chickens aren't a species where the male builds a nest. What's he up to?

Second one . . . . As I said, there's six roosters altogether with forty hens who are a mixed flock of bantam cochins, silkies and various production hens like sex links, Australorps and Rhode Island Reds. I'd like to rehome a few roosters, but I need to find people willing to take them first. The top three roosters seem to have some teamwork going on, or I'm seeing things. Tails, the cochin, is the head rooster, with silkies Jazz and Lou acting almost like his lieutenants. They will work as a team to keep the other three in line. I just watched White Flame, the lowest rooster in the pecking order, try to mate with Tux, one of Tails' bantam mates. Lou, Jazz and Tails all ganged up on him until he dropped off Tux, then Lou and Jazz kept at him while Tails followed Tux around in a protective sort of way for a while. Tails also turns a blind eye to Jazz and Lou mating as long as they stay away from his favorites, but he always chases the three lower roosters away. These three never fight amongst themselves, either, nor do they often rise to the challenges of the lower roosters. It's actually funny to see them look at a beta rooster for a moment with very bland body language before leaving, as if to say, "I don't have time for this garbage." Sometimes if one is challenged, the other two are right there, charging at the offender. It's interesting to say the least. Is the common for roosters to have teamwork like this?

Third one . . . . Lou makes a weird noise and he is the only chicken in the coop to do so. I don't even know if it's a noise that only roosters make or what. It sounds like a low, hoarse "Mrawww" kind of sound. It sounds like more of a noise I'd hear on summer nights when all the frogs are out calling for mates. What the heck does this noise mean? He does it all the time around the other chickens and nobody seems to take notice. Yesterday, the chickens were all out foraging and he was following my daughter around. He looked at her, made the noise and went back to foraging, so it doesn't seem like it's some kind of warning noise. I'm just wondering what it means.

 

[brahmabantam]

to the first question i would guess maybe just maybe that he was taking a dust bath and trying to coax one of the hens over
probably not though.
to the second i have three roos push him and when tries to mate both the others come running over and push him off
this i would say is normal
to the third my roos make weird noises when i toss stuff into or around the coop

well hoped that helped a little

 

[Urchin]

to the first question i would guess maybe just maybe that he was taking a dust bath and trying to coax one of the hens over
probably not though.
to the second i have three roos push him and when tries to mate both the others come running over and push him off
this i would say is normal
to the third my roos make weird noises when i toss stuff into or around the coop

well hoped that helped a little

I don't think it was a dust bath. He wasn't lying on his side flopping around like he was having a seizure as dustbathing chickens usually do. It was very deliberate act. He was very careful making those circles in the woodchips. It was very much like he was making a nest, even though I've never heard of a rooster doing that.

 

[centrarchid]

1) Rooster helps determine nest site location.

2) Teamwork as described usually among broodmates working against common foe. Collaborators usually unite against superior.

3) Contact call indicating all clear as seen by dominant observer.



Other behaviors.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/882368/what-to-look-for-in-a-broody-rooster/40#post_13512871

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[ChickensAreSweet]

Three questions about my roosters. I have one bantam cochin roo and five silkies.

First one . . . . I was in the coop collecting eggs and fixing a few nest boxes when my buff silkie rooster Lou wandered in and sat down. He kind of scratched around a bit like he was making a nest in the wood chips all while making some weird noises that I can best describe as the chicken version of a coo. Then he'd get up, look around a bit and find another spot on the floor and repeat the whole process. An Australorp looked at him with mild interest when she came in for a drink, but the broody silkies and black sex links coming in to lay ignored him. Eventually he gave up and left. What was that all about? I assume it was some kind of hen attracting behavior since that's all roosters seem to think about, but I can't think of any reason why he act like he's going around making nests. Chickens aren't a species where the male builds a nest. What's he up to?

Second one . . . . As I said, there's six roosters altogether with forty hens who are a mixed flock of bantam cochins, silkies and various production hens like sex links, Australorps and Rhode Island Reds. I'd like to rehome a few roosters, but I need to find people willing to take them first. The top three roosters seem to have some teamwork going on, or I'm seeing things. Tails, the cochin, is the head rooster, with silkies Jazz and Lou acting almost like his lieutenants. They will work as a team to keep the other three in line. I just watched White Flame, the lowest rooster in the pecking order, try to mate with Tux, one of Tails' bantam mates. Lou, Jazz and Tails all ganged up on him until he dropped off Tux, then Lou and Jazz kept at him while Tails followed Tux around in a protective sort of way for a while. Tails also turns a blind eye to Jazz and Lou mating as long as they stay away from his favorites, but he always chases the three lower roosters away. These three never fight amongst themselves, either, nor do they often rise to the challenges of the lower roosters. It's actually funny to see them look at a beta rooster for a moment with very bland body language before leaving, as if to say, "I don't have time for this garbage." Sometimes if one is challenged, the other two are right there, charging at the offender. It's interesting to say the least. Is the common for roosters to have teamwork like this?

Third one . . . . Lou makes a weird noise and he is the only chicken in the coop to do so. I don't even know if it's a noise that only roosters make or what. It sounds like a low, hoarse "Mrawww" kind of sound. It sounds like more of a noise I'd hear on summer nights when all the frogs are out calling for mates. What the heck does this noise mean? He does it all the time around the other chickens and nobody seems to take notice. Yesterday, the chickens were all out foraging and he was following my daughter around. He looked at her, made the noise and went back to foraging, so it doesn't seem like it's some kind of warning noise. I'm just wondering what it means.

First one- He was trying to tell the hens where to make a nest. It is very cute.
Second one- Yes my DH called it "Team Silkie!" when we had several silkie roosters who teamed up against threats. Then when we had several Buff Minorca cockerels they worked in an organized way to keep the pen safe. They were guarding different sections of the pen and notifying each other of things. Then we had three Orpington cocks who were totally in charge of the pen. They were in constant eye contact with each other and talked to each other from different areas of the pen, commenting on flying bald eagles and hawks overhead, songbirds flying over, etc.
Third one- I am not sure.