What to Look for in a Broody Rooster

[centrarchid]

Images taken this morning that are a little more informative.

First shows a single chick under Slugger's right wing.

Second shows vigilant posture both sexes adopt when brooding chicks. Notice how wings are held.\

 

[centrarchid]

Check spread wings of adults for incoming feathers where replacement on both sides in a stepwise pattern; your birds should have started replacement process within the last month. Commercial high output egg producers have the more compressed molting pattern with delayed start.

 

[centrarchid]

 

[centrarchid]

Full on broodiness in display. Hen stopped clucking and now running chicks off at least intermittently. Chicks now oriented on rooster. When they produce distressed contact calls he is the one that responds. His calls are very close to clucking and he is holding his tail up like a hen that is escorting her brood. Hen is freed up to forage more broadly for larger and more evasive prey. Hen still tolerates a chick under her while on the roost. Remaining two chicks now under rooster and he spreads his wings to cover them as all sleep on elevated roost. Now at 4 eggs in nest.

 

[centrarchid]

The harem released at dawn as chicks already down and foraging under rose bus just outside of cage. Immediately the group began the fast walk picking up exposed night flying insects not net down in the grass. They are also getting grasshoppers not yet warmed enough to jump effectively.

We have two dog problems developing. Neighbors to south south east have a least 5 terriers that let out that are getting closer each day to south east boundary of where I keep chickens and a broody hen is incubating a clutch under the grape vines. If the little dogs are caught on our property, my dogs, females especially are likely to kill the trespasser. To north east across the road is a free-ranging pack of at least six dogs that an only be justified through use of pictures. Owner of those dogs is getting everyone riled, but his immediate neighbors not saying much to my knowledge even when appears to have abandoned chicken interest because of those dogs. I may not be so nice in coming days. Those my three dogs to four dogs can not handle. The chickens, including the harem are penned when I am not around. Rifle is kept close to door.

 

[centrarchid]

Here is a kicker. Just before roosting time we had a strong spate of wind from northeast. A lot of stuff got blown around. Rooster and brood currently roosting in high weeds just off porch. Mother of those chicks roosting in up in a bush about 20 feet away.

I can hear hen with seven chicks (picture below) about 2 days post-hatch a few feet away clucking gently to her bitties.

 

[dana0710]

I'm new to chickens, but thanks for sharing! This is really interesting.

I know a few people who need to follow your roosters example! ;-)

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Cool information. Thanks for all the detail. My only experience with a rooster ended a few months after he reached maturity (or at least sexual maturity) because he was such a brute to the hens, chasing them around, holding them down and hurting them in the attempt to mate. Do you think I had a bad rooster or should I just have kept him away from the girls until he was older? I'm considering trying a self-sustaining flock of dual-purpose birds rather than keeping a coop of egg-layers, purchasing new ones as necssary and then purchasing new meat birds every spring. Do you have any advice in how to select from several cockrels which one is going to be the best daddy?

 

[centrarchid]

Cool information.  Thanks for all the detail.  My only experience with a rooster ended a few months after he reached maturity (or at least sexual maturity) because he was such a brute to the hens, chasing them around, holding them down and hurting them in the attempt to mate.  Do you think I had a bad rooster or should I just have kept him away from the girls until he was older?  I'm considering trying a self-sustaining flock of dual-purpose birds rather than keeping a coop of egg-layers, purchasing new ones as necssary and then purchasing new meat birds every spring.  Do you have any advice in how to select from several cockrels which one is going to be the best daddy?

Rooster was likely not fully mature or "hens" were not themselves mature.

I generally select first on behavior keeping more than one. Then it comes down to behavior which is measured as to how females react around him. Females will accept what they see as a quality male. If a male is a man-fighter and you do not have time to correct, then cull.


If a re-boot required owing to current roosters not meeting needs then breed selection and breeder source should be considered. For me American Dominiques have minimal man-fighting tendencies.

 

[centrarchid]

Not a single crowing from him all night. He is still in nest box. Roosters in yard are crowing like crazy. This broody rooster still crows very frequently during day as in excellent health. Just moments ago he produced his first crow and is now doing it at about 30 second intervals, if that.


Yesterday evening father bird chased after our female dog that was playing within 50 feet of dog. His behavior was nothing like with man-fighting. He displayed like a broody hen with attitude. Dogs superior speed got her out of harms way. Dog still much faster. Rooster and hen effectiveness with flogging is all about surprise. If you know what is coming you can either deflect attacks or outrun them.

Also part of brood got lost in house about time they were going to roost. I think they went through house because all doors were left open,