Crazy Rooster

[linda2012]

I have this rooster on loan, I wanted to get some chicks. Anyways I've had him for a little over a week and today he went into the nesting boxes I have 3 and started scratching in each of them. One of them had an egg in there and he was scratching so violently that he broke the egg. Why is he doing that?

 

[chickmashnoon]

he may not have purposely broke the egg. He is probably trying to be nice and prep the nests for his ladies. I've seen roosters bed down in the nesting box just to show the ladies that he thinks it's a nice safe nest. He's probably trying to "fluff the pillows" and turn down the bed for her.

 

[linda2012]

Ha Ha Ha, that gave me a good chuckle. Well thanks for the info. I have been totally obsessed with this trying to get chicks dilemma. I don't want to do the incubation thing, I just want my hens to be good moms. I can't sleep without wondering if this is going to work...the loaner I mean.

 

[NovaAman]

My roosters will make the nests every time I clean the nest boxes. They go in, scratch around, and half the time, one of the hens is there waiting for him to finish. He'll be huuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrr-ing the whole time. SO funny.

 

[chickmashnoon]

Oh, I'm sure he will be happy to make some fertile eggs, but cross your fingers and hope that one of your hens goes broody. What breeds do you have? Many production breeds have had the "need" to mother bred out of them. It interferes with the egg laying so is often considered an undesirable trait. Other breeds make very good mothers and go "broody" often. I hope yours end up being good moms.

Good luck!

 

[linda2012]

I have a Rhode Island Red and 2 Silkies. The Silkies are in a separate coop. Red is the one I'm trying to get fertilized. She has laid 6 eggs so far but hasn't started to sit on them. My grey silky is always ready to go broody. So I've put 5 of the eggs in her nest today. And she has happily taken them in, with the ones that she has laid. I lost one due to the rooster going nuts in the nest. I've read that some chickens like my Red have been bread just to be layers and sadly I think she is one of those. Oh well if this doesn't work out, then I'll just have to get me some chicks from somewhere of course older so they won't need a heat lamp.

 

[BuffOrpington88]

My rooster always liked to find nests for my hens and show them that they should lay an egg there. he probably didn't mean to break the egg.

 

[Lollipop]

Don't get greedy and put too many eggs under your Silkie. Make sure she can cover them easily or they will get rotated out in the cold as she turns them daily, making for a poor hatch. good luck........Pop

 

[ButchGood]

Thats a good point. Made me think of a little banty hen I had when I was a kid. This little hen was sitting on a pile of eggs. I cant even guess the number of eggs she was on. My Dad just piled them up under her. She had 15 chicks following her around when she was done. Coolest thing I ever saw in my chicken world. But there was a bucket full of eggs that just got wasted.

Don't get greedy and put too many eggs under your Silkie. Make sure she can cover them easily or they will get rotated out in the cold as she turns them daily, making for a poor hatch. good luck........Pop

 

[chickmashnoon]

Silkies are known to be really good mommies, I think you will be fine