Has anyone seen their rooster do this? My rooster, Roadrunner has "helped" each hen as she lays her very first egg. He seems to know when she's about to lay so he escorts her into the coop and shows her where to lay her egg. He makes this little cluck cluck clucking sound and squats on the ground in the coop. I have gone into the coop and showed him the fake eggs in the nest box so he will then show the hen to lay the egg inside the box. He pays very close attention as he recognizes the fake eggs and continues with his egg laying demonstration for the hen. At times, he even gets IN the nest box and does his little egg laying lesson. Sometimes, the hen will get in with him even.
This can go on for HOURS, with Roadrunner the rooster showing the hen where to lay her egg, cluck cluck clucking and squatting. The hen messes around, picking a nest box climbing in and out, trying out the other nest box, checking out the real estate options. Finally, she settles on a box. Roadrunner the rooster stands outside the nest box, cluck cluck clucking pretty much the entire time while she lays her egg. Once she's laid the egg, she hops out, does her egg laying song and then the rooster struts around like the proudest father on the planet.
This only happens with the very first egg each hen lays. After that, the rooster leaves her to her business. She goes into the coop by herself and lays her egg and comes out to announce the egg. Often, the rooster will hear her song and come racing over to the front of the coop to escort her back to wherever the rest of the flock is hanging out, which is also very nice. But never again does he get involved in the actual egg laying process.
I will also add that what this rooster does is VERY helpful to me. I free range (no run, no fence, secure coop at night) with loads of woods around the coop so it's pretty helpful that the rooster schools the hens to lay the eggs inside the coop and inside the nest boxes, no less. I'd hate to have to hunt all through the forest for eggs each day! So, having him behave like this is extremely helpful to me.
The rooster has done this 4 times, helping every hen as she lays her first egg. I have 2 hens left that have not yet laid but I suspect he'll do the same when their time comes. Have others seen this type of rooster behavior? Is this an exceptionally attentive rooster or do all roosters tend to do this?
Guppy
This can go on for HOURS, with Roadrunner the rooster showing the hen where to lay her egg, cluck cluck clucking and squatting. The hen messes around, picking a nest box climbing in and out, trying out the other nest box, checking out the real estate options. Finally, she settles on a box. Roadrunner the rooster stands outside the nest box, cluck cluck clucking pretty much the entire time while she lays her egg. Once she's laid the egg, she hops out, does her egg laying song and then the rooster struts around like the proudest father on the planet.
This only happens with the very first egg each hen lays. After that, the rooster leaves her to her business. She goes into the coop by herself and lays her egg and comes out to announce the egg. Often, the rooster will hear her song and come racing over to the front of the coop to escort her back to wherever the rest of the flock is hanging out, which is also very nice. But never again does he get involved in the actual egg laying process.
I will also add that what this rooster does is VERY helpful to me. I free range (no run, no fence, secure coop at night) with loads of woods around the coop so it's pretty helpful that the rooster schools the hens to lay the eggs inside the coop and inside the nest boxes, no less. I'd hate to have to hunt all through the forest for eggs each day! So, having him behave like this is extremely helpful to me.
The rooster has done this 4 times, helping every hen as she lays her first egg. I have 2 hens left that have not yet laid but I suspect he'll do the same when their time comes. Have others seen this type of rooster behavior? Is this an exceptionally attentive rooster or do all roosters tend to do this?
Guppy
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