Have just one question...

[lrayle]

Why is the rooster in the hens nest! He is 9 months old and I watched him today and he goes in their nest box and acts just like a hen that is getting ready to lay an egg. What is up with that. Yes we are sure he is a rooster.

 

[lazy gardener]

Does he climb in the nest and squirm around and do an excited cluck? I think it is his way of showing his girls what a wonderful nest spot he's found for them. Wouldn't it be fun to spend an hour or two seeing around inside his head to see what he's thinking?

 

[lrayle]

Yes he does and he is standing outside the box where the hen gets in it. I thought he was there to watch over all the girls. But I am glad that is what it is Thank you

 

[lazy gardener]

a lot of roosters get excited about the whole egg process. You should have seen my roo the day I mounted 2 new nest boxes on a perch in the lower level of their run. You'd think he'd built them himself. He was just beside himself with glee, jumping in and out of each box, rummaging around in the straw, and clucking up a storm. THEN, he discovered the yellow and blue plastic Easter eggs that I'd put in one of the boxes. He spent 5 minutes rolling them around and inspecting them before he found something more important to do.

 

[RonP]

Sounds like a good rooster doing what a good rooster does

 

[azygous]

This is the most endearing quality a rooster can have. It's a joy to watch.

All my roos have done the domestic ritual of encouraging a hen to pick a nest and lay an egg. But my very first rooster Stan, a SLW, would take it to the next level. He would hop in the nest with the hen, go on and on, chattering away, fluffing up the nest material, flinging wood shavings all over them both and all over the place, until the hen, tired of all the domesticity, would leave him to his activities, and move to another nest for peace and quiet.

 

[chicksurreal]

It's the sweetest thing ever! Our SS Hamburg roo did that for each of his girls before they laid their eggs for the first time. He would even go in and wait with them while they laid their first egg. He'd make the sweetest little clucking noise, it was like "It's okay, you're doing fine". So cute. I'll keep him forever for that alone.