I just saw my rooster lie to a hen!

[MamaRoo]

I've been free-ranging the girls (and boy) during the day, and locking them in to the secure pen in the evening so they can put themselves to bed whenever they want.

Today, everyone came running in, Seuss, the roo, does a head count, realizes he's missing one, and stands outside the pen for a minute, waiting. I'm getting ready to go looking for her when Seuss starts tapping the ground and making the 'I found a treat!' noise. When the miscreant runs up for her treat, Seuss pecks her in the side and shoos her inside the pen! I swear he lied just to get her to come running.

 

[KrisH]

too funny

RobertH

 

[OnceAroundTheBlock]

I say "Seuss" is one smarty roo roo!

 

[sourland]

Very frequently I have seen roosters use the same gambit to draw hens close enough so that they can be mated. Sly devils.

 

[RedDrgn]

LOL!!!

Our roo never tried that tactic, but we've got two miscreants in our flock that tend to "go their own way" and are often late to roost in the evenings. When our roo decides it's bed time, he'll just cluck to them and start back towards the run. When they get there, he'll take a look to see who came along. Usually one of the two will be lingering back wherever they were foraging and he'll pace around at the door to the run clucking to himself for a moment (counting?

) while the rest go in the coop. If the missing hen doesn't head over, he'll start doing the warning "BOK BOK BOK BAGOK!!!" Whoever's missing comes running EVERY time.