My Chickens Are Acting Wierd!!!

[honeydoll]

Ok, I have had a broody hen for about three months, so I finally made her happy and gave her some eggs to hatch. Anyway, lately my roo has been acting, well like a hen. Now I know he is a roo, he is 1 1/2yr. old and crows. But he makes this funny growl sound then goes over and sits on her eggs if she gets up for any reason????? My Buckeye mix chases off my broody sits on them for like a minute then leaves, the roo comes and sits on them, I am not kidding. Is it normal for a roo to sit on them? He growls at my husband and I when we get near like he is a hen. Is he jealous, confused or is this normal? My broody finally gets back on the eggs, but what is going on in my coop? My coop is the Twilight Zone and my chickens are getting really wierd. My roo has gotten very testy too. He has never been a sweetie, but now he chases us, but he is a great roo for my girls, very gentle on them and very protective. Oh dear, what have I done. Does my rooster have egg envy?!

 

[PoultryPedia]

I hear some roos have brooding instincts. Your roo must be one of 'em

Sounds like a great papa! Hopefully will be protective with the chicks, too.

 

[honeydoll]

I never knew that about roos. You should of seen the look on my DH's and my face when our roo sat on the eggs. We were like "huh"? So I have a broody roo. Crud, if a broody hen is nasty, I can only imagine what a broody roo is like. My kids will not go get the eggs in the coop for me, that is their chore, if he gets any meaner.

 

[PoultryPedia]

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[emys]

You should section off the nest area if you want those chicks to hatch.

The rooster is OK, he waits for her to get up and is being cute, but the hen who chases off the broody will probably kill the chicks either still in the eggs or after they hatch just by chilling, drying at the wrong time or she may try to peck them open once they start peeping if they get that far. She may also try to steal the hatched chicks and kill them while fighting over them. She needs to be kept away.

 

[Mervin]

I've read that capons were often used as brood mothers. I'm not sure about the hatching part, but I've heard of old timers using them as mothers once chicks had hatched. I think what I read said that the capons were just too big and clumsy to sit on eggs though.

 

[honeydoll]

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Yep, she crushed an egg yesterday. Nasty little hen, she is jealous I guess. Time to give my broody some safety I guess.