My roosters acting broody?!

[z3lda3]

Hi, I’ve got a mixed flock of about 22 chickens. With the exception of 5 chicks, they’re all a year old and my hens have laying for 7-8 months. There’s nothing new, no changes. For the past couple weeks whenever my girls go to lay, my secondary rooster- a humongous Wyandotte/Maran mix runs to an egg box puffs up and screeches just like a broody. It’s doesn’t seem to bother my girls, they look at him oddly but go on about laying business. He doesn’t bully my hens, he’s really good to them actually. Has anyone experienced this? Or know why he’s doing it?(He’s not being bullied, he’s healthy eating drinking, pecking around like normal. No wounds, or anything).

 

[DemeterAD9]

Roosters will show the girls where they think a good spot to lay is. That’s what it sounds like your boy is doing. Cute to watch, I love seeing my boys take care of their girls like that.

 

[z3lda3]

Roosters will show the girls where they think a good spot to lay is. That’s what it sounds like your boy is doing. Cute to watch, I love seeing my boys take care of their girls like that.

Ohhhh whew! I thought he was having an existential crisis lol. Now that you say it, it makes sense. He is really good to the girls. I had a broody last year, and when she’d leave the nest to use the bathroom or such, he’d babysit her eggs until she came back. Even when mama weaned the chicks, they would follow him around and he’d tid bit for them, and when they get scared they’d run under him. It’s funny because he wasn’t the daddy, my primary is. Sorry for the novel, my point is yes you’re probably 100% correct.

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

Roosters will show the girls where they think a good spot to lay is. That’s what it sounds like your boy is doing. Cute to watch, I love seeing my boys take care of their girls like that.

Oh my goodness, I did not know this!! LOLLLL

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

On the same topic, any ideas why my hen would...try to mate with others?

 

[z3lda3]

On the same topic, any ideas why my hen would...try to mate with others?

I read somewhere, if there isn’t a rooster in a flock, a hen will sometimes take on rooster traits. I saw a video of a hen crowing! So maybe your hen is just being the “rooster”? Or maybe she’s having an existential crisis lol

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

LOLL that's interesting! We have a rooster though, so I don't know why she would feel the need! She could've been a little...neurologically challenged because she died shortly after.

 

[z3lda3]

LOLL that's interesting! We have a rooster though, so I don't know why she would feel the need! She could've been a little...neurologically challenged because she died shortly after.

Oh my gosh! That’s a terrible story maybe she really wanted the other hens to remember her?? If I was a hen, that’s definitely something I’d remember

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

Lol!! me as well

 

[SamLockwood]

As others noted, he's showing the hens what he things is a good place to make a nest. My copper maran roo is very vocal sometimes when he does this: