Odd Rooster Behavior

[merrymutts]

Two of my rooster hAve decided to try and take over the hen's nesting boxes to the point where the girls can't get in to lay their eggs.

Why would they start doing this and how can I correct this ?

 

[nuthatched]

Are they showing the girls where to lay? how many boxes do you have?

 

[aart]

Get rid of the unruly boys.

How old are these birds?

 

[Callender Girl]

Don't know the why or the solution, but I have a Cochin Bantam rooster who likes to sit in one of the nest boxes, too. When I posted about it, someone suggested he was trying to show the girls where to lay.

I think it would be more helpful to his ladies if he would just get out of their way!

 

[Red Horse]

Are they making any noise in there, like soft clucking sounds? My roosters do this after I collect eggs, like they're telling the girls to come in and lay more. The girls don't of course, they just go in and check them out to see if they have treats and then leave again. They also do this and make nests in the corners of the coop where I can't reach so I can't steal the eggs. The girls know better though, or maybe they like their privacy in the nest box.

 

[Callender Girl]

So often, it's all about the treats, huh?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Two of my rooster hAve decided to try and take over the hen's nesting boxes to the point where the girls can't get in to lay their eggs.

Why would they start doing this and how can I correct this ?

How old are they? If they are juveniles in puberty it is very possible they are being terrorized by a more dominant male or by mature hens to the point that they are
hiding to try to stay alive. To me this is the most logical explanation, especially since there are two of them. They are obviously not brutalizing the hens or other chickens. If they are juveniles they will eventually mature enough to get out of this phase but who knows what the next phase may be. Even if they are not juveniles I think it is likely they are being bullied.

So what do you do? What are goals to keep those two? Why do you want them? Your goals should drive that decision.

I don't know your details, flock make-up or what your facilities look like so I can't make specific suggestions, just some generic comments. You can get rid of them: eat them. sell them, or give them away. You can house them separately from your flock, either forever or until they mature and see what happens. You can let it go and see what happens. I don't understand why they are keeping the hens out of all the nests, but I don't know what your nests look like. Can you add more nests?