odd rooster behavior

[landwehr77]

I have 1 rooster that has paired up with 1 hen " mind you I have 30 some birds in the flock", and he tries to get her to go into the nest spot HE pickes out and I found him in a box today clucking and signing to her. Do some chicken types pair up and rear together like Gunnie Foul?

 

[centrarchid]

Chickens do not habitually form pair bonds like gunnie fowl but some roosters (sometimes a function of breed) will invest more in care when only one hen involved. Even with more than one hen in a free-range setting, a rooster will sometimes indicate his choices of potential nesting sites, especially with a hen that has yet to pick a nest site. The hen does not always pick same site.

As for rearing together, my games when only a single hen and rooster present, will do so with varying degrees of rooster involvment. Sometimes only helps with predator detection and finding food. Other males will help defend chicks and occassionaly take over caring for brood if hen starts another brood.