One Calls the Others in for the Night?

[Bako man]

Hmmm My chickens are divided into three flocks, two are led by a hen and one by a rooster. I am not sure if breed or gender has anything to do with it, I could suggest that a dominant bird like a mother or king of the hill sibling, remains king of the hill.

 

[igorsMistress]

I've seen varying behaviors in my flocks. The first established a pecking order as chicks. The top 2 hens were the decision makers and went to roost first, the others followed.

With roosters I've had different behaviors. One who would just follow the girls and was very chill and slept between his 2 favorites every night. The other was very controlling and kept all the girls corralled and guarded them and sort of beat them into submission it seemed. I much preferred the relaxed guy as did the girls.

While it may seem it's a good guardian now, I would monitor the behavior.

 

[Bako man]

I've seen varying behaviors in my flocks. The first established a pecking order as chicks. The top 2 hens were the decision makers and went to roost first, the others followed.

With roosters I've had different behaviors. One who would just follow the girls and was very chill and slept between his 2 favorites every night. The other was very controlling and kept all the girls corralled and guarded them and sort of beat them into submission it seemed. I much preferred the relaxed guy as did the girls.

While it may seem it's a good guardian now, I would monitor the behavior.

kinda like mine, not a standard behavior.

 

[Dracarys]

I guess the consensus is that hens can corral, but the aggression leans more towards rooster. I've been checking for other signs (pointy feathers, faster growing & red comb and wattles, larger legs). There's nothing to do but keep an eye on her/him to give me another sign of gender. It will be funny if that next sign is an egg. LOL

...
With roosters I've had different behaviors. One who would just follow the girls and was very chill and slept between his 2 favorites every night. The other was very controlling and kept all the girls corralled and guarded them and sort of beat them into submission it seemed. I much preferred the relaxed guy as did the girls.

While it may seem it's a good guardian now, I would monitor the behavior.

I think I have another rooster in the mix, but he/she is more of a snuggle bunny than anything, always looking to cuddle on my lap. His/her comb is larger and redder than the others of its breed (Dominique), wattle growing and already bright red, and the shanks are so much thicker than the others. I'm only set up for 1 rooster, so if they both turn out to be, I'll watch them carefully as they age to decide which one to keep.

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and experiences. I've read all the books and articles I can get my hands on for raising chicks, but nothing beats actual experience!

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

LOL I guess hens don't do this? I just didn't think the gender specific behavior would show up this early.

The behaviors can show up as chicks and I have witnessed myself with my chicks. It's not 100% because pullets can and will be top hen if there is no roo, but I still find the behavior not like a rooster's either.

 

[slordaz]

well that's not always true either OP, My rooster is awesome with the girls, the girls are the ones you should be scared of, unless theres a predator, even loose dogs have learned to stay away from my rooster as he will chase em all the way back to their home lol, but otherwise he is the mellowest of the flock. The hens just follow him when he goes in doesn't even have to call them. on the other hand before I got a rooster the Alpha hen would show the kinds of things you are seeing with your flock and sometimes try to knock some sense into the others if they weren't on time.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hello, all! I'm new to the world of keeping and raising chickens, having the responsibility of seven hens fall into my lap earlier this year. Now I'm raising thirty (as of today 6-week old) chicks.

One of my chicks corrals the others, and I'm not sure what to make of it. Every evening at sundown, (s)he will walk around outside the brooder in the temporary run with a very throaty chirp (very much like the "help me" chirp). If there are any stragglers, (s)he will stand in front of them or at the bottom of their perch and give an even louder throaty chirp until those stragglers go in for the night. Once the last chick is in the brooder, (s)he will quiet down and go in.

Does anyone know if this is this normal for a pullet? This sounds like rooster behavior, so is she actually a he? I know sexing chicks isn't 100%, so I'm always on the look-out for the male that slipped through.

probably rooster but lacking that a hen will also take the job often if rooster not present

 

[brendave]

My BO hen did this starting when she was about 2 weeks old. She would stand on the Mama Heating Pad in the brooder and call the other chicks in for the night. Once I transferred them out to the coop she continued to do this until all were in for the night. She was the head hen in my flock.

 

[Dracarys]

Update:

First I want to thank everyone for sharing your experiences!

Brendave, this seems to be the thing that was happening, except she was a little more aggressive about calling everyone in.

Half the chicks I raised were for a place I volunteer at. After they were divided and the allotted bunch were taken to their true home (including all of the Brahmas), one of my (actually mine) Wyandottes started to do this. I don't know if the Brahma still does it in their new home, though, because I'm not there at night.

I do miss them.