Pullets & rooster in the nest box?

[heybarb]

So, last night as the chickens are settling in to the coop for the night, I notice my bantam OEGB cockeral making a little "nest" in one of the egg boxes. He circled and circled, then settled down, using his beak to fluff up the pine shavings. He sat there for a quite a while and while he was in one box, another OEGB pullet started doing the same thing in another box. These are my babies and are about 12 weeks old. At one point, another OEGB pullet joined the cockeral in the nest box and the two of them sat there together. When I checked on them about an hour later, all 3 were on the roosts.

Are they getting ready to lay eggs already? What's the cockeral doing in the nest box?

 

[Zaxby's2]

I don't know but as long as their getting on the roost later it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[heybarb]

I checked for eggs this morning and there weren't any...maybe their just checking things out!!

 

[lvalley]

I think 12 weeks is too young to be laying, but my young pullets often go into the nest boxes for a look, especially when they see real or fake eggs in there. So long as they are not sleeping in there, it sounds like normal behaviour.

As for your cockerel, it sounds as though he is just practising at being a good rooster. My 9 month old rooster sometimes gets in the nest boxes and calls to his girls - especially those that are about to start laying or new hens. It's a "this is a good place to lay your eggs" call and completely normal.