Roos acting strange around first time laying hens...

[kasa]

We have a mixed flock, all are young roos included...2 black sex links just started laying...first one has given 8 eggs in 8 days, the other black started laying this morning....what we noticed was the 4 young roos acting strange when 2nd black started laying this morning...the main roo acted like he was helping her to find a nest...he would go in and out of all the nest boxes, and she would follow...when she picked her nest we had 4 young roo's acting like they were pulling guard duty outside the nesting box, then the main roo started crowing the egg song...it wasn't an alarm as all the rest of the flock were attentive but not upset...all 4 standing there watching her...this is our first flock...it was a little strange to watch them interact... if someone could shed light on this we would appreciate it...they were not threatening her in any way, just there supporting and guarding..after awhile they all kinda went on but would periodically check back...we haven't weeded out the roo's yet because they were all raised together and roo's and hens all about the same age. We also had some inter reactions from some of the younger hens, and then some that stayed completely away. When the first black laid her first egg last week when she finally came off the nest, the WHOLE flock (21) sounded an alarm, and as soon as she was on the ground everything was fine. Oh yes, I am proud of our girls!!

 

[sumi]

It's perfectly normal behaviour

My roosters join in the egg song when my hens lay and I often find them in the nest boxes, "showing" the hens where to lay.

 

[heybarb]

Thanks for this post!! It might explain why I found my young bantam rooster in the nesting box a few nights ago...no one is laying yet, but after he was there, a few of my bantam girls were checking out the nesting boxes too. At one point I had a pullet in one box and the rooster and a pullet in another. It was quite strange. I can't wait to hear the egg song at our house. Our flock is about 13 weeks old, which seems young for laying, but maybe they are just practicing.

 

[centrarchid]

Such behavoir appears to also enable rooster to have some influence over nest site selection which may benefit hen and chicks later. My roosters provide incubating hens with a survelance for predators and even will attempt to distract a predator approaching nest site. Hen will sit very quitely as rooster shows his colors and makes a ruckus in front of predator. If offspring become distressed by predator, then my roosters will sometimes even attack predator, sometimes even when rooster has very little chance of winning. Roosters are very effective against hawks during daytime but at night hen and brood on their own.

 

[kasa]

Thanks for all your replies, I say it everyday...if I had of known chickens could be this fun and interesting I would have had them all my life!! One thing I have learned with our flock is to trust MY instincts...if they are acting a little strange we just set back and observe, my instincts let me know if they are threatened. They really are neat birds!! I always thank my layers and they jump up on the roost after they lay waiting on that praise...we could write a small book already lol thanks again ya'll for being there!!