Rooster Behavior...Keeping Watch?

[KimPahl]

Hi. This might seem like a stupid question, we've only had a rooster for a few weeks, but everytime I look down at them our three hens are foraging around like usual and the rooster is just kind of standing off to the side or behind them just kind of looking around. I don't see him foraging very much and I was just wondering if that's normal behavior for a rooster. He follows them around just always seems like he's on high alert & I know that is part of his job.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That is one of his main jobs, keep watch while they have their heads down, sounding the alarm if he sees anything, and many will run out to confront the predator and often lose their lives, but occasionally they will manage to fight one off, also he will find food and offer it to the hens and you will see him rounding them up at dusk and not going in until all the hens are in. A good rooster is a valuable asset to a flock. A poor rooster who does none of these behaviors and only mates is a poor rooster that I often will get rid of.

 

[KimPahl]

Good to know although he's the first one in the coop in the evening. My Leghorn who was the top chick before our rooster came, goes in with him and my two Red Sex Links stay outside until the last possible second.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

When he gets more comfortable he might start doing it, I have seen my roosters come running out of the shed to chase a hen around until she goes in, they can get pretty serious about their jobs.

 

[RodNTN]

Yes, my rooster does this sometimes. He scratches around and lets them have the food. He is a good watch guard. I don't know if he could protect them though, he's soo tiny! He lets the girls know if there is any predator around 24/7. My rooster waits around with the hens that haven't gone in the coop every evening. Unless its cold, he's always the first in!

 

[KimPahl]

Ok cool. He did the most hilarious thing yesterday. I had a bunch of hay that I had raked up into a pile to let them kind of forage through and he dug a hole down into the hay really deep, hid himself in there and was kind of making all these weird loud calls and scared the crap out of the hens...they ran into the coop! It was hilarious. I'm wondering if there's something under the hay that he was trying to show them but instead he scared them. LOL

 

[RodNTN]

My rooster does that too, i think he's trying to show them that its a good place to lay their eggs (if i'm not mistaken!) He goes into the corner in of my coop and makes that noise

 

[KimPahl]

Haha, funny!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My younger roosters will go in the nestboxes trying to show the hens where to lay, one scared the heck out of me, I didn't recognize the hen for a second when I was checking for eggs, than I realised it was a goofy rooster.

 

[KimPahl]

Haha, funny!