Rooster Behavior...Keeping Watch?

[Davz]

We have a rooster "Little Roo", blue game / buff orp mix, who has taken over watching the baby chicks. Mama decide to leave her nesting coop and rejoin the other flock under our other Roo "Gonzo". At this point "Little Roo" seems to be acting as adoptive dad and leads them around to forage and watches over them.

Is this common? Every time i try to look up this behavior i get 1000 articles on aggressive roos instead the info i am looking for

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We have a rooster "Little Roo", blue game / buff orp mix,  who has taken over watching the baby chicks. Mama decide to leave her nesting coop and rejoin the other flock under our other Roo "Gonzo". At this point "Little Roo" seems to be acting as adoptive dad and leads them around to forage and watches over them.


Is this common? Every time i try to look up this behavior i get 1000 articles on aggressive roos instead the info i am looking for

I have had roosters interact with and feed chicks, as well as sitting close by to keep watch. I've seen it in bantam roosters who seem to still have a lot of natural traits yet. So it's unusual for a hen to abandon her chicks and unusual for the rooster to totally take over care but I believe it's probably natural and was once more common in wild chickens.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I can not wait to have a good roo. For soooo long I thought keeping a rooster was a stress sentence for a flock, but thanks to the good folks on byc, I will have 1!

Great stories, btw!