Rooster behavior

[ElysianChick]

I have a group of ten chickens that consist of 1-year old hens and some 18-week olds. Two of our TSC straight runs turned out to be roosters. Chicken Jane (we named him before we knew he was a roo. Don't judge. LOL) has matured to the point of..errr....figuring out his "manly" duties. Oop hasn't gotten that far yet. In the spring, we got 9 more chicks They're 9 weeks old now and are old enough to venture out of their run into their own chicken yard. This is separated from the other chickens by hardware cloth. So my question is why is Oop so fascinated with the babies? He goes to "check" on them first thing in the morning and nearly had a chicken heart attack when they ventured into their yard this morning. Chicken Jane and my hens pay them very little attention. No way he's getting in with them, of course, but what the heck is Oop doing? Plotting to kill them? Trying to be their mother?? ???

 

[lcertuche]

I've heard of some roosters that are maternal when it comes to babies or maybe he's decided this will be his flock.

 

[ElysianChick]

That's a possibility since Chicken Jane thinks he has the other girls wrapped up. Unfortunately, one of them will have to go since there's a rooster in the new baby bunch.