Rooster hanging out in nesting box?

[MissHenrietta]

I have a 6 month-old Leghorn Rooster that has been hanging out on and off in one of my girls’ favorite nesting boxes. This morning I walked out and he was sitting on 2 eggs. Can roosters be broody? Is this a thing? lol None of my hens are broody at all. Is there something else I should be concerned about? He seems very healthy. Another time, one of my hens climbed into the box and he got right in there with her. I’m still pretty new to this whole chicken owner thing, so maybe this is normal behavior, but it just seems odd to me

 

[Trish1974]

I have a 6 month-old Leghorn Rooster that has been hanging out on and off in one of my girls’ favorite nesting boxes. This morning I walked out and he was sitting on 2 eggs. Can roosters be broody? Is this a thing? lol None of my hens are broody at all. Is there something else I should be concerned about? He seems very healthy. Another time, one of my hens climbed into the box and he got right in there with her. I’m still pretty new to this whole chicken owner thing, so maybe this is normal behavior, but it just seems odd to me

Does he make any sounds while he's doing this? My cockbird will do that (in front of the hens), making soft purring sounds and arranging the straw as if he is showing them where to lay. (Little does he know they were laying there before he was even born ). I find this to "gentleman-ly" behavior.

 

[sourland]

Roosters will select a nest box and call the hens to it while scratching and forming a nest as @Trish1974 has suggested.

 

[EggWalrus]

I just lost a Leghorn rooster that liked to help the broodys by sitting on the eggs when the broody would get up to do her daily business. Here's a pic of him keeping some eggs warm for his lady.

She seems to be saying "Whuuut?"

 

[Shadrach]

I think the most likely explanation is he is trying to encourage the hens to sit.

 

[CannedMonster]

My Naked Neck cockerel, Angus, has exhibited this behavior.
He’s become better at it over the few months that he’s been doing it.
At first he would choose extremely unsuitable locations...such as the blade cover of the riding lawn mower
I don’t think Emily and Red are impressed.

I

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Roosters will find "good places to lay an egg" and the sit there, scratch, make little clucking noises, to draw the hens over.

 

[MissHenrietta]

I’ve noticed that he only chooses the one nesting box to do this in, which interestingly is the nesting box where I get the most eggs. I have 8 nesting boxes with 13 hens and they only use about 3 of them...but the one I’ve been seeing him in definitely gets used most! How cool =)

 

[Fishkeeper]

No, roosters can't go broody. Possibly he just thinks the box is a comfortable place to sit, or he's trying to take care of his girls.

 

[azygous]

Yes, some roosters, depending on breed, can decide to incubate eggs along with a hen as well as assist in brooding them. @centrarchid had a rooster do this and documented it. (I can't find this thread, though)

This charming rooster behavior - wanting to participate in nesting with the hens - is normal behavior and pretty common. I'd go so far as to claim it's probably as common as tid-bitting to attract the girls.