My sumatra rooster has been "teaching" his new girls the ropes (19 weeks old, brahma, australorp and orpington) while his hen is brooding their 14 babies. Today I gave them a big row of nesting boxes. He jumped in and started making a nest in the hay and making laying sounds. The young hens just looked at him like he was crazy. (I guess I did too.) Is it normal for a rooster to act so motherly to young ones? He's been the mister mom since they were 8 wks old.
I've heard of roos bringing hens food and stuff and even being protective but never very motherly but I'm still a newby to raising chicks
Yes, when they're out in the yard or woods, he'll find a bug and point at it and make noise until one of his girls comes running and eats it. Just the way my momma hen is with her chicks. He makes the exact same sounds to his girls. (other than his crowing.) One of the 19 wk olds turned out to be a rooster and he even takes care of him. They roost together at night and lay in the sun side by side. He does make sure the girls eat before the roo. That's just good manners!