Rooster sitting on eggs???

[chickenzooo]

My white leghorn rooster always sits in the nestbox after the hens lay eggs in it but I thought maybe he just liked relaxing in the next box.
Well, today I was watching the chickens and one of my broody hens got up to eat and he got in her nest and sat on her eggs. Then when she came back he moved so she could sit on them.
Anyone else have anything like this happen?
Do you think he is keeping the eggs warm or that he even knows there's babies in those eggs?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Is he a younger rooster? Many will goof in the nestboxes when younger, acting all important and responsible, mostly when under a year old, they seem to grow out of it. Sounds like a nice rooster.

 

[aart]

Many cocks will do nest duties........showing them a good place to lay, sitting nearby while they lay, guarding a broody nest.......

 

[JadedPhoenix]

My white leghorn rooster always sits in the nestbox after the hens lay eggs in it but I thought maybe he just liked relaxing in the next box.
Well, today I was watching the chickens and one of my broody hens got up to eat and he got in her nest and sat on her eggs. Then when she came back he moved so she could sit on them.
Anyone else have anything like this happen?
Do you think he is keeping the eggs warm or that he even knows there's babies in those eggs?

I haven't had a rooster do this but I have had a CAT do it! LOL!!!

Years ago when I started to first keep chickens my dad (who lived next door) noticed that one of our hens hadn't laid in a while so he went looking for her and found her in the doghouse. He couldn't tell how many eggs she was on and figured he'd wait until he saw her get off. Well, the next day he was on the porch and say the broody get up so he started to walk across the yard only to see the cat go in.

Now he'd been known to chase chicks in the past so his interest in the nest concerned my father. He then watched as the cat curled up around the single egg in the nest and hissed when my father reached in. We then watched for the next several days as the two would swap off sitting on the egg. One would leave, the other would take its place. They worked together to hatch a single chick in the middle of a snowstorm in January.

It is too bad that my dad tried to be "helpful" and brought the chick inside. While trying to keep the chick from freezing to death I'm afraid that is exactly what happened. It would have been interesting to watch the broody and cat work together to raise a chick!

 

[ShanandGem]

My rooster stands guard over his hens while they lay. I haven't seem him sit on an egg but I collect them pretty quickly.