Rooster won't roost inside--is he standing guard?

[Schrebergaertner]

Our young flock integration is now successful. The 4 girls/1 boy youngsters all now get along fine with the 11 older girls. The way our chicken house is set up, there is an enclosed building with a door to an outside run that is roofed and surrounded with chain link. The girls all now go inside at night to roost. At first the youngsters roosted on a perch in the outside section, and I would move them inside after dark (roo goes into the garage for neighbor reasons). One by one they all finally started roosting inside, however Romeo (yeah, I know) still goes to sleep on the outside perch (with only the occasional companion). It could be that he's never really slept inside, since he gets moved to the garage after dark, but I also wonder if his instinct might be to roost outside as a guard. Has anyone ever had a roo insist on roosting outside?

Thanks!

 

[peepacheep]

You might be right, Romeo is not used to going inside on his own to roost but I am also curious how old is he? One of my Brahma pullets started making sounds like 'she' swallowed a kazoo in August. My older hens chased and harassed this young roo until a few weeks ago. Some hormonal switch flipped and now he is chasing them if they let him get close. Possibly your older hens might be discouraging Romeo from coming into the coop. And he might also be guarding them. My EE roo roost in the coop next to the chicken door. If I go to close up at dusk without calling out first he hits the floor like a cannon ball and comes roaring out. He takes guarding the hens very seriously.

 

[cmom]

I agree, it may be he stays out side because that is what he is used to. Are you trying to get him to roost in the coop instead of the garage now? You may have to put him on the roost at night like you did when you put him in your garage.

 

[themenagerie]

I think he could be. My 7 month old Roo always goes in at night with his hens. A few weeks ago I brought out my six week old pullets and put them in a dog kennel cage inside the run to acclimate. I it carry into the coop when I lock up at dusk. . Last week I got home a little later than usual, it was dark already. All the ladies were in the coop, but the babies can't move themselves so they were still outside. I found him roosting on top of the dog kennel, something he's never done before or since. I don't know if he was standing guard, but I think in his little chicken brain, he couldn't go in the coop while some of his flock was still out.