Silkie rooster is "parenting"! Common?

[suzpyoung]

I gave my broody Silkie hen 3 Ameraucana eggs to hatch, which she did successfully. I'm amazed though at how her mate, Shaq, is a full on participating father. He tries - although somewhat clumsily - to feed them. He's also very obviously trying to help Kandi teach them to climb up the ramp at bedtime. This evening one of them burrowed underneath him and he happily set! Is this unusual behavior for a roo?

 

[lurky]

My silkie rooster is a better parent than ANY hen i have ever had. He parents any baby chick, not just from his flock.
He is VERY mean to people, but he is still here because he is a great Daddy and protector. Isn't it so cute????

 

[suzpyoung]

Quote:
Oh it's beyond cute! I just looked at your Myspace link - are any of the silkies pictured him?

 

[slkhazen]

my splash silkie hen went broody and we gave her some eggs. her and her hubby sleep in an old clean antique coal stove in the coop. When ever she would get off the eggs he would sit on them. Only one of the eggs hatched and he feeds the baby and will take the chick outside and watch over it just like a proud father. One day i grabbed the chick to look at it and he was outside he heard that chick cry out and he came running and ready to fight me. At night all three head to the tiny coal stove and sleep together. The Chick is almost 6 weeks old and they still watch over him. We call them our happy little family. (turns out the chick is a cornish/silkie cross and one of the ugliest chick i have ever seen. he really got the worse out of each parent)

 

[lurky]

Quote:
Oh it's beyond cute! I just looked at your Myspace link - are any of the silkies pictured him?

YES, the second pic down on the left. Blue Splash Silkie rooster

 

[pgpoultry]

My Brahma boys actively protect any chicks when they go to feed at the feeder. I think that the protective rooster is more common than we think,

Sandie