Theory on what my rooster is thinking...

[VA Lady]

I have 3 hens and one rooster that I keep in a small coop that's inside of a sturdy 10x10x6 dog kennel with a tarp roof (there's an electric fence outside of that). When home I let everyone run around in the kennel but if I'm gone and at night everyone is locked up in the coop just in case anything gets in the kennel (hopefully I'll get that secured soon with hardware cloth). They have always been perfect about going up in the coop at night - nobody seemed to want to be out after dark. Recently we put up tarps around 70% of the kennel to cut down on the amount of weather that could get inside. Now this has happened - last night, well after dark, our rooster was perched on top of the coop and not moving. The hens were tucked away in their roost but he just sat there like he had no intention of going up for the night. The theory I came up with was that maybe now he's starting to think of the kennel as his coop instead of the kennel as his run. Does anyone else have any thoughts?

PS: I took him off the coop and shooed him inside. He needs to do his duty and help keep the hens warm!

 

[theoldchick]

Maybe the hens didn't want him in there?

 

[VA Lady]

Girls night out maybe?

Actually he is a very good rooster. I was really worried after reading some of the stories about how bad they can be but he has been great. He watches over them carefully, tries to keep the peace and calls to them when he finds food (he'll give them his food instead of eating it). Very gentle with the girls and they all seem to really get along great together. I'm sure they would have actually been upset if he wasn't in there with them. They are definitely one happy little famiily:

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

Such a beautiful little family!!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

They are adorable. Love the hen on the far right, so pretty!

 

[gryeyes]

What a lovely family!

Maybe he just needed a break from the hen party, one night?

 

[sourland]

Very pretty hen to the right in your picture.

 

[annie3001]

beautiful birds. i agree that perhaps he is on top of the coop. thinking the whole run too is all is!! like one gigantic coop.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

what kind are they? that roo is sure pretty!

 

[VA Lady]

chickensducks&agoose :

what kind are they? that roo is sure pretty!

They are a mixed lot - I picked then out of a cage with a whole bunch of mixed month old birds at a Tractor Supply swap and was going for variety! The buff colored hen on the far left is an EE of some mix, she lays a pretty turquoise egg (although it took her around 30 weeks to get there). I'm pretty sure our roo is a Black Sex Link (I've seen photos of some varieties of BSL that look exactly like him). The little red hen is most likely a Red Sex Link (his favorite girl and the best layer). The speckled hen on the far right is a mystery that will never be solved because I think she has too much going on! She lays a very pretty pale, creamy beige egg.

Here is another pic of our boy (on his new "perch" spot!):