They didnt like the nest box...

[sparkles2307]

...Until my cochin bantam roo, Fancy Pants, climb in there and started singing about it.

It all started her I grabbed a few hens and put them in the boxes, shoing them that "yes, you can go in there I promise" but they all flipped out and ran away. So I was sitting there in frustration, and Fancy Pants came over to talk to me. While I petted him I decided to see if HE liked it so I stuck him in there. After a souple of awkward, stiff moments he started looking around and he LIKED it. He satred singing and clucking and digging a best in the straw. Pretty soon all of the hens were in there watching him. Beatrice jumped up in there with him and sat right down and laid an egg about 15 minutes later! Now all the hens are checking it out and digging nests, but they arent laying yet. But no one seems to think the boxes are for anything BUT laying in so I dont have anyone napping in there or anything. It was so cute to see FP up there crooning to his lovey while she laid an egg in the box he found for her.

 

[mulia24]

he did his other job, *finding* a good place for the girls.

 

[CKMom]

well I guess thats what I need to do. Mine have investigated, because I did find some feathers, but are clearly avoiding the nest boxes. I will try to coax Roo-roo to go in the box and see what happens. My cochin keeps going back into the coop from the run, ,but she just sits in there or dust bathes, and I am getting tired of running out to check on her.Mine are 19 wks. old

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Sometimes our Roo snuggles the whiny hens into the egg basket (we dont have nest boxes, we have a big nest basket on our porch). Two of our 4 little hennies get whiny about laying an egg sometimes, so he gets in the basket and calls to them, then they snuggle up under him and after a while they lay their egg. Something like a little kid who won't go to bed unless you go with and read them a story.....

He's great at making the nest nice and round, too. I wonder if this is a common rooster behavior, or are we just lucky to have very nice homemaker roo's?

 

[sparkles2307]

I have 2 other roos, a white rock and a buff orp, that are only one week younger than my lil bantam roo and they suck compared to him! Its like, they have these half-hearted efforts but you can tell they arent putting theri heart into it. They wills tand by the hen for a while and croon, but only for a minute or two. my bantam sits on the nest roost till the hen is done and sings/dotes on them the whole time. He brings them treats when the other roos just eat it up for them self.

 

[SallyF]

I have two buff rock roos who will get into the boxes and croon till a hen comes in. They're great roosters, they break up hen fights also.