What are my roosters doing? Strange behavior!*PIC*

Today, two of my 9-month-old cockerels left the flock while they were free-ranging (they have a big coop and outdoor run but I let them out to free-range every day with supervision (too many predators) and went into the coop together. They have never done this before. After a minute or two, they started buckbuckbuhGAWKing, much like the egg song. Then they were quiet and I heard bumping and scratching like I hear when the pullets are preparing a nest so they can lay. Then all was quiet for quite some time. Finally I have to see what they were up to. I went into the coop and found one of them hunkered down in a "nest" of shavings they had made on the floor in the corner of the coop. The other was just standing there, staring at him. About 20 minutes later, when I put all the chickens back in the coop/run, I found that the two roosters had switched places and the other was hunkered down, sitting quietly with tail up in the air on the shavings "nest." When I tried to get near to them, they both growled at me.

I SWEAR they were acting just like laying hens. Is this some other kind of behavior I don't understand?

Every day, I let them out and the roosters hang with the ladies, give them bugs and seeds, call out when they see hawks... normal rooster behavior. Today was very strange. Had they been pullets, I would have assumed they were going to lay eggs on the floor in the "nest" they made.

Any thoughts?

 

Yeah, that was my dad's thought... that they were showing the ladies where to lay. However.... I think there are two problems with that idea... one... the ladies were outside and couldn't see the boys. They sneaked off to be alone to do this. Number two - my ladies all lay in the nesting boxes and have been doing so for months now...

My roos are generally great gentlemen... they call loudly whenever they find a bug or a seed or a berry or whatever. They give all the best treats to the girls, always. They also wathc for hawks and yell, "HAWK!!" when they see them and usher all the ladies into the coop to safety. They do everything roosters should do, I think.

I just thought this was so bizarre... alone, inside when they could have been on the grass... no girls in sight... and taking turns on their "nest" and growling at me when I got near. They were acting like my broody hen!