What in the holy heck is my rooster doing?!?!

[Birdo]

He's driving the hens insane and we can't figure out what he is doing. He keeps going into a corner on my porch on some newspapers and making himself as small as possible and and scratching a bit and making a constant "RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH, RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH" sound. The hens just stare at him like he's nuts, and finally walk up to him and peck him like "dude what is going on with you?" He's been doing it the last few days and today he is just driving me up a wall. Any behavior experts out there?

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

He's trying to find them a nest

My roo always does that, he'll start scratching a wad of something, like go in a bucket... sometimes in the laying box, he'll sit on the hens and coo at them. But yes, sometimes hens want to find nests themselves.

 

[Happy Chooks]

He's telling hens that he has found a good spot for them to lay eggs. Sign of a gentleman.

 

[Birdo]

Well, my Wyandotte Birdo has caught on and she's loving the spot. Sigh. Any way to redirect them?

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

I re-arranged the things where they tried laying. Or made it open, so if felt uncomfortable to lay there. (My rooster told the hens to lay between a pair of folded lawn chairs. Other times when they laid there, the laying boxes were full in their coop. Chickens don't like to lay in the open, because of predators.

 

[Birdo]

So the other funny thing he's doing is explained as well. He'll pick up a twig or some dead grass and start going nuts over it until the girls pay attention. Must be locating good nesting materials for them