What to Look for in a Broody Rooster

[centrarchid]

Going to try this again. Hen to be used hatched only three chicks. First hatched about dusk yesterday and last after eight this morning.

 

[centrarchid]

Hen with brood above has been moved about several times now from barn to house and back again with rooster always close by.

For much of the effort in barn, hen and chicks were confined to a 24" x 24" rabbit cage that was inside and on on floor of a 4' x 5' pen housing the cock. I had made a hole in pen with intent of making servicing cage easier. I would have had cage on outside but had a raccoon issue making me want to afford a little protection. Raccoon problem resolved so then placed cage on outside of pen. I did not like getting scratched up each time reaching inside that hole.

Setup was then moved to yard near house about 130 yards distant. At end of work day group as released where they would not get more than 20' apart. Roosting time proved to be a problem as hen kept taking brood back barn. Rooster followed where he would fight with other penned roosters. Then I put hen and brood back in pen and placed that into captains bridge of my kids swing set. Rooster then roosted above them for two nights. Hen still kept trying to go to barn.


Group then moved to cockyard where cage is placed on top of pen housing cock. Hen appears to to orbit around cock pen now. Bonds are evident as follow:

Hen to chicks
Chicks to hen
Hen to cock
Cock to hen

Thus far cock not actually brooded chicks but he is clearly backed out of mode where all he wants to do is mate and attack other males.

 

[centrarchid]

Current arrangement described above. The matrix piece provide protection from sun and rain. Hen and brood go into cage on their own. They would not go up yet if cage not already there.

Chicks just shy of three weeks so roosting up a little earlier than average.

 

[Then I Will]

This thread was SO interesting! Thank you for all of your valuable observations and data on your games!!

I like the feral behaviors and broodiness of games and can't wait to have happy little families like these with my Sumatra this year. (idk if folks still consider Sumatra to be full game, maybe they're just exotic, but they have that look...)

 

[centrarchid]

Another permutation on the broody rooster is showing up that may have been employed by commercial chicken producers during the era of the Roman Empire. This is a container effect situation.

I placed a game cock in with about 35 late chick / early juvenile stage chickens representing several different broods. Entire group is contained in an elevated 3' x 6' cage placed in a field near barn. Purpose behind addition of game cock is to suppress violence between immature birds. The cock had good suppression withing 48 hours. Shortly after I began releasing the young birds to forage free-range for about 2 hours at the end of each day. Cock is constrained by size of opening he can not pass. We are about a week into this and something changed in behavior of all indicating process went too far. He is expends a lot of effort trying to feed the young birds and they are responding. Cock has gone broody and attempts to cover the juveniles as they roost. The broodiness is clearly induced. Process is two-way as juveniles have to adjust their behavior as well. Pictures will follow is I can get time to do it.

 

[aart]

Pictures will follow is I can get time to do it.

Would love to see a brood cock covering 35 chicks in 3x6 cage!
How old are chicks in weeks?

 

[centrarchid]

Youngest are 6 weeks while oldest are pushing 10 weeks so not longer chicks in my classification system. This is same group of birds where I had troubles with games fighting way too much in thread below.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...nt-free-ranging-of-juvenile-chickens.1246224/

I have another similar sized group that needs to go out as well but, 16 hour work days going 2 weeks in a row putting a damper on that effort. I am starting to get tired. Even now working letting brine shrimp / sea monkeys settle. Got to train students up on aquatic critters and chickens so we can educate close to 4,000 people in one day. Students this have zero experience; first time for that in almost 15 years.

 

[aart]

in my classification system.

Curious what this is...got a chart with ages in weeks and 'names'?

 

[centrarchid]

This is based on direct observation recording feather replacement pattern. Only Galliformes do this type of complex developmental process. In my opinion, chickens and their kin are the most extreme out group of all birds currently in existence.

Chicks = hatch through about 5 weeks while head covered by down, transition into 3rd feather set on wings initiated

Early Juveniles = 5 weeks through about 10 weeks, third feather set

Late Juvenile = 10 to about 16 weeks, fourth feather set

Sub-adult = 16 to 22 weeks, fifth feather set with some individuals becoming sexually competent.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Very interesting thread and educational from a newbs perspective. I was saddedened to read about Slugger's demise. Are all of your chickens game birds?