What to Look for in a Broody Rooster

[Perris]

thanks centrarchid; that explains the odd flight feather I've been finding around the lawn this last couple of weeks. I had wondered what was going on but could find no evidence of mites or picking, and then forgot about it

 

[centrarchid]

thanks centrarchid; that explains the odd flight feather I've been finding around the lawn this last couple of weeks. I had wondered what was going on but could find no evidence of mites or picking, and then forgot about it

I would like to collect all the shed flight feathers in sequence, but lack manpower.

 

[Perris]

just found another one when I went to shut the coops - sadly I don't know my feathers well enough to be able to identify it properly, but I think it is one of the shorter wing feathers.

 

[centrarchid]

 

[centrarchid]

Over last couple weeks the rooster above had to deal with an additional hen that came into lay. He switched from attending the broody hen with chicks to the hen in lay. Hen in lay has nest site roughly 100 yards from location rooster was using as roost previously. He stayed with hen in lay all day but would keep tabs on hen above. Now that second hen has gone broody incubating clutch the rooster has switched attentions back to first hen and her brood. First brood is approaching 4 weeks of age and already roosting up.

He still keeps tabs on hen incubating clutch.

 

[aart]

Busy Boy!

 

[centrarchid]

He will have sired 3 brood by 2 hens this year. Nearly a quarter of what I have done with games so far. Two more broods Will be produced for generating pullets, then will shut down for molt and preparation for winter.

 

[centrarchid]

I am pretty sure broodiness in these roosters is suppressed until the rooster commences molt. The stops really come off when eclipse molt gets underway.

That said, the rooster still has a preference with respect to what hens he likes to hang with.

Order of preference
1) Hen in lay
2) Hen with older chicks / juveniles
3) Hen with younger chicks
4) Juvenile offspring
5) Hen incubating clutch

Hen he currently hangs with has older chicks. Her weight is coming back up to where she will lay. She clucks very little and chicks go to rooster as much as the hen as they forage. The rooster, hen and chicks all roost together. Rooster producing a sound similar to when trying to indicate a nest site. Function and context appears similar to a hen's clucking.

 

[Perris]

very interesting; thanks! What is an 'eclipse molt'?

 

[centrarchid]

very interesting; thanks! What is an 'eclipse molt'?

A molt male jungle fowl and some domestic chickens undergo during summer that precedes the hard molt where all remaining body feathers are replaced. Long pointy hackle feathers are replaced by shorter rounded feathers that are black at least on the tips.

A thread on subject.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/partial-eclipse-molt-in-american-game.535707/

Paper on subject
https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v070n01/p0056-p0065.pdf