What to Look for in a Broody Rooster

[centrarchid]

Fox gave up and no losses to it.


Blanch's second broody cycle is coming to a close. Clucking is greatly reduced and chicks are prone to wonder off much more when foraging. The new harem master is also starting to stay with her more as she is likely beginning to produce mixed signals about readiness to mate. Her weight should be on the up swing again. I will clean up nest site used next round to see if we can get a repeat. Odds are she will get a third brood off and weaned before frost. Her molt so far has been restricted to flight feathers of wings. Several other hens in cockyard already loosing tail feathers still in lay but late season clutches from such tend to be smaller.

 

[centrarchid]

Following photographs illustrate appearance of and advanced juvenile relative to a chick about to start juvenile phase. Both are male of same phenotype as full siblings.

Advanced juvenile has most of his adult wing flight feathers in but all of his flight tail feathers are juvenile and will be replaced over the next 45 days. The few remaining juvenile wing flight secondaries are visible with the bars as well as are shorter, more flexible and have pointy tips.

The chicks feathers are even pointier than the juvenile feathers and the base coloration is lighter with stronger pattern that is visually disruptive (camouflage). Note how tail feathers are hooked like in juvenile but coloration and tips different. Chick also showing the start of juvenile body feathers coming in on his head and neck.

 

[centrarchid]

Another qualitative change as hen prepares for another reproductive effort. She now acts like a hungry chick around the tid-bitting rooster. She still does a partial cluck but when responding to tibbitting she races to rooster and no longer allows offspring to take it. Day before should would run to rooster but usually not ahead of brood and generally she allowed chicks to get morsel. This occurs even when insect prey is abundant and she would be able to get crop filled without his help. The tidbitting and response to it appears to be a two-way courtship behavior as rooster seems to get some sort of a reward out of having hen take eats from him that does not always involve copulation.

 

[aart]

She's going to go again?? Are these all her eggs she's been setting/hatching/raising.......this would be the third round?

 

[centrarchid]

She's going to go again??  Are these all her eggs she's been setting/hatching/raising.......this would be the third round?

Yes, this will be her third go this season. All eggs to date have been out of her and Slugger. Next clutch will be out of her and new harem master. About half dozen hens in field doing similar feat so not that big of a deal. Once in a while a fourth brood cycle will go but that takes more babying than practical for me.


I think we are within a week of first egg to be laid for third clutch. Clucking must stop entirely first which not happened yet.

 

[aart]

I will say once again....I am fascinated with your observation techniques and so glad you're documenting them here.

 

[centrarchid]

Needs more action shots / videos. This year not a single hawk indecent which is very unusual.

 

[centrarchid]

Clutch three initiated today. Nest in a different location from two previous efforts even though those locations still available. Hen last exposed to a rooster 4 days prior to first egg laid. She will not be covered again. At least some eggs will hatch. Based on what has just occurred in field with broody hens, being covered last time on day first egg laid is sufficient to give a >80% hatch rate.


Blanch stopped clucking entirely 3 days ago but still with brood 2 except when on the nest for at most 30 minutes each day. Remaining cockerel of brood 1 is ranging all over the place and goes well beyond range where dogs provide protection. That will be discussed later.

 

[centrarchid]

Brood 3 egg 2 deposited just after 2:00 PM about 23 hours after egg 1. Once egg 5 deposited another rooster will be allowed to cover her that has a genetic marker detectable at hatch. Eggs being marked for sequence of deposition. I also got her to adopt another nest placed on her preferred location.

 

[aart]

Brood 3 egg 2 deposited just after 2:00 PM about 23 hours after egg 1. Once egg 5 deposited another rooster will be allowed to cover her that has a genetic marker detectable at hatch. Eggs being marked for sequence of deposition. I also got her to adopt another nest placed on her preferred location.

Another nest receptacle....or other eggs?