What to Look for in a Broody Rooster

[centrarchid]

Interesting...I've noticed my roosters seem very active to mate first thing in the morning ...they get a little then calm down.

Mine sustain the elevated activity for about 10 minutes each morning. Earlier in year when plants still short I could see three harem masters at once doing their bit at simultaneously each morning.

 

[centrarchid]

Blanch just committed to brooding just after noon. I will determine whether she laid an egg today or whether she laid the last one yesterday.

 

[centrarchid]

A very interesting coincidence. Broods 1 and 2 have until today foraged separately unless the harem master was present and the brood 1 cockerel would whoop the snot out of the brood 2 juveniles if they got too close. Today they all foraged together away from harem master and for the first time they are roosting in close proximity to each other. When the two broods drift off to forage the harem master stays back near garage. His family is under blanch and roughly 1 week into incubation.

Today I played a youtube video of a hen reacting to a hawk going after her chicks. My harem master on the front porch went nuts looking for someone to fight. Even the dogs rushed into house to find computer and growl at it.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I'm particularly impressed by the dogs' response to the video. They are really in tune with the chickens' vocalizations.

 

[centrarchid]

I'm particularly impressed by the dogs' response to the video.  They are really in tune with the chickens' vocalizations. 

Some training went into that but much came from harassing chickens themselves as pups.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

I'm particularly impressed by the dogs' response to the video. They are really in tune with the chickens' vocalizations.

I'm kind of amazed. My dog doesn't acknowledge sounds from the tv or computer at all, though he's VERY attuned to real sounds in the house, yard, and vicinity.

 

[centrarchid]

I'm kind of amazed. My dog doesn't acknowledge sounds from the tv or computer at all, though he's VERY attuned to real sounds in the house, yard, and vicinity.

Mine have to hear sounds from flock around house as well as flocks some distance from the house where sounds produced are distorted by distance and passing through foliage. This may make so they are responsive to a broader range of call variations such as those produced from the single speaker of computer or camcorder.

 

[centrarchid]

Blanch with brood 3 that is now roughly one week post hatch. She came of with only 8 chicks. Free-range foraging is limited to about 1 hour at the end of each day.

 

[centrarchid]

Today I had fun with 15 month old daughter, Blanch and the bitties. I got out some mealworms and offered them to Blanch. Blanch came running with chicks in tow. Then came baby Iris where she crouched down to watch the action. The all of a sudden she tried to grab a chick which I stopped. Then she jumped at Blanch and almost caught Blanch in a bear hug. Blanch was too fast and nearly got ready for battle but separated the combatants. Blanch quickly led bitties away as Iris shifted her attention to the meal worms. Iris decided she likes meal worms and started to eat them. Despite have only four upper and four lower incisors, Iris has no problem eating the little critters. Iris even attempted to open container so that must now be hidden from view. Next year Iris will get flogged to learn to leave bitties alone. If she is like her brother, then flogging will stop grabbing at chicks but will not get much of a reaction out of Iris other than a brief bout of confusion. Even now her brother causes not troubles for chicks even though we walks freely among them.

 

[katbriar]

But what will you do to teach her not to eat the mealworms? Hee hee.