What to Look for in a Broody Rooster

[centrarchid]

All of my games appear to have the capacity for it. It is predictably demonstrated when male is confined close to brood when they first hatch. The imprinting part is important for process to work/

 

[centrarchid]

Today when preparing to leave for work I saw father run after and drive off some juveniles that are not much larger than his chicks. Then he promptly returned to locating eats for brood.

 

[aoxa]

All of my games appear to have the capacity for it. It is predictably demonstrated when male is confined close to brood when they first hatch. The imprinting part is important for process to work/

I ensure that all of my males are good with the chicks ie: won't try to kill them..

Only one rooster actually ever avoided roosting to sleep with his kids though. I sure wish I still had him.



Here is that Barred Rock I was mentioning. He'd go in their pen at night, but roosted. He didn't cover them. That would have been something though.

None of these chicks were raised by broody. I let them free range at 2 weeks, so he had them since they were quite young.

 

[momseev]

Thanks for this info. I have a roo for the first time and it appears he has a favorite hen. She won't lay in the nesting boxes now for some reason and they had been roaming the yard together looking for a place for her to lay. He will check out a place and if it appears ok she will go in and lay. I was getting tired of playing "find the eggs" so I set up a little crate in their run and today is the second day she laid in it, after I heard them wandering around the yard. I would love for them to hatch a batch of babies, but I'm not sure if she is broody as she isn't staying on the nest at all and goes into the coop at night. If I leave the eggs, do you think she will sit after she gets a few laid?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I can not remember an adult cock even threatening to peck a young chick. Now a hen, well that is another matter.

I second every word that the thread starter posted.

 

[centrarchid]

He is still roosting in nest with brood. In another week or two the entire group will begin roosting up. I will watch for this closely. Odds are father will be determining roosting site and both adults will attempt each evening over several to get brood to follow. This will be a stressfull time as chicks will be making more noise. Once chicks get used to regimen everything will get quieter. Shortly after hen will stop clucking, quickly put weight on and come back into lay. She will still be with offspring all day and night except when laying for about 30 minutes each day. Once she becomes broody again she will become surly even with her older brood because they would harm their younger siblings when they hatch if not kept away. Father will still invest in older brood until about 12 weeks post-hatch or another brood comes along. It need not be by same mother.

 

[Melabella]

What a great read.. and I am not sure if you meant to be humorous at all, but found myself laughing several times.

What an interesting read....I would love to see a roo behaving like this.

Thanks for sharing it.
MB

 

[aoxa]

I can not remember an adult cock even threatening to peck a young chick. Now a hen, well that is another matter.

I second every word that the thread starter posted.

I have, and they are culled if they do.

I raise a whole lot of cockerels though... I had a full grown male try to mate young chicks. He is long gone.

 

[centrarchid]

I have had even the best cocks pick up a very small chicks but no harm done. It seemed to be caused by confusion where a given chick obstructed access to a concentration of morsels. The father going after juveniles that are not his is normal. They are competition with his offspring. Where genuine aggression is directed at chicks underfoor, it is usually in stressful confines of cockyard. Same birds under less stress do not miss-direct stress at young.

Yes, hens are much more likely to harass chicks not their own and it is a biologically sound behavior. I effort to manage context where such is less likely to be played out.

 

[centrarchid]

Moments ago I checked to find rooster still roosting nest with mother and brood. I took a few out for pictures. Both adults pecked the dickens out of my hand and forearm.

Also got some pictures of recent activities.

Both parents with father in lead.

About as far as father gets from brood unless he is chasing off a threat.

Father tidbitting to a couple chicks about grasshopper he caught for them.

Father doing flapping display. Mother does same every 30 minutes or so and produces a sound that in my opinion is her version of crowing.

Close-up of chicks. They are approaching 4 weeks post-hatch,