rooster in nesting box?

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birdbrain5

birdbrain5

Songster
9 Years
Aug 2, 2010
685
6
131
i looked in my coop today and heard someone in the nesting box making little noises, i looked around and everyone was accounted for but my rooster, so i went in and sure enough he was hanging out in there! any idea why he would be? i shoo-ed him out and there werent any eggs or anything in there, just the egg-like rock i keep in there for them. i thought this was strange! anyone else ever have a roo hang out in the nesting boxes?
 
startingover

startingover

Songster
10 Years
May 15, 2009
189
16
131
Northern Kentucky
My head rooster gets in the nest boxes all the time. I really don't know why he's in there, but he is. He makes hen like noises and moves stuff around and settles in for a minutes and then leaves. A lot of the times a hen will go in right after he gets out. Maybe he's warming it up for her like a good man!
lol.png
lol.png
 
terrilhb

terrilhb

Crowing
11 Years
Dec 11, 2010
3,014
14
271
Georgia
gig.gif
I have 1 rooster that does that once in awhile. I just leave him alone. He does not stay long. Maybe they feel like if the hens can why can't we?
lau.gif
They love to make us laugh don't they.
 
Liamm_1

Liamm_1

Songster
9 Years
Oct 18, 2010
561
11
121
San Francisco Bay Area (East)
My head roo does it also, making little noises, scratching around etc.
My hen that I think is getting close to laying, she has been going in there also, and if he's there when she wants to get in, she'll stand there cackling until he gets out, then she gets in lol. I've started to shoo him out of there, so she has her place ready
 
Ridgerunner

Ridgerunner

Crossing the Road
13 Years
Feb 2, 2009
28,988
25,680
977
Southeast Louisiana
It is not at all unusual for a rooster to show a hen a good place to lay. He finds them treats and stands back to let them eat first. He protects them from predators. He maintains order in the flock, breaking up fights. Often a good rooster will help a broody take care of her chicks. And he has to even prepare the nest and show them where to lay! A good rooster's work is never done.
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cackleberrycoop

cackleberrycoop

Songster
9 Years
Oct 13, 2010
964
6
121
Montana
Yup, I've got one who does this also. He stands over his special hens while they lay their eggs, making little clucking noises, then he goes and sets on the egg for a minute, then leaves and looks for the next hen who may be laying, I named him "Abnormal" (Norm) because I found this whole thing to be so odd. But sort of sweet at the same time.
 
Pinky

Pinky

Songster
11 Years
Nov 15, 2008
2,724
48
183
South GA
Quote:
Me too but I can't find them now. One hen laid an egg in the same nest with my rooster. It was a new nest box and I think the hen felt safer with him in it.
 
gryeyes

gryeyes

Covered in Pet Hair & Feathers
10 Years
Sep 22, 2009
15,506
446
358
My slice of heaven in Somerset, CA
My dominant rooster, quite a big fellow, does this with his special ladies, too. He gets into the nest box, makes cooing sounds, scratches a little bit, turns around, sits a short spell. Then he hops out and makes more comforting sounds while the pullet goes in to check it out. It's almost like he's giving a tutorial and encouraging her. He stands outside until she either lays an egg, at which time he sings The Egg Song. With or without her. If she jumps out without laying, they just exit the coop together.

It is both heartwarming AND a hoot to watch!
 

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