ROOSTER-HEN INTERACTIONS

[centrarchid]

A harem established in yard is made up of two hens and a bullstag. All are part game, none pure. During day they move about as a tight group and until this morning the stage would go into cockyard where he would cover hens not part of his harem. Game changer appears to have been one of his hens starting to set on about a dozen eggs. He and other hen have tightened their ranging habits. Second will set any day. Just after noon dogs disturbed first hen causing her to bail off nest. Rooster sprinted nearly 100 yards over displaying for all he was worth. He regrouped with hen and actually stayed nearer the nest than she did. His real concern was the brood, not the hen. Dogs where called back. If this where a fox or real dog threat, then this rooster would likely have been toast. Pure games respond in similar manner but they can fly to safety better once predator is distracted. Somehow rooster changes mindset once hens begin nesting. I have not seen the pure American Dominiques do this. Behavior seems to be a game attribute.

 

[centrarchid]

ROOSTERS INDICATING GOOD NESTING SITES

Yesterday evening I had six American Dominiques (1 hen: 5 pullets) out walking among cock/stag pens of yard. One of the pullets caused several penned males to indicate good nest sites as she walked by. The others females did not stimulate such behavior. She is getting ready to resume laying. Somehow roosters can detect this, I think it is by sounds she makes. In many ways the rooster indicating a nest site looks like a female soliciting for male to cover her.

 

[Zackman23434]

This was very interesting. I'm sad it ended.

 

[centrarchid]

Still some observations to report.

 

[centrarchid]

Last week on two occasions I took same hen referenced earlier in thread on day trips with two juvenile offspring (1 male and 1 female). Hen is currently rearing a brood of seven 11-week-old chicks (2 males and 5 females). Each trip started at dawn when hen and same to juveniles where pulled from roost and placed in animal carrier. Shortly after remaining juveniles would fly down with male running about pecking his sisters before every body settled down. At the end of each day I brought hen and two juveniles back and released them with balance of brood. Each time hen promptly attacked male juvenile that stayed behind but did nothing to females or male that was with her all day. Minutes later brood acted as if she had never left. She did not attack juvenile males on days all stayed together.

 

[centrarchid]

Situation above is evolving. Hen each morning runs about like a harem master pecking each of her juvenile offspring. This appears to be causing stags to remain longer on roost. Hen runs about showing cotton. I have never observed a hen without a harem for so long.

 

[LarryTX]

I have a hen that lays in a peculiar manner. There are four hens in the pen with three nest. Each nest is clean with clean bedding straw. About 4-5 days per week, the hen will park right next to the end nest to lay. She's laying on just a bare board. I'm wanting to let her hatch the eggs so I place the eggs in the nest about 3 inches from where she lays. There is nothing to keep the eggs from getting knocked off the shelf. She has 5 eggs at this time. I don't know if she's turning the eggs in the nest, or not. Would you just let her sit on the board?

 

[centrarchid]

Show a picture of location she is laying eggs on board.

Without knowing more, I would add an additional nest placing it where hen is currently laying. Do not move existing nest or otherwise change arrangement of items in close proximity to nest site. I would make so nest is relatively shallow like might be provide using a plastic dish washing tub. To stabilize it add something like sand about 1.5" deep.

 

[LarryTX]

Thank you. I'll take your advice and see what happens, I'll also get a picture.

 

[LarryTX]

This is where the hen is laying instead of in the nest.