Do Roosters Ever Nest? (2024)

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Roosters are not a necessary addition to your chicken-keeping operation but keeping a rooster does have a few benefits. As a new rooster owner, you may wonder exactly what your rooster does with his time inside your chicken coop. Roosters have their own unique set of behaviors and capabilities within your flock.

Your Rooster's Duties

Roosters perform their own duties and maintain their own natural behaviors. They can provide valuable services to the average chicken owner. What do they do? Roosters fertilize your hens' eggs, providing you with plenty of cute, friendly chicks. Roosters can also protect your hens from predators and will sound the alarm when anything unusual occurs near your chicken coop.

Nesting

Roosters do not exhibit any real "nesting" behavior to speak of. They do not lay eggs, of course, and while in some bird species the male takes his turn incubating the eggs, this is not the case with chickens. Roosters have little use for nests, neither building them nor staying in them much.

Roosting

Roosters do roost at night, along with the rest of your flock. Roosting is the practice of perching up on a high location to sleep through the night. Roosting keeps birds safe from predators on the ground. It also helps your rooster supervise and survey the area around your chicken coop for threats.

Rooster in the Nesting Box

On occasion, you may see your rooster hanging out in the nesting boxes with your hens. They are being social with their hens. Roosters may choose to mate with hens inside the nesting box or go into the nesting box for company. A rooster spending a significant amount of time alone in a nesting box may be ill and should be taken to the veterinarian.

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