The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Big Light on May 07, 2014, 10:22:22 pm

Title: cockeral brooding chick
Post by: Big Light on May 07, 2014, 10:22:22 pm
in the garage I have several brooders for different ages and a few pens with adult stock a few chicks had managed to get out of the brooder and as Iwas gathering them up i saw one in a Penn with a bantam cockeral I had swapped out of the breedingpen last week the cockerel was sitting down the chick ran up to the front of it lifted its head up and peeped to the cockerel the cockerel raised slightly and the chick snuggled in underneath
Bizarre!
Title: Re: cockeral brooding chick
Post by: Fleecewife on May 08, 2014, 02:14:30 am

Modern Dad  :chook:  ;D
Title: Re: cockeral brooding chick
Post by: FiB on May 08, 2014, 06:36:08 am
Lovely! Restored my faith in cockerels ;) ..... I dream of having a cockerel that I won't have to kill and eat!
Title: Re: cockeral brooding chick
Post by: chrismahon on May 08, 2014, 07:28:10 am
We have a young (18 months) Leghorn Bantam that dives under her cockerel's chest and settles down there. He seems quite happy with the arrangement, even though he struggles to keep his feet on the ground.
Title: Re: cockeral brooding chick
Post by: NicandChic on May 08, 2014, 07:53:45 am
Our big cockerel lets his 2 smaller bantam friends (a cockerel & hen) snuggle under him  :)
Title: Re: cockeral brooding chick
Post by: Steph Hen on May 08, 2014, 10:46:23 am
This is nice  :chook:
Title: Re: cockeral brooding chick
Post by: Ryder on May 08, 2014, 11:09:51 am
What breed is the bantam cockerel?   Bantams gerneally make good broodies anyway, and it's not unheard of for a particulalry broody breed cockeral to help out with chicks.  This is probably especially true if the cockeral himself was raised by a broody.  BUt i'd love to know what breed it is.
Title: Re: cockeral brooding chick
Post by: Big Light on May 08, 2014, 03:33:45 pm
White wyandotte bantams - the hens would sit on your hand if they thought they could hatch it and they do go broody easily and are very protective - however first time iv'e seen a cockerel do this
Title: Re: cockeral brooding chick
Post by: Stereo on May 08, 2014, 04:39:21 pm
We have one Copper Black cockerel who is soft as anything. He still does his job but is a soppy git. You pick him up and stroke his ear and he dozes off! He also likes to spend some quality time in a nest box trying to emulate his ladies. I've told the kids that one day he'll lay a golden egg which will be priceless. Problem is that my kids are 4, 7 and 9 and they no longer believe a word that dad says.
Title: Re: cockeral brooding chick
Post by: plumseverywhere on May 09, 2014, 08:58:47 pm
Our bantam (pekin) is a better parent than the mother of the chicks.  He's been teaching them how to break up food etc whereas the mother just wanders off leaving them exposed.