Crowing Hen?????

[aaabirdman]

Welcome to BYC from NY

 

[Bicudo]

I' ve currently got two Pekin Bantam Hen's that are crowing every morning at 5:30am. Wouldn't mind so much if we didn't have neighbours living so close.

Does anyone know how to make them stop? We're currently getting up and putting them both in a cardboard box until a more reasonable time but when we put the. Back in the pen they attack the two silkies. I'm also not sure how this is going to work if we ever go away for the weekend.

We've also tried spraying them with water and being the dominant hen ourselves by tapping them on the nose whenever they crow. All to no avail. I'm on the verge of giving them up but have grown very attached to them both.

I should mention that they are both 19 weeks old and have been confirmed as being Hens. Will it just stop once they start to lay in a few weeks time or when they sort out who wears the pants in the coop?

Almost at our wits end and I'm not sure the neighbours are that pleased either.

 

[LordCluckington]

Hi Bicudo,

I have 2 x Belgian d'Uccle hens. One of them started crowing 3-4 weeks ago (about 16 weeks old) . I sent photos of both to the supplier and they assured me they were both hens. I recordered a definite crow but about 1.5 weeks ago I started getting eggs and 2 days ago i got two eggs in one day. The interesting points are: Crowing happenned until egg laying started, then stopped. Based on the egg laying rate and who is in the nest boxes, both are laying.
My observation is the crowing stops when the irrefutable proof that she not a rooster is presented tasty form.

 

[Bicudo]

Hi Lord Cluckington,

Thanks for sharing. It's good to know that hens will calm down once they start to lay. I find I'm learning something new everyday since we started ou backyard flock.

Unfortunately, our girls turned out to actually be boys. It was us that was gender confused and not Dot and Mabel as first thought. They were very late developing their full feathers, comb and wattle. We took them both back to the store a second time and they confirmed them as Roosters.

We got 3 silkies as replacements but as entertaining as they are they're not as adventurous as the Pekins did and I find myself self missing the antics of Dot and Mabel. I sometimes think I can still hear them crowing out the back.

 

[LordCluckington]

Hi Bicudo,

Well at least you got to the bottom of your "hens" crowing. Unfortunately, I think mine must have read this thread because Ticia (Morticia- the black mottle) started crowing again this morning and, after Millie (Millicent the Mille Fleur) laid an egg, Ticia went and laid one too which I saw her do. Confusing or what??

 

[kgnewton01]

Ok, so I'm really new to the chicken scene. My babies just turned 15 wks, and we've been having trouble sexing them. We were pretty sure that one of them was a rooster ( feather shape, coloring, etc) with a possibility of one other being a rooster as well. This morning I actually got to see the chicken that was actually doing the crowing every morning....to my surprise, it was neither of the two!!! As a matter of fact, it was one that I was almost 100% sure was a hen. I'm really confused now.....I've read that hens may also crow, but exactly how common is this. Thanks in advance for any input you all may have.

 

[kgnewton01]

I'm glad to know that some hens crow. My hen is 3 yrs old and just started this business of crowing.

 

[nova022]

Ok, so I'm really new to the chicken scene. My babies just turned 15 wks, and we've been having trouble sexing them. We were pretty sure that one of them was a rooster ( feather shape, coloring, etc) with a possibility of one other being a rooster as well. This morning I actually got to see the chicken that was actually doing the crowing every morning....to my surprise, it was neither of the two!!! As a matter of fact, it was one that I was almost 100% sure was a hen. I'm really confused now.....I've read that hens may also crow, but exactly how common is this. Thanks in advance for any input you all may have.

We recieved a chick that our friend said was a cockrel. It had (and still has) rounded feathers with no sign of hackles or saddle and did not have the dark chest that Welsummers roos are supposed to have. We were positive it was a pullet. It is 14 wks old with still no sighs of saddle or hackle, but it has a big comb and waddles and it crows in a funny little hoarse sounding croak. I guess sometimes they are just slow to mature.

 

[rockinpaints]

Cheers from Ohio!

Glad you could join us!

My Grandmother's saying " a whistlin woman and a crowin hen always comes to some bad end"

(my grandmother passed away at 90, many years ago - gotta love those old sayings)

 

[Chooksmum]

Hi guys
I'm new to Backyard Chickens and, therefore, a new poster so I hope it's okay to hop onto this thread. I have 4 hens, all ex-battery, all about 4 years old. They were originally a flock of 10 (but my ex-has been a bad parent - long story, maybe another time!) and this hen (who is called Rooster for the reason she used to break out of the run, was impossible to catch and we'd find her roosting in a tree at dusk) was not officially top hen. That was Chook (who was the first to arrive and has been a quiet leader although she's let others be bossy. Chook has been ill (and still is off colour) and the previous bossy girl died a few weeks ago. Rooster has been quite bossy with the other 2 but as of yesterday she's suddenly started crowing. I am mortified. I brought my hens from my ex's about a month ago to live on my allotment but I wasn't happy with them being there (a mile away from me, no shade, no shelter, I was concerned about all threats - human, fox and elements) so brought them home. I rent a house and didn't clear it with my landlady (sure she'll say no), one direct neighbour has hens, haven't talked to the other one about them at all but she must have seen them. If Rooster is going to carry on I can't keep them here! So my question is, is she going to carry on???!