Do hens crow?

[Liz Birdlover]

View attachment 3312080
View attachment 3312081

Oh my...you've got a pair of handsome Roos there.

These are the feather patterns to look for, on the backs towards the tails.
Males

Females


See the feathers on the male are cascading down & pointed?

 

[Oldegarlicshnapp]

I noticed this morning that I have a supposedly hen that crows. I am not sure. I saw days ago that this particular hen is exceptionally tall and is only 4 months old. I was told that the 6 chicks were females. I do not want a rooster in the coop.

Ooooh yeah they can crow. However, if it’s in a flock, it’s likely a male. Sexing is difficult with flocks because there can be multiple males and you don’t know until you weed them out one by one.
The alpha male will receive a testosterone boost: develop a large comb, hackles, tail feathers, spurs. The beta male(s) will develop slower and may not crow at all. So you’d think it was a female, especially with a small comb and it’s many underdevelopments.
When you weed out the alpha, another will become the alpha and undergo the hormonal boost. So on and so forth. I had to pick out three males that way!

Females do crow when they’re very hungry, alone, or if they’re laying a lot / large eggs. As in the “laying song” becomes a scream of the damned.

 

[TXchickmum]

Those look like cockerels. Hens can crow. I had one that started sporadically crowing at about 5-yrs-old. -didn't do it much, and not loudly, thankfully. I had a Lavender Orpington hen (definitely an egg-laying hen) that began throwing the head back and crowing regularly and loudly. That gal could rival a roo, for sure.....

 

[Lovely Lettie]

Definitely roosters sorry

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I noticed this morning that I have a supposedly hen that crows. I am not sure. I saw days ago that this particular hen is exceptionally tall and is only 4 months old. I was told that the 6 chicks were females. I do not want a rooster in the coop.

Welcome to BYC!

Hens can crow.. but *usually* do NOT as maturing pullets.. suspect yours (the one in question) are miss- sexed cockerels. See statement and photos below.

I'm having the same issue. I have two 'hens' which crow every morning, getting me into trouble with the neighbor. I promised my neighbor that hens were not like roosters, and would be on the quiet side. Is there anything I can do to stop the crowing? They are both roughly 4 months old, and both seem to crow.

Welcome to BYC!

Hens can be VERY loud.. the egg song is anything BUT quiet in MY experience. And some preach the longest and loudest sermon ever told before heading in to lay.

Unfortunately, both yours are cockerels and will NOT stop crowing until freezer camp (or another home/alternative) comes.

Starting around 12 weeks (as early as 10) and often well by 16 is when gender specific saddle feathers can be seen in NON hen feathered breeds examples from google..

Hope this helps!

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Welcome to BYC!

Hens can crow.. but *usually* do NOT as maturing pullets.. suspect yours (the one in question) are miss- sexed cockerels. See statement and photos below.


Welcome to BYC!

Hens can be VERY loud.. the egg song is anything BUT quiet in MY experience. And some preach the longest and loudest sermon ever told before heading in to lay.

Unfortunately, both yours are cockerels and will NOT stop crowing until freezer camp (or another home/alternative) comes.

Starting around 12 weeks (as early as 10) and often well by 16 is when gender specific saddle feathers can be seen in NON hen feathered breeds examples from google..
View attachment 3312153
View attachment 3312154
Hope this helps!

Beautiful photos, very helpful, much better than mine

 

[rachelschickens24]

Sorry, but those are both males.

Well shoot! I had a suspicion and sounds like you confirmed it. Anybody want to trade?