4 YEAR OLD HEN STARTED CROWING

[sybonbon]

Hi all. I was wondering if this has happened to anyone else. I have 2 four year old hens who live outside in their chicken tractor. I now have 4 eight week old chicks living in my 3 season porch in a makeshift pen made from a dog crate and a run. My husband is not done with their new tractor ( to be raised separately from the 4 years olds because of the size of the pens). While I am talking to the new chicks inside the porch, my older hen must hear me and starts to crow like a rooster. This cracks me up. I have never heard this before. I actually think that she's jealous. I take the littles outside in a corral to forage and let the big girls free range. They won't come anywhere near the corral even if I tempt them with their favorite treats. I just had to share and to see if anyone else has had this happen. Thanks for listening.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sometimes, one hen will just become dominant and assume the role of a rooster.
Sometimes it is due to failure of the ovary which produces more testosterone and cause rooster behavior. If that happens, they will even grow feathers that are more rooster feathered, pointy rather than rounded. They still don't grow testes and can't fertilize a hen.
Are both hens still laying eggs?

 

[sybonbon]

Sometimes, one hen will just become dominant and assume the role of a rooster.
Sometimes it is due to failure of the ovary which produces more testosterone and cause rooster behavior. If that happens, they will even grow feathers that are more rooster feathered, pointy rather than rounded. They still don't grow testes and can't fertilize a hen.
Are both hens still laying eggs?

They take turns. The one I think is crowing laid one yesterday. She only does it when she hears me talking to them. Lol

 

[Sequel]

Yes I had a hen that crowed a few times. She didn’t exhibit any other rooster tendencies though. It is funny isn’t it?

 

[sybonbon]

Yes I had a hen that crowed a few times. She didn’t exhibit any other rooster tendencies though. It is funny isn’t it?

If I heard that from my 8 week olds I would get nervous but for the last four years I knew my sexlinks we're hens.

 

[azygous]

It is a bit startling when you first hear a hen crow. We don't expect it. There are as many reasons why a hen would crow as there are why roosters crow, one they share being because it amuses them.

Over the time I've been raising and keeping chickens, I've had at least four hens that crowed. At present I have a Cream Legbar hen that loves to crow, and having two roosters doesn't affect her in the least.