A hen that crows like a rooster?

[Njinja]

Last night I introduced a new adult rooster to my hens since butchering the old one shortly before Christmas. This morning he starting crowing as expected. What wasn't expected was that *someone* answered him! I imediately thought it must be one of my adolescent roosters because it sounded like a young male trying to crow for the first time, but both of the young males had their heads buried in their feed troughs. Eventually, I managed to see who was crowing--one of my brood hens!

She never crowed before and I suspect it is due to the presence of a new rooster after nearly two months without any. But has anyone else ever had (or heard of) a hen crowing like a rooster? She was crowing multiple times during the early morning.

 

[Bens-Hens]

I just shared this video on another page and blow me down here you are talking about the same thing. Rosie the RIR has a go here, only lasted a day or two. We did not have any roosters at the time.

I also had a cockerel have a go at a egg song too.

 

[Njinja]

How funny! I tried to video my hen crowing, but only managed to get the end. We sure thought it was funny to hear her crow, but she's a funny girl and insists on brooding the poults with the turkey hen.

 

[spikennipper]

The pullet in your video looks like she has gape worm, it looks more like an effort to clear her throat rather than a crow, is she ok now or is she still opening her mouth when breathing? I had a pullet crow so they can crow but it sounded like a sad attempt at a rooster crow, very garbled, she did it when her chicks were born and no roo around so maybe they do it when they feel insecure too.

 

[Bens-Hens]

No she is fine, certainly not gapeworm. Unless one chicken can get gapeworm in a flock and make it go away all on it's own in the space of a couple of days. She made this sound a couple of times a day over about 2-3 days. She then plucked out her belly feathers and decided she wanted to be a mum. We slipped some chicks under her that are now 7 weeks old. SHe never even judged them for being black and white

Still have not had an egg since either but she has done well at her first go at parenting.

 

[theoldchick]

Interesting. She Seems to be in some sort of distress. Looks how she has isolated herself. My crowing hen was very proud of her noise. She'd flap her wings and blast forth her broken bugle noise then cackle like she was laughing.

Your particular hen could be suffering from a partial blockage of her airway. Possibly a stray blade of grass has some how positioned itself and she is trying to dislodge it. Or a piece of grain is where it shouldn't be. Usually in this case you'll notice some head shaking.

Here's my crower. Note how she's making direct eye contact. LIttle Sister ruled the flock.







On the other hand this hen had an ear infection. I thought she had gapeworm, but when examined I found a yeast infection in her left ear.



You can tell she's uncomfortable by her closed eyes and retracted wattles.



Get your hands on your hen and see what is going on.

Good luck with her! Maybe she is just practicing, but a good physical exam can't hurt.

 

[Bens-Hens]

She has had many checks while she was raising her BR chicks. That video is from months ago and she has not had any further issues. If there was a stray blade of grass or seed that made her make that sound it's long gone.

We have a few strange ones, the Black Australorp likes to mount the smaller pullets, and our former cockerel liked to have a go at following along to the girls egg song. We also have a pullet that sometimes moans and another that has a egg song like a Kookaburra.

The weird things our girls do.

 

[ReliezFarm]

I have a hen which is about a year old that recently started crowing. She has never had a rooster to imitate, so she is making this all up. She lays eggs too, so don't tell me I can't tell the difference. I already sent all my roosters to the 'rooster farm' to live out their lives. It sounds like a rooster when they first get their voice. She also is the top of the pecking order and will jump on the hens like a rooster would. Very funny to watch. Just hope she doesn't get any louder or I'll have the code enforcement police on my back again.