Am I going nuts? Bantam chick “crowing”?

[newchickychick]

Raising the feeder and water dispenser to shoulder height will prevent much of the bedding to get scratched into it.

The youngest cockerel I had crowing was a BCM at five weeks and he then proceeded to annoy his momma hen by jumping on her back multiple times trying to mate with her.

The ones we’ve got only go to one particular different height (unless I’m doing it wrong! Which is very likely) and we’ve got a few stragglers (slow growing) that need it low for now. One is just about the size of a quarter still! I definitely needed a reminder to look at it though, thank you! I’ll go in now and see if there’s a slightly lower height than the tallest. They REALLY like to kick bedding in there. Thank you! It drives me crazy but they’re too cute and are just being chickens, so I can’t complain. But I would love a solution. Fingers crossed I can find a happy medium!

Oh noooo. I hope these guys don’t turn into little terrors! One seems like he will probably be a mess (the one in the video - he’s always chest bumping like all the ones his age but has chased a few others. He doesn’t seem to be trying anything just giving them a scamper), but the other SO FAR has been seeming more like a peace keeper. We’re going to be pretty picky about keeping only roos that don’t hassle hens, and also no signs of human aggression.

 

[MommaChicken84]

Editing in video from another chick, same age and behavior!

SILLY little guys!


I need to try to catch it on video, but I kept hearing this sound from the garage and I went to go check. It was this tiny, high-pitched “bree-dee-dee” sort of sound from a very pink combed Bantam we’ve got. We got them on May 24th, and I’m FAIRLY certain they arrived to TSC that day.
So that makes them a little over 3 weeks old. The Bantam in question pulled his shoulders back and leaned his head forward just like our crowing cockerels outside do, and looked quite like he was trying (and failing…) to crow. Is that even possible? Or is something going on with him health wise? None of the babies are showing any signs of health issues, and were all joyfully playing around their brooder. They were all quite spread out, so not cold and there’s definitely some under the heat lamp so not too cold either.

Is it possible he’s just older since he already has a very pink comb? Can they even crow so early? He made the noise like four times before scampering off to play with some of the others. Though those chicks really weren’t there the day before and were tiny as could be when we brought them home, so I’m leaning towards doubting they were too much older than a couple days old.

It’s certainly precious! And he seems happy as a clam. But I didn’t think it was possible for cockerels to crow so early. (Or well, attempt to in his case…) though he certainly has quite a pink comb! He’s always “on the lookout” when anyone comes into the garage and gives everyone a good once-over before returning to whatever he’s doing. Mega early bloomer? Or could there be something going on with him and he’s not trying to crow? Or do Bantams really just develop super early?

This was him just about last week - the black one! Don’t have a good pic without the red lighting at the moment but will take another later.
View attachment 4149415

My d’Uccle boys have been crowing since weeks 3 for one and week 4 for the other & they were never that low or tiny lol. It’s my favorite part of my mornings though it won’t allow me to post a video for some reason This is how big he was then though

 

[Folly's place]

Very cute cockerels, from both of you. Our earliest cockerel to start crowing was an eight week old Fayoumi, who was adorable, throwing his little head back, and fluffing his tiny feathers.
Everyone else was much later...
Mary

 

[newchickychick]

Very cute cockerels, from both of you. Our earliest cockerel to star crowing was an eight week old Fayoumi, who was adorable, throwing his little head back, and fluffing his tiny feathers.
Everyone else was much later...
Mary

I was so very surprised! We now have about *eight* crowers in our Bantam brooder. We will certainly be downsizing, as we plan to keep around 50-60 Bantams total, especially as one is possibly a Calico? Cochin Bantam boy. But they're all trying to be early bloomers for sure.
Fayoumi are so cute! It's so funny when they're younger than the "usual". They do their very best!