Broken cockerel?

[Texpatriate]

We've got four 5 month old black copper Marans cockerels from the same batch from a breeder. 3 out of the 4 are about the same size, crow about the same, etc., but number 4, well, let's just say he's a little "different" from the rest.

First of all, he's the best looking one of the bunch. Great color. Size wise, he's probably 25-50% bigger than the other 3. So I'm thinking, okay, good size, fast weight gain, that's a good thing, right? He's earned the nickname "T-Rex". And to top it off, he's pretty friendly.

Secondly, something strange is going on with his crow. Usually when he tries to crow, just an awkward honk comes out, but today he started to crow extremely quiet, like so quiet you could hardly hear it. It was almost like somebody with laryngitis trying to talk. It sounded painful. All four of the boys were standing in the middle of the yard having a crowing contest, and it was absolutely pitiful watching this guy try to compete.

So I'm wondering to myself, did this guy hurt himself somehow? Like, as in "damage the family jewels"? Have a (ahem) "bike accident"? His large size combined with the anemic crow make me wonder if this guy is an unintentional capon, and he's not going to be fertile. Does this happen (I would guess unfortunately yes), and if so, does it sound like this may be what's going on? How can I figure out if his rooster manhood has indeed been damaged? Thanks!

 

[aggiemae]

Some roos just don't crow much. If he is, as my dad would have said "visiting the hen house", ie: mounting your hens, he isn't missing the essential equipment.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Some roos just don't crow much. If he is, as my dad would have siad "visiting the hen house", ie: mounting your hens, he isn't missing the essential equipment.

x2, if he was infertile then in theory he wouldn't have all the hormones a "teenager" like him self should have an won't feel the need to reproduce.

Also he might be a faster grower but that doesn't necessarily mean he will be the best crower, at 20 weeks of age most roosters are still perfecting their crow.
When my rooster started crowing, I thought that our cat was being eaten alive.....it was horrible.LOL.

I personally think he will just get the hang of it eventually.
Good Luck, keep us updated.

 

[Fancychooklady]

My youngest silkie roo just started to crow. Sounds like he's miles away when he crows. But I'm sure that as he gets older hell turn the volume up.

 

[aggiemae]

We have a hen that crows and the chicken inspector came by about a while back it but it seems that as the law is currently written crowing is ok with-in the city limits as long as it isn't a rooster...

 

[Fancychooklady]

Lol, so a bit of clever trimming and perhaps a little dye, could fool the inspector into believing we have hens not Roos . I seem to remember a biblical story along those lines.

 

[Texpatriate]

Well apparently this was a false alarm. He's now crowing (rather awkwardly still...but crowing nonetheless), and I caught him trying to mount one of our Mille Fleur pullets today. Apparently he likes his ladies petite, but hopefully he'll move up to his Marans ladies and leave the bantams to their own roosters. I can't imagine a big old Marans cross could possibly hatch from a bantam egg. Thanks!

 

[aggiemae]

I can't imagine a big old Marans cross could possibly hatch from a bantam egg. Thanks!

Even if the resulting hen lays tiny chocolate brown eggs?

 

[Texpatriate]

That'd be cool, but I can't imagine the chick would survive in an egg that size. Now going the other way putting a bantam cock over a Marans hen and then getting choc eggs from the resulting hens would be interesting and worth trying....

 

[Fancychooklady]

My full sized GLW roo mated with a silkie. The result was small hen that looks like a GLW with 5 toes and a top knot. Lays eggs same size and color as Wyandotte .