can a chicken pose as a rooster, when rooster goes missing?

[amberkay]

We went on vacation for a week. We received a phone call saying our rooster is MIA. I get home, and my silkie, who I have thought to be a hen, starts crowing. Late bloomer or crazy?? They are all about 5 1/2 months old.

 

[Whittni]

Hens will take the role of a rooster and kinda crow.

 

[Sphynxii]

I've heard stories of hens being attaked by a something and getting hurt which damamges the female organs in her and she begins to develope into a rooster...they cant reproduce but this probably isnt the case i had what i thought was a silkie hen for about 2 or 3 months and then she who was a he suddenly grew really big started crowing and turned out to be a rooster.

 

[Kelsie2290]

With a silkie I would say late bloomer, they are really hard to tell young. I don't totally believe a silkie is a girl until it lays an egg, preferably two.

 

[amberkay]

What would a white silkie egg look like? White, tan, brown? I have a verity pack of chickens...lol

 

[Kelsie2290]

They are usually a shade of light tan, I've had them range from tinted/almost white, to a light-medium brown. They are usually small in size 30-35 grams or so in pullets or little hens, getting up to medium size in the older/bigger hens.

 

[write2caroline]

I am not sure about chickens morphing genetically into Roosters but I have had only chickens and no roosters and have had a chicken take an alpha roll. She didn't exactly crow like a rooster but she made wierd sounds - then I did get a rooster and she went back to being the quiet girl she was previously.

Caroline

 

[amberkay]

Now I have another HEN crowing, I know she's a hen...or I think, Cuz she went broody. All the eggs magically disappeared tho :-/

 

[amberkay]

This is my silkie, who crows, and I have notice him/her TRYING to mount other hens....so I guess he's a roo?!?

 

[Audio51]

I had a flock of 6 hens (all hens for sure) and my Blue Austrolorp was that highest in the pecking order. When she went broody and started be in the nest box 24/7 one of the other hens started crowing. It wasn't the full blown crow like a rooster would have, but was clearly her attempt at a crow . She even took on the correct posture when she made the sound. As soon as the Blue Austrolorp rejoined the rest of the flock the crowing hen stopped as she resume her role. I believe this is part of their attempt to establish dominance over the other hens when whoever was the "top Dog" is out of the picture whether it is a permanent or temporary absence.