Can hens crow?!?

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Our itty bitty black rosecomb hen used to crow. Sounded "like a strangled cat" said DH. She even flew up onto the peak of our house one day and crowed up there. She lays an egg a day and has raised two broods of chicks.

She is also a very devoted girlie. In this pic she's "guarding" her injured mate after treatment for an attack by their roobaby son (who's testosterone suddenly turned on):

She's the little boss of our world. I can see the argument for hormone thingies going on in a crowing hen. She's very friendly, but definitely in charge.

 

[marr77]

I had a Seabright Pullet that crowed! I had her all caged up and ready to go to the show and she crowed! I freaked out because I had already entered it as a pullet,and how silly I'd look bringing a cockerel instead.

Turns out I was right all along when 20 minutes later it layed an egg!

 

[spiritdance]

My little buff Dutch hen crowed until she laid her first egg. I guess her hormones finally kicked in and she figured out what that handsome fella in the run with her is for...

 

[Secretchicken]

Quote:
My Golden Seabright pullet caws like a seagull, has crowed a few times and proclaims her egg song, loudly every time she lays. She is the dominant hen and jumps on the backs of the other hens. She is also the most broody.

 

[GardenerGal]

erica.godinez :

hi there sorryto interrup but i would like to mention, when i was little in mexico, my uncle had a lot o rosters he trained them for ( you all CAN IMAGIN for what) something that i never like but unfortionatly in mexico is something tha happens a lot. any how back to what i was going to say , he had a couple of so called "GALLINETAS" these so called "GALLINETAS" have both sexes - omg these Chickens acted just like a roo and a hen they would crow and get broody, and even try to mate with a hen. of course i was to little to understan. i was 8 years old. so maybe someone here can explain of these fenomenon. oh and the bread was game. GALLOGALLINA ??????

Erica, !es la hormonas! A veces, una gallina produce hormonas masculinas, y entonces ella va a desempeñarse como un gallo. Pero, ella actualmente es una gallina, y puede hacer huevos. Los cuerpos de todas gallinas hacen un poquita de hormonas masculinas, y todos del gallos hacen un poquito de hormonas femininas. Muy interestante, si?

It's the hormones! Sometimes, a hen makes male hormones, and it makes her act like a rooster. But, she actually is a hen, and can make eggs. The bodies of all hens make a little bit of male homones, and all roosters make a little bit of female hormones. Very interesting, huh?

 

[GardenerGal]

Quote:
That's a great little piece of information!

I am guessing that the slight overproduction of testosterone led to this behavior, and it actually was beneficial to the genetics of the hen because it attracted a mate to help her reproduce (beneficial to the roo, too). So, the trait was perpetuated and we have domestic hens today who have that little testosterone boost!

My two older bantam hens that crow, have plenty of roosters to choose from and are not lonely, but they crow anyway. I think it is just hormones even though hens don't have to deal with menopause like human women do.

 

[figuerjo03]

Thanks for the info, everyone. I feel much better about my girl now. And if any neighbors complain, I can lay this information on them.

 

[packmomma]

I had one hen crow. It was an EE and I had to do a double take. I know she is female. I have video of her laying an egg lol. She crowed when I was out with them working in the garden. I looked up in shock and she looked at me and crowed again. I stood up and said, "if you crow one more time I'm gonna have you for dinner" I havent heard a crow after that lol.

 

[Big Red's Mom]

I have a 3 year old RIR rooster that crows every morning. But right behind that I have another bird that is crowing. I only have one rooster.....For sure because all my birds are over a year old. I have never actually seen which bird it is because when I go to check it out they all get excited...expecting a treat or some free range time.

 

[GardenerGal]

packmomma and Big Red's Mom,
I think they're only doing it to mess with your minds!