Can pullets really crow?

[katiegoodrow]

I have a 5-6 week old Rhode Island Red that has started to make a crowing sound. I've had chicks make weird noises but this, this is a full body loud barking sound! Everyone says hens can crow, hens never crow, roosters don't crow this early, it's definitely a rooster. So who's ever had a hen crow or rooster crow this early!?

 

[keesmom]

Pullets do not crow. An oder hen, either a dominant one or one with an hormonal imbalance, may crow.

 

[chickenville1]

Actually, we had 6 baby chickens all hens and so we thought... 1 turned out to be a rooster. And when it was a pullet it started hopping on the girls and tried crowing for the first time. It started crowing at week 17 or so right before it was growing out it's crown and waddle fully.

 

[pattyhen]

I've had 2 older sebright hens that crowed. They were probably 3 or 4 years old.

Patty

 

[azygous]

I have a four-year old Speckled Sussex hen who crows. Actually, two. She has taught her sister to crow, and they both do a fair impersonation of a rooster, complete with crowing posture. But these girls did not crow as pullets.

Currently, I have four eight-week old chicks. Two are Silver Cuckoo Marans. One of them crowed for the first time today, an unmistakable adolescent cockerel crow. It sounds like someone trying to gargle. But it was a far cry from the peeping that all four chicks continue to do.

I've heard many young cockerels learn to crow. They all sound exactly like this Marans. Up until today, I was supposed to have four pullets. Now I realize I only have three.

Upon close inspection, my two Cuckoo Marans have different colored combs and wattles. The pullet has a pale yellowish comb. The cockerel has a pinkish comb. Examine you "crowing pullet". How does "her" comb compare in color to the others? Chances are, it's more of a pinkish, reddish hue than the pale yellowish fleshy color of the other pullets.

 

[donrae]

Young cockerels can certainly crow. I've seen videos of 2 week birds making a respectable crow. It's not common, but it can happen.

Older hens, usually with hormonal issues can crow. Some breeds seem more prone to it than others.

Young pullets don't crow. folks hold out hope, hearing random stories of crowing hens, but young pullets simply don't crow.

 

[katiegoodrow]

Are there any other sounds pullets make at this age that I could be confusing with a crow? This morning at 6am I heard her again but it was more of a loud clucking. Here is a picture of the comb. Definitely more red than fleshy orange. But none of my other pullets had a light comb they all turned pink rather early.

 

[Free Feather]

The youngest female I have had crow was six months, a Buff Laced Sebright. It is pretty common for Sebright hens to crow, though, and she was an odd one to boot.

 

[donrae]

Are there any other sounds pullets make at this age that I could be confusing with a crow? This morning at 6am I heard her again but it was more of a loud clucking. Here is a picture of the comb. Definitely more red than fleshy orange. But none of my other pullets had a light comb they all turned pink rather early.

This is definitely a cockerel, and it's not a Rhode Island Red. that's a pea comb, and the three rows and red color are classic male sign. As to breed, with the pea comb he could be an Easter egger or Olive egger.

 

[newmarch2014]

This is definitely a cockerel, and it's not a Rhode Island Red. that's a pea comb, and the three rows and red color are classic male sign. As to breed, with the pea comb he could be an Easter egger or Olive egger.

x2