Crowing hen?

[LIChickens]

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[GregMaxey]

Our last remaining chicken, a 5-year old Easteregger hen, just started crowing. When I searched on "crowing hen", this site and the following Youtube came up:

Looks like another Easteregger!

 

[lilbeastpdx]

Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. Hens rarely crow and, as the other members have indicated, when they do it's almost always an old hen who has assumed the role of a rooster in a roosterless flock. Sometimes after assuming the role of the rooster, they do become aggressive. If this happens with Harriet, you can try some pinless peepers on her. If you're not familiar with them, you can see them at https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/pinless_peepers.html. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with Harriet.

Hi Michael,

So, I think this pullet is crowing. It looks nothing like a roo to me (it's comb is still pink and it has no wattles), and everyone thinks it is a pullet. 20 weeks old, copper marans/aracuana mix. I've heard it once before--both times the coop was closed and the noise went away as soon as they were let out. Could it be that she is just a really loud hen who wants to get out? Do you think this is a roo?

 

[Michael OShay]

Hi Michael,

So, I think this pullet is crowing. It looks nothing like a roo to me (it's comb is still pink and it has no wattles), and everyone thinks it is a pullet. 20 weeks old, copper marans/aracuana mix. I've heard it once before--both times the coop was closed and the noise went away as soon as they were let out. Could it be that she is just a really loud hen who wants to get out? Do you think this is a roo?

I agree that it's a pullet. Are you certain that this bird is crowing? It's certainly not impossible, but it would really be surprising.

 

[lilbeastpdx]

I agree that it's a pullet. Are you certain that this bird is crowing? It's certainly not impossible, but it would really be surprising.

I'm going to see if I can video tape it tomorrow if it happens again. It was not a rooster crow (like the quintessential one), it was a very loud squawk while she was on her roost. It was like she leaned down toward my face (in the window) and squawked a few times. As soon as I opened the door and let them out it stopped. I do have seven birds so I suppose there is a chance that it was one of the others, but it's a small coop so I don't think so. The only thing I can think of is that she is getting ready to lay perhaps?

 

[Michael OShay]

I'm going to see if I can video tape it tomorrow if it happens again. It was not a rooster crow (like the quintessential one), it was a very loud squawk while she was on her roost. It was like she leaned down toward my face (in the window) and squawked a few times. As soon as I opened the door and let them out it stopped. I do have seven birds so I suppose there is a chance that it was one of the others, but it's a small coop so I don't think so. The only thing I can think of is that she is getting ready to lay perhaps?

She is definitely not far off from laying. It will be interesting to see your video.

 

[lilbeastpdx]

She is definitely not far off from laying. It will be interesting to see your video.

How can you tell exactly? What do you look for?

On another thread regarding this bird, they seem very confident that if it's crowing, it's a roo. And that this bird also has saddle and hackle feathers... I see none of that. She doesn't even have wattles--would a rooster crow if there zero wattles?

 

[Michael OShay]

How can you tell exactly? What do you look for?

On another thread regarding this bird, they seem very confident that if it's crowing, it's a roo. And that this bird also has saddle and hackle feathers... I see none of that. She doesn't even have wattles--would a rooster crow if there zero wattles?

A rooster could crow whether or not it had wattles, however I'm not seeing the the long pointed saddle, hackle, and sickle feathers on this bird that would make me think it's a cockerel (but then my eyes aren't what they used to be either). ) The tail feathers look nice and rounded to me like those of a pullet, and the redness of the comb can be explained by the age of the bird (close to laying). However, no one at BYC is inerrant and sometimes their is a bird posted on here that know one knows for sure until they actually crow or lay an egg. In this case, I'm sure that the crowing is making members think that it is a cockerel, and it may yet turn out to be. It is highly unlikely that a pullet that young would crow.

 

[lilbeastpdx]

A rooster could crow whether or not it had wattles, however I'm not seeing the the long pointed saddle, hackle, and sickle feathers on this bird that would make me think it's a cockerel (but then my eyes aren't what they used to be either). ) The tail feathers look nice and rounded to me like those of a pullet, and the redness of the comb can be explained by the age of the bird (close to laying). However, no one at BYC is inerrant and sometimes their is a bird posted on here that know one knows for sure until they actually crow or lay an egg. In this case, I'm sure that the crowing is making members think that it is a cockerel, and it may yet turn out to be. It is highly unlikely that a pullet that young would crow.

Michael,

So that bird in question crowed again today. I took two videos so you could hear it in one, and see it in the other. She only crows after the actual rooster finishes crowing, and while the rooster crows throughout the day, I only hear her do this around 8am--until I open the coop and let them out. Should I wait? This bird has no wattles and her comb is still only pink. The feathering looks like a hen too. What do you think now? Is she mimicking the rooster? Should I still wait?

 

[N F C]

There's an interesting article on Feathersite that explains how sometimes a sex change will occur in poultry. Briefly, even though hens have 2 ovaries, only one normally functions. If that one stops functioning, the other takes over but produces more testosterone. Not only will a bird start crowing but other physical changes can occur. There are photos accompanying the article if anyone wants to read it:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKChange.html