Crowing hen?

[stephaniek]

So my five year old RIR Harriet has recently started crowing! She never crowed before but in June, I picked up four baby chicks and just about three weeks ago, I heard a crow and thought it was one of the babies. Today I went to look out the window and I saw it was lil ol' Harriet doing the crowing! Anyone else experience this? Would she start to become aggressive towards me and the babies?

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

While not really common, older hens can begin crowing. And some of them even grow spurs. Usually this happens in a flock with no rooster and with a hen that is no longer laying. So yes, it does happen.

As for becoming aggressive, it depends on her nature. If she has been docile up to now, chances are she will remain the same old hen. If she had some aggression issues in her past toward you, then they could escalate. I wouldn't worry about that however. She will probably not change in her personality at this age.

Enjoy your interesting flock and welcome to ours!

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!

X2 on TwoCrows' advice.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi Glad you joined the flock. I can't say I've had experience of this myself but when I was doing some research on why my 8 week polish had started crowing and I was convinced it was a pullet it said that females could crow too. So I don't think it unheard of.

Good luck with your flock and four new babies

 

[Wyandottes7]

Welcome to BYC!

We're glad to have you. X3 on TwoCrow's advice.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Yes, hens can crow for sure.

I had a hen who crowed. We all thought she was a rooster but she was laying eggs! She also was aggressive. The strange thing is that she was very affectionate and friendly at the beginning. I went on a trip and when I returned she was as mean as could be. So it is very possible for them to all of a sudden turn mean and start crowing.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC!

 

[cafarmgirl]

I had a hen who started crowing when the flock order was disrupted when she was 3 years old. She would also do the mating dance and call the other hens to treats etc. She is never aggressive to me though. She is now 5 1/2 years old, still lays eggs in the spring and summer and occasionally goes broody. She doesn't crow as much any more but does occasionally sit up on the fence and crow her head off in the mornings, and she does a darn good job of it too!

 

[drumstick diva]

Apparently some hens really wanted to be roosters when they grew up - who knew?

 

[Michael OShay]

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.