Crowing question...

[SunAngel]

Probably a silly question...but what do roosters first crows sound like?

I let my 10 week old chickens out of the coop this morning and my Buff Brahma Bantam flapped its wings a little and made a caw-caw sound. Do you suppose that is the beginnings of crowing or do females sometimes make weird noises. I have heard one of my females make an alarm warning sound, but this was different.

I was expecting crowing to sound closer to the cockadoodledoo sound but this chicken sounded more like a crow lol.

Does it look like a roo?

Thanks for any help!!

 

[SunAngel]

I dont know if it helps, but my Gray Silkie, which I am pretty sure is a roo, was jumping on the back of this brahma the other day and chasing it around. I just assumed the meant the brahma was a girl, but now Im not so sure.

 

[jc12551]

That is very similar to my mutt roo's first crow this week at 20 weeks. Sometimes I think one of the hens is strangling him it sounds so funny. He jumps up, flaps his wings and makes a gurgling caw caw sound. He always looks surprised when it comes out. He hasn't been crowing until 9am (I don't let them out until 8am most mornings) but this morning he was crowing in the coop at about 6:30. I've already had a neighbor inquire if something was killing one of my chickens! He will crow on cue if I make hen type noises (which also sends the head pullet into a tizzy!).

 

[SunAngel]

Thats cute! Funny chickens!

I was waiting for something along the lines of the strangled er er er errrrr sound, but this sounded just like a black crow cawcaw. It did it like 3 times with a break in between, and always with its head turned so I couldnt quite tell if it was that chicken.

I ordered the Ornamental Layer collection from MMH, but the bantams I ordered were straight run. I had 2 of the Brahmas, but the smaller one died. With my luck that was probably the female!

As the chickens age, I now have 2 or 3 that I am worried will be roos. My female Muscovy is loud enough without having 3 roosters crowing. I am crossing my fingers that no more start looking like roos.

My problem though is, all 3 of my 'supposed' roos are all ones where the pics of young pullets I've found look a lot like roos....Blue Andalusian, Buff Brahma and Silkie.

I might have to rehome the Andalusian and Brahma before too long, bummer.

 

[gritsar]

My two brahma roos first crows have been described as everything from a dog strangling to a broken horn. One started at 9/10 weeks and the other just started at 15 weeks. The one that started first finally sounds like a cockledoodledo. The other is still working on it.
My first instinct on yours was that it's a hen, because the red comb and wattles don't worry me much; all my buff hens got theirs early. However, it looks like yours is getting some sickle feathers in the tail making it a roo. Are those sickle feathers green-tinged as they appear to be?

 

[SunAngel]

You know, I didnt notice the black/green tail feathers til I posted the pic lol.

I will have to go get a closer look. I know I saw some females in pics with black tail feathers, but the way the one on my bird is curling down and has a green tint, makes me wonder too.

 

[chickenfanatic]

yea sounds like a strater crow hahaha sounds like ur strangling them or something its horrible hahaha and funny

 

[SunAngel]

I am pretty sure my suspicions have been confirmed! I heard crowing noises from inside the coop this morning, let them out and the same little Brahma runs around flapping 'his' wings and practicing a better crowing sound (still sort of strangled though).

I have a friend that is willing to take any of my chickens that turn out to be roosters, which is good. I gave her a pair of my Polish because I believed the white one was a male. I visited her last night and the Buff Polish I have now, looks more male than that white one. So we are waiting now to see if I chose the wrong Polish to send her way. I may have to do a swap!

I think chickens enjoy driving us crazy trying to figure out what they are..both sex and breeds!

 

[gritsar]

So you're not gonna keep that one? He's awful purty. Got real nice markings.

 

[SunAngel]

I wish I could, but I am almost sure my closest neighbor would have a fit. He was pretty loud already and will probably get louder with age and practice.

I think one of my Silkies is going to be a roo and I want to keep him. So I am hoping he isn't a real loud crower. At least if my Brahma is at our friends, I will get to see him whenever I want to, and she has female bantams, so there might be chicks in my future from him.