crowing question

[AlwaysForever]

I am laid up sick and just heard a rather distressing shrill bird call. I first thought it was a wild bird, but by the second was hobbling to our bathroom where our chicks are kept. I was expecting an injured bird, but they all looked chill. Was this an early crow or am I that ill?

 

[JJSS89]

How old are your chicks? If they are of crowing age, I hope they aren't in your bathroom

They make those shrill sounds from a very young age, yes.

 

[Heidi65]

At what age will a rooster try to start crowing? We are already so attached to our babies that we are going to be SO upset if any of them turn out to be one. Our babies will only be 3 weeks old tomorrow so I know we have a quite some time to become more attached before we find out.

Where I live we are not even allowed to have chickens but we have an 1/2 acre and are on good terms with our neighbors, plus their coop is 1/2 of the doghouse so you really won't be able to tell we have them.

Heidi

 

[JJSS89]

What kind of chickens do you have Heidi? A rooster won't crow until he wants to.

Sorry,

not a great answer. Some start as early as 3 months and some wont crow until they are 6 months old. I have a Serama that hatched last September who just started crowing but I also have a Welsummer/RIR who crowed at about 3 months.

 

[AlwaysForever]

Ours are about 8 weeks old. I would guess it is the polish, but we had 2 silkies in as well. They are outside all day, but seem to get cold overnight and huddle outside their coop so we have still been bringing them in overnight

 

[HappyChickadee]

I have a mighty little one who started crowing at 7 weeks - it is dreadfully cute and pathetic sounding lol. He does not do it all the time. But that is how I discovered that he is a rooster. The other baby rooster does not crow.

 

[WldFlwrs]

Another crowing question...hopefully related.

What's too young to see rooster traits?

We have 18 pullets (supposedly), about 3-4 weeks old, from Ideal Poultry.
All of them handle well and will come when called and we are very happy with them.


From about week 1 two of the "girls" have had very distinguished struts. Heads held high and proud, longer strides,.
They go through the motion of a crowing rooster rather often. These two also act protective of the rest of the girls.
They only go to sleep after checking everyone else is accounted for and with the group.
I've seen one of them "herd" the rest of the girls into an area if anything "spooks' it.

This past week we have caught the same two doing what looks like "chest bumps" like men do
They aren't aggressive toward each other, and each seems to have a mini group following them within the big group.

We originally weren't planning on keeping roosters, but if a GOOD rooster comes along we'll definitely welcome him into the fold.

Bossy Hens? Good Roosters?

And yes, I know, I spend too much time with my birds
I'm addicted

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Ours are about 8 weeks old. I would guess it is the polish, but we had 2 silkies in as well. They are outside all day, but seem to get cold overnight and huddle outside their coop so we have still been bringing them in overnight

Post some pics of your birds - at 8 weeks we may be able to sort out genders for you, though silkies can be difficult to sex. I noticed you said you were brining them in due to them huddling outside the coop - this sounds like they just have not formed a good habit of "going to roost", not at all uncommon with young birds. You can help them learn what to do at night by going out at dusk and placing them into the coop and shutting them in. Go out in the morning and let them out. After several nights they will learn that dusk = go in and go to bed.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Another crowing question...hopefully related.

What's too young to see rooster traits?

We have 18 pullets (supposedly), about 3-4 weeks old, from Ideal Poultry.
All of them handle well and will come when called and we are very happy with them.


From about week 1 two of the "girls" have had very distinguished struts. Heads held high and proud, longer strides,.
They go through the motion of a crowing rooster rather often. These two also act protective of the rest of the girls.
They only go to sleep after checking everyone else is accounted for and with the group.
I've seen one of them "herd" the rest of the girls into an area if anything "spooks' it.

This past week we have caught the same two doing what looks like "chest bumps" like men do
They aren't aggressive toward each other, and each seems to have a mini group following them within the big group.

We originally weren't planning on keeping roosters, but if a GOOD rooster comes along we'll definitely welcome him into the fold.

Bossy Hens? Good Roosters?

And yes, I know, I spend too much time with my birds
I'm addicted

What breeds are your chicks? Behavior is really not the best indicator to use for gender - it can be one clue, but is among the most unreliable, imo. At 3-4 weeks, depending on breed, you are really at the very early end of the time where gender can start to be defined. You can certainly take and post some photos now - but without some very obvious physical characteristics being present it is more likely you will have better luck at 6+ weeks (even older with some breeds)

 

[WldFlwrs]

What breeds are your chicks? Behavior is really not the best indicator to use for gender - it can be one clue, but is among the most unreliable, imo. At 3-4 weeks, depending on breed, you are really at the very early end of the time where gender can start to be defined. You can certainly take and post some photos now - but without some very obvious physical characteristics being present it is more likely you will have better luck at 6+ weeks (even older with some breeds)

Correction these 18 are from TS...so I have no clue about breed.
Have two batches. Sorry about the mistake.
The first picture is one of them on the roost (yellow/white)
The second picture is the two in question watching one of the red girls on the roost.