Earliest Crowing cocks??

[Murdy]

Everything I've read, and everybody I've talked to has said that the roos will start to crow no earlier than 16 weeks, but more like 20. Last week I had 2 little buggers start crowing (not a full "cockadoodle-doo.... more like a "doodle-doo") at 9 weeks. I had to butcher them immediately as I'm in the city, and that's an issue here. I then sold the 4 others that I was sure were boys, just in case they started too. A couple of days later at almost 10 week, another little guy (I still had hopes for that one to be a pullet) started to crow, and had to be butchered. The 3 of them together MIGHT have totaled 10lbs before butchering. Way too soon, but I had no choice.

So... what's the earliest you've had your boys start to crow? This seems really odd to me. We raised them from teeny little babies, sold to us as 2-3 day olds, so I'm sure of their ages.

 

[sourland]

I've had bantam cockerels crow in the brooder at around 4 weeks of age.

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

I've had bantam cockerels crow in the brooder at around 4 weeks of age.

Same here.

 

[Murdy]

I've had bantam cockerels crow in the brooder at around 4 weeks of age.

Oh my....

 

[Murdy]

So... Is that normal for bantams? What about non bantam?

 

[MysteryChicken]

I had a silkie cockerel crow as early as 3 weeks old once.

 

[K0k0shka]

6 weeks old - Barnevelders and Orpingtons.

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

So... Is that normal for bantams? What about non bantam?

Usually bantams are pretty fast in showing their true colors. I've got D'uccles and I could pick out cockerels and pullets at 4ish weeks because of combs and pathetic half-crows.

Standard cockerels usually don't start crowing till they are a few months old. Mine have always been four or five months old.

 

[sourland]

So... Is that normal for bantams? What about non bantam?

In my experience, the larger the bird the slower to mature/crow/mate.

 

[IttyBittyBirdy]

Going off of the replies I should be able to see what my mille fleur and OE bantam cross with silkie babies are.