Ever had a crowing hen?

[BantyChooks]

Just curious. I had a 2 yr old bantam hen start crowing yesterday; she's the first one in 200ish birds I've had that decided to. She sounds even worse than a new cockerel.

Edit: looks like staff moved this out of random ramblings. Despite the fact this is now in a 'help' forum, I am not asking for help. I realise what can cause it and why. I just thought it would be fun to see how many others have had one.

 

[Welshies]

She might be switching genders. As crazy as that sounds I've heard it can happen. A hen starts crowing, stops laying, becomes a rooster.

 

[BantyChooks]

She might be switching genders. As crazy as that sounds I've heard it can happen. A hen starts crowing, stops laying, becomes a rooster.

They do not become roosters. They have excessive testosterone but they do not grow testicles.

 

[Welshies]

They do not become roosters. They have excessive testosterone but they do not grow testicles.

Hmm.. ok

 

[BantyChooks]

Hmm.. ok

They've still got the hen plumbing, lol.

 

[Blooie]

Now, Banty...don't tell me you don't remember my silly Buff Orpington hen, Kat, way back in the day? Although I missed her steady laying, I had to rehome her just because she drove me crazy when she started crowing!! Loudly. And often. And we also had DumbDaphneTheFlockComplainer. She didn't actually crow crow like Kat did, but she came perilously close - we used to call it her "crokle" because it was halfway between a crow and a cackle!!

Sometimes, especially in a flock where there is no rooster like ours was at the time, a dominant hen will kind of assume that role. It's like being Head Hen, except their power goes to their heads - and their voice boxes!! Tee hee!

 

[BantyChooks]

Now, Banty...don't tell me you don't remember my silly Buff Orpington hen, Kat, way back in the day? Although I missed her steady laying, I had to rehome her just because she drove me crazy when she started crowing!! Loudly. And often. And we also had DumbDaphneTheFlockComplainer. She didn't actually crow crow like Kat did, but she came perilously close - we used to call it her "crokle" because it was halfway between a crow and a cackle!!

Sometimes, especially in a flock where there is no rooster like ours was at the time, a dominant hen will kind of assume that role. It's like being Head Hen, except their power goes to their heads - and their voice boxes!! Tee hee!

I would probably remember if I didn't have a memory like a sieve, LOL.

I have more than enough roosters but she's been indoors and alone for the past two weeks due to temperatures too cold for her spoiled behind. So she might have given up on ever seeing a man again.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I have a gold lace polish hen that sporadically crows. It started after I rehomed the roo. She sounds terrible, like a squeaky gate that’s in desperate need of some oil

 

[aart]

Yep, I had a 2yo hen crowing last year.
Can't remember exactly when, must have been late summer/fall as I thought it was one of the pullets(was after all cockerels were gone).
Finally caught her at it, it cracked me up, she and the cockbird at the time were doing regular 'duets'. She was not laying at the time, probably molting. She would also help 'herd' after an alarm, break up spats, and would tidbit the other girls. This started shortly after her BFF(well, only hatchmate left) died, not sure if that's pertinent, and she was probably head hen. She continued this for months until she came back into lay.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Mine was an older hen.
She had stopped laying at age 6 and by 6 and 1/2 she started crowing. Not often but definitely funny. She went to freezer camp shortly after that.
She was as splash hamburg.