Favorite "hen" crowed yesterday!!!!

[ma kettle]

So I posted here back in June right after a dog attacked and killed 3 of my flock. One "hen" barely survived. It had just been given to me by a lady amateur breeder, sold as a banty HEN and supposedly full grown. Well, I almost euthanized it after the attack, but just couldn't do it, so nursed it to health. It was infested with maggots in the wounds, and I fought from throwing up as I handpicked each maggot out, then poured hydrogen peroxide on the wounds. So shockingly, the bird survived. I guess because i handled it daily, it became very tame and sweet. It is the first bird to come jogging out to greet me every morning. So I had been noticing that this "banty" was actually growing tall... weird. Also looked lean compared to my round girls. Still, nothing registered with me that anything was off. So yesterday I was gardening and heard a "cock-a-doodle-do". I thought, "Darn it! Neighbor's nasty rooster is in my yard and now I gotta catch him!". Looked around--- no trespasser. Hmmm. Turned my back and heard the crow again. Turned around just in time to see my no-longer-banty, no-longer-hen let it rip. Darn it!! This is my favorite bird!

I really can't have a rooster--- in my town we are technically supposed to keep them enclosed in a "sound proof" area until 8am. I leave for work at 7. Not only that, but the birds live too close to our guest house where my grandbabies sleep. So far, they haven't complained about the noise. It really isn't so loud. Much quieter than the horrible, ear-splitting crow of the mille fleur banty we had that you could hear 1/2 mile down the road. Will it get louder as he ages?

Here is another odd thing--- this young rooster is really henpecked. He has almost no guts. I have to feed him separately and guard him while he eats or else the hens chase him off. Do you think he'll get tougher as the testerone takes over? He lives a pretty miserable existence. Everyone in my flock picks on him.

If no one complains, maybe--- I am keeping this rooster--- he is just so sweet. I am just so surprised that "she" is a "he". Has this every happened to anyone, or am I just really stupid????

 

[andrea98]

well i have read on here that a hen can crow ..usually the dominate one tho..who knows lol good luck with "it"

 

[ChooksChick]

I'm guessing it's not because it's the dominant hen...

I, too, have a wonderful, lanky, lap-dog roo who is hen-pecked and skittish. He is about 22 weeks old and is starting to ignore them when they charge him to nip.

Shockingly, he must be treading these older gals, because 3 BR eggs I broke for breakfast were fertilized! I nearly fell over (then I threw 3 in the incubator!).

What I'm seeing is that as he ages, he learns how to woo the ladies with treats (he calls them over and points to the succulent bug, then runs away!) and he dances for them. He is really a doll, and only crows a few times during the day not even in a row.

You should give him a chance- the grandbabies won't hear him after a week or so- you don't notice it any more than any other common background noise, like blue jays!

You going to show us a pic, or what???!?

 

[ma kettle]

Hope I did the image upload correct. If so:

Here is my bird. Is it an Americauna? Its name is Hawky because my kids think it looks hawk-like. Does it look like a roo???? It only crowed twice yesterday and three times this morning. Neighbor's roo lets it rip all day. What do you all think??

ChooksChick, that is hilarious about how your rooster woos the hens! I would not believe that my timid roo could do anything with his equipment! For this bird to get up the nerve--- no way. I don't believe it. They'd kill him. I do have a hen who is the HBIC (head-grump-in-charge) and thinks she is a roo, but has never crowed and actually lays now and then when she feels like it.

 

[ma kettle]

P.s. i am just now noticing the tail feathers are kind of long... I had only had this bird two days before the dog attack, and all of the tail feathers were plucked out by the dog, one wing was broken, and the bird had deep, deep puncture wounds in the back and neck area.

 

[underground chickenman]

Hmmm, possibly some sickles forming, definitely some rooster-looking hackles. If it's an Ameraucana, the crest is getting up there pretty good for it to be a hen. She, um it, is looking pretty boyish to me.

 

[Amy's Animals]

He's not an Ameraucana because he doesn't fit into the color standards; he is a beautiful Easter Egger rooster!!!

 

[ChooksChick]

OMG- he's a match to my guy, except he's got a lot more red in him! gorgeous Easter Egger!! He was supposed to be a pullet, but then he started to look rooish...it was too late. I was in love.


So, my fellow had tons of special care early on because he has a very bad crossbeak, and when I took him in for a trim the vet broke it- he had to have a prosthetic beak on bottom for a while. All the extra care and hand-feeding made him a huge pile of love. He sits in our laps and purrs.

I agree- I would have expected our old biddies would sooner see him served as pate before allowing him, er, service time, but clearly he's changing their minds!

Give him a chance to transition from one of the gang into ManliMan!

If he's just started crowing, he's a good month behind mine in testosterone-icity...he'll find his way!

I don't know what other roosters are like- never really intended to have one- but my guy is made of awesome and I am going to do everything I can to keep him. I'm not supposed to have one at all, but the ordinance that says so was instituted 6 weeks after I got him. He never crows before 9:30 and only does it a couple of times a day.

I can see why folks have them- he watches the girls and he's always the first to see hawks and dogs.

Yours looks like a keeper!

 

[The Zoo]

Yours looks a lot like my EE rooster Masala - very similar coloring. Mine is a timid boy too - the only one he can boss is the EE pullet he grew up with. I'm dying to see him get the better of my older BPR girls.

You should nickname him 'Lucky'

 

[cmom]

Roo.....