Shehnai does a special grunting bok when he alerts, not a crow. Everybody freezes or they run under the coop. He also has a long deep growly wheezy call he was doing before he started crowing that I thought were early crowing attempts. But he is still doing it now on occasion when he can very well crow, so the two are different.
Some weeks ago Shehnai was sort of randomly "feeling the urge" and looked a bit possessed and started practicing. At that time he crowed now and then during the day, he had the rhythm in a faint way and sort of just did this descending call. Now he's in a routine and crows several times in the morning soon after leaving the coop, and he's got the rhythm down much better. Generally he's quiet until evening, but these days he does not crow even then, don't know why.
It makes sense to do an "all clear" crow. Shehnai'll crow when there's something "notable" during the day, or some event, or disturbance. They've gotten used to the usual delivery trucks but the very intermittent big gas truck warrants a crow after it's gone. A stranger recently pulled in one day to ask us something, and after we were talking with them in the driveway (right next to their run) a while, Shehnai suddenly let out a crow.
DH and I started installing winter wind-barrier soffit boards on the west side of the run this morning. Shehnai crowed near us at one point. Two possible reasons, if the reason was related to us - the shadowy board was getting swung about above their heads and partially into their run, so I figure a little bit scary, but maybe more so DH is someone they are sort of familiar with but do not see up close that much. Sometimes I remind him to talk to them when he approaches or walks by their run. When I've been there working alone on the roofing and supports from inside and outside their run, and sometimes making all kinds of startling noises, though everybody would jump (and I would apologize) Shehnai never has crowed an "all clear".
Hmm I don't have any recent photos of him, will try tomorrow.
I do have these ladies who came by to inspect work on their little coop run floor yesterday. I was laying pavers on most of it, the dirt on the far end is too wet, and putting in side boards to hold the litter in. Annie on the left, she is a very skinny hard-molting lady right now, but she is eating, if less. Tedi standing on my boot, second picture, also molting but not as badly. Diane's feathers (middle) are still fairly intact but she is beginning to lose inner fluff feathers.
View attachment 4255217
View attachment 4255218
And these gals, having tried out both ways, it's clear they definitely prefer the lid up! Really, they like to stand on the seat better than the lid, because they can curl their toes around it for grip (I think).
View attachment 4255219
It also offers more possibilities for play.
View attachment 4255220
That hen is having so much fun!
Any ideas if this will be a chronic condition? Have you ruled out salpingitis as you suspected before or does it look like ascites?
