help! crowing hen

[chuckachucka]

at the moment I have only two hens, both of whom are currently raising chicks. One of these hens is 18 months old and is very much top hen. She is a terrible bully with the other hen and is very demanding for treats/being let out to free range. While mothering the chicks she has been very quiet but still aggressive toward the other hen and chicks.
then today, with the chicks 8 weeks old but still very much her babies, she started making her complaining noises again to be let out. And then I noticed her making another noise that sounds like the beginning of a crow! Shehas made this noise now several times today. It is just a short noise but definitely crow-like. I can't keep a crowing bird which is why I have no cockerels. What can I do to stop her crowing? Will it get worse, I.e. A longer full crow? Why is she doing this while she is still raising chicks?? Help!!

 

[twisted-acres-farm]

I am not sure there is much you can really do Some hens do crow and tend to be more masculine ON the bright side you have a very unique bird. Some where on here there was a thread about why some hens crow BUT that was before the GREAT FARK up aka CHANGE and now I can't not find anything,

 

[chuckachucka]

Thanks for your reply. If I can't stop her crowing, is there anything I can do to make her less aggressive with the other hen? The chicks she and the other hen are raising are female so I will be keeping them but they are bantams so I fear the big hen will bully them too.

 

[Chickassan]

The only thing I can think that might cool her down is if she wants out let her out.

 

[KoopOnTruckin]

It sounds to me like a dominance thing - she is now top-roo. You could try to dominate her yourself a bit, see if that changes the pecking order and makes her less masculine.
"No-Crow Collars" work on roos, but probably not on hens too well...

 

[firestomp]

at the moment I have only two hens, both of whom are currently raising chicks. One of these hens is 18 months old and is very much top hen. She is a terrible bully with the other hen and is very demanding for treats/being let out to free range. While mothering the chicks she has been very quiet but still aggressive toward the other hen and chicks.
then today, with the chicks 8 weeks old but still very much her babies, she started making her complaining noises again to be let out. And then I noticed her making another noise that sounds like the beginning of a crow! Shehas made this noise now several times today. It is just a short noise but definitely crow-like. I can't keep a crowing bird which is why I have no cockerels. What can I do to stop her crowing? Will it get worse, I.e. A longer full crow? Why is she doing this while she is still raising chicks?? Help!!

Their is always a pecking order, it doesn't matter if it's a couple or many. If her crowing will eventually cause you trouble with neighbors,HOA, whatever, get rid of her and keep her chicks, they don't need a mother to figure out eating and drinking, this is born into them, hard wired like swimming is to a new duckling. If they have any age to them at all, and the temps aren't low at night, they don't even need her for warmth. If you don't want the negative attention she will draw, give her to another home. One animal isn't worth the risk of loosing all do to complaints.

 

[millietime]

I am not sure if this will work with your girl.. I also have close neighbors and have to be aware of loud bawk-bagawking and complaining. I found that the louder they were the faster I ran to let them out. So.. instead of letting them out I started setting the loud girl on a perch when she started shrieking. It took a lot of patience and a few weeks of responding in this way but she realized that she doesn't get let out when she yells. Yelling= being confused and set on a perch/roost. Quiet or cute chicken noises= being let out and given treats. I would even turn around if she got loud when I was going to let them out. Of course they get excited and complain but it is nothing like it was. I actually had started trying to rehome her for the noise but now she is way more mellow. Good luck!!