Hen crowing like a rooster

[krista74]

Every now and then she will make this :corwing" sound in the early morning, and i will get up "beat" her and give them some feed to quiet them down.

I'm really hoping you don't actually beat your hen?

The thing is, there is absolutely no reason for her to stop crowing, as you are rewarding her with food every time she does it! Every time you run out with treats you are encouraging that behaviour. So the first thing I would do is stop rewarding bad behaviour with food.

I really dont know what to do, we not allowed to have roosters in where i live. I am thinking maybe i should sell that araucana hen? Perhaps my black orpington will forget?

You still don't actually have a rooster. Just because she is crowing does not make her male. She is just exhibiting male characteristics. This is not unheard of, particularly in flocks where there is no rooster present. It also occurs when there are hormonal issues at play. I am presuming that your council still allows hens? If so, you just have a noisy hen. I'd try and bribe the neighbours with some fresh eggs and get them on your side. As long as you are all on good terms, and they don't make a noise complaint, you should be fine.

If you do go ahead and sell her, and she and the black orpington are close, then of course she will notice she is gone. The main thing is that she should have company of some kind, and you have other chickens so she should be ok. It will throw the flock dynamics into chaos for a while though, and someone else may well step into the araucana's shoes as head hen - noise and all!

- Krista

 

[enola]

If the Orpington is the one crowing (causing the problem) why would you sell the Araucana?

 

[Bine]

I wouldn't sell. If it is a social thing, the next hen will step into the rooster role and if it is a health problem the hen will not get well through selling her. So if, and this is a big if, you have a vet that is familiar with pet chickens bring her in for a test.

 

[enola]

I wouldn't sell. If it is a social thing, the next hen will step into the rooster role and if it is a health problem the hen will not get well through selling her. So if, and this is a big if, you have a vet that is familiar with pet chickens bring her in for a test. 

Correct me if I read the post wrong, but, I read it to say the Orpington hen is the one that is crowing. And they are thinking about selling the Araucana.

 

[dollychickens]

Thanks. I love my black Orpington hen the most and i felt we have a very personal connection, i treat her like my own child, and there's no way i can give her up. But i can give up on all my other hens.

 

[krista74]

Thanks. I love my black Orpington hen the most and i felt we have a very personal connection, i treat her like my own child, and there's no way i can give her up. But i can give up on all my other hens.

If the Orpington is the one who is crowing, selling all of the other hens is not going to stop that. She will keep on crowing wether there are other hens there or not, until such time that her hormonal issues are resolved.

Chickens are flock creatures, and if possible they should be kept with other chickens to ensure they have a 'normal' social setting. I know you and your hen have a 'connection', but at the end of the day it is healthier for her to have the company of other hens.

- Krista

 

[SimonRooster]

I have heard that hens will sometimes take the place of roosters if they feel like they need to be in that position. I had a hen and a rooster grow up together, and when we took the roo away, the hen started to crow, but then gave up.
I don't think it would be a hormonal thing...