Hens Crowing Like Roosters - Need help!!

[roni0907]

Help, this is happening to me now. My girls about 9 weeks old now and there are 5 of them. It sounds like a rooster who is trying to find its voice, but I am pretty sure it is a hen (but the alpha, most aggressive hen out of the flock). It crowed at least 8 times this morning before 6am. I live in a no crow zone, so I am worried the neighbors will complain. I am not sure what to do - does this happen often, but more importantly, will it eventually stop???? If I got rid of the crowing one, will another one take its place and start displaying the same behavior?

 

[Karen09]

We had 6 hens laying beautifully with no rooster when one Sunday morning, I heard a strangled noise that became a crow. When I went to the pen, only the 6 leghorns. One of them was also eating the eggs once in awhile and I noticed one being a bully. The crowing only happened a few times a week but it was disturbing to me. I read that sometimes the alpha hen will stop laying and start crowing, grow spurs and try to mate like the rooster would. My husband found a hen with her beak in a broken egg and egg was all over her face. When he tried to stop her, she pecked a hole in his hand so he grabbed her and we had chicken soup for dinner. No more crowing or egg eating. If yours is only crowing, she just thinks she is a rooster. You have a couple of choices, find her a home with a rooster so she could go back to being just a hen, deal with the crowing yourself (which doesn't sound like what you want) or have her in the cookpot for dinner. It is rare when a hen does this but whenever we have had a flock with no rooster, one of the hens usually stops laying and becomes the alpha hen but only the one ever crowed. Good luck!

 

[roni0907]

OK, here is a pic of the chicken that is crowing louder and louder every day. Can anyone please help me identify its gender???

 

[roni0907]

And another photo!

thank you for helping!

 

[pips&peeps]

It's a cockerel.

 

[Sandy16]

One of our Buff Orps (who is also alpha hen) tries her hardest to crow like a rooster. This usually happens when the rooster living a few doors down crows.....don't know if she is trying to answer him or out-do him. Whatever, it is the most horrid sound! I'm sure our neighbors think we are torturing her. She still lays eggs though, so for now she is not in danger of being dinner. LOL

 

[Nicole01]

At 9 weeks old, I'm 100% positive that's a rooster. Sorry.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Quote:
Can you please tell us novices what you are seeing that makes you 100% positive that this is a rooster? I'd love to learn from your experience.

 

[Nicole01]

Quote:
Can you please tell us novices what you are seeing that makes you 100% positive that this is a rooster? I'd love to learn from your experience.

The comb is large and red on your boy. My EE pullet is 15 weeks old and her comb is still very small and very pale yellowy. I'm very sorry you have a boy. Your not guaranteed a female even when picking from the pullet bin.

 

[ChickenLove123]

I also see some fancy, curly feathers on his tail. In my experience, the hens' feathers look like little tents -- like if you put your hands together (like praying) and move the bottoms of your hands apart a bit.