I never thought I'd see this happen, but it's true. UPDATE: VIDEO

[Lisa202]

I have read where a hen, in the absence of a rooster, will take over the role and even start crowing. I thought this was rare, but my little Esme started crowing yesterday morning.

My rooster was killed by a hawk 2 months ago, and while I have started seeing the chickens start squatting for me, I never thought one of them would start crowing.

It was so cute...she was out of the coop first, flew up to the highest pole and started to
crow. She did all the same things Mister would do also...flapping the wings etc. They sounded really weak, but so was my roosters crows in the beginning.

I wasn't able to get her on video this morning, but I'm ready for tomorrow...I'll update this post when I get it.


UPDATE: This video isn't the greatest, but you can hear her crow a few times. She sounds so cute and pathetic.

 

[Judy]

I haven't had a rooster for about a year. My crowing hen has a very realistic crow, except it's not nearly as loud as a rooster's crow. Your crowing hen may also start Mounting other hens as if to mate -- generally considered to be a dominance gesture. Last time I had a crowing hen and no roo, she also mounted the others, but I haven't seen this one do it. She makes it clear she considers herself the top of the pecking order, though. I have no idea whether she still lays eggs.

 

[BrownwayChick]

My polish hen not only crowed before (had me questioning if she was really a hen, even tho she was laying eggs LOL) she also has spurs! And big ones!

 

[welovechickens]

My SLW and Japanese Buff Bantam hens crow occasionally. It happens the most in the springtime. They've never seen a rooster in their lives! It's quite funny.

 

[RulerOfTheSkies]

My bantam polish crowed alot before she layed.

 

[Lisa202]

Bumping to show update

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Look it up. There is a thing in nature called a free-martin. It is normally though of as a female calf that shared its mothers womb with a bull calf twin. Exposure in its twin brother's male hormones in the womb means that the free-martin is an imperfect female who is almost always unable to produce off springs.

In chickens I don't think it is that serous. At any rate there is likely a hormonal imbalance at work, maybe or maybe not an imbalance related to roosters being present in your flock or not..

 

[azygous]

Esme is a hoot! She's adorable! Her crow reminds me of some young bantam cockerels I had thirty years ago roosting outside my bedroom window in a hedge, practicing their crowing. They sounded exactly like your Esme - kind of like someone trying to clear their sinuses. They got better with practice. Maybe so will Esme.

 

[ibreathe4u]

I heard my Sussex do this the other day when our neighbors were hammering. It was funny. She's pretty talkative normally, the crowing was quite amusing. Wish I could have caught it on video.

 

[HomesteadDebi]

Your Esme is so cute! What a funny little crow she has.