is it a rooster?

[Stephanie-n-Hayden]

A friend of mine ordered pullets in three breeds, White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, and Black Sex Links. She gave me one of each. They are only a few days old, I assume. Still very fluffy, no more than a week or two old. The RIR and BSL are showing very pullett like behavior (docile and sweet) but the leghorn is acting very different than the other two. It is showing independant feisty behavior. It does not like to be held and runs from my hands when I reach down in the brooder. After holding it for a few minutes this evening, I put in back into the brooder and it made a silent crowing attempt. It opened it's beak and stretched it's neck as if it was crowing. In the past, the ones who have done this have all turned out to be roosters. This is my third time raising baby chicks as a backyard flock keeper. From my experience this is early rooster behavior. But I am by no means as experienced as some of you. This is my first attempt at raising a leghorn, and from my research I have learned that they are not as friendly as some of your other chickens. What do you all think? Do hatcheries normally put roosters in the bunch even though you pay for all pullets?

 

[chkinut]

it makes me nervous when you talk about how they stretch their necks and open their beaks. all my chicks do this (i have 3 that i hatched myself). but if i remember correctly from 10 zillion years ago when i was in high school (i'm 41)....i thought all the chickens did this behavior? i always thought it was kinda a yawn?? but somebody please help us and clear this up....cuz i'm really curious. as far as the leghorn.....never had any myself....but i was gonna get one this spring and did my research and decided against it. not that i'm against leghorns...i'd love to have one (or more) if i lived in the country....but i'm an illegal chicken keeper and i had to try my best to purchase quiet hens. i read that leghorns are flighty, loud, and arn't into cuddling. but i'm sure there's some leghorns out there that will attest to that......just as i'm sure there's some loud cochins (for example). but i hope someone with more experience helps you/us out!

 

[chkinut]

stephanie, check out a thread that's on page one of raising baby chicks and it's entitled "3 week old chicken - dare i say crowing?"

 

[Stephanie-n-Hayden]

Quote:
I don't think that silent crowing is natural behavior for all chickens, only roosters. At least from my limited experience. Every chick that has ever done this has always ended up being a rooster. The very first time I saw this was with my very first flock of chicks. They were staight run bantams and I thought it was choking or something. I was freaking out wondering how on earth I was going to do the himelick (sp) on a chicken! I called my mom, who didn't own chickens but had owned other birds (parrots and such) and she assured me that it was impossible for a bird to choke. Knowing this, I kept watching and it appeared to be trying to crow, but no noise came out. That is until about 3 months old. Once he found his voice, there was no shutting him up! My second flock, two out of the four chicks, which I was allowing the mother hen to raise herself, showed independant behavior from the start. At about 3 weeks old, these two started doing this and low and behold, they are now 5 month old loudly crowing roosters.

I am really sorry to tell you this, but I would be willing to bet you money that you have roosters. Just curious...What type of chicken are they and how did you get the eggs? I know that experienced chicken people can tell what sex baby chicks are but being able to sex an egg is impossible.

 

[Stephanie-n-Hayden]

Quote:
I don't think that silent crowing is natural behavior for all chickens, only roosters. At least from my limited experience. Every chick that has ever done this has always ended up being a rooster. The very first time I saw this was with my very first flock of chicks. They were staight run bantams and I thought it was choking or something. I was freaking out wondering how on earth I was going to do the himelick (sp) on a chicken! I called my mom, who didn't own chickens but had owned other birds (parrots and such) and she assured me that it was impossible for a bird to choke. Knowing this, I kept watching and it appeared to be trying to crow, but no noise came out. That is until about 3 months old. Once he found his voice, there was no shutting him up! My second flock, two out of the four chicks, which I was allowing the mother hen to raise herself, showed independant behavior from the start. At about 3 weeks old, these two started doing this and low and behold, they are now 5 month old loudly crowing roosters.

I am really sorry to tell you this, but I would be willing to bet you money that you have roosters. Just curious...What type of chicken are they and how did you get the eggs? I know that experienced chicken people can tell what sex baby chicks are but being able to sex an egg is impossible.

 

[Stephanie-n-Hayden]

Quote:
Thanks. I did and it was interesting.

 

[chkinut]

well, i ordered the eggs off the internet. and i will agree with you on sexing eggs. but i DID try it just for fun when they were on day 12 or so in the bator. i used the old, hold a needle over the egg, if it circles it's a female, if it goes back and forth in a straight line it's a male. then, i wrote M or F on each egg. all 3 of mine that hatched had an M on the egg. and here's another funny thing. i tried another sexing technique that i learned on BYC. you can do this when they're a day old. you hold the chick in your hand....and the chick is on his back...he may struggle at first, then once he settles down he'll kinda act like he's falling asleep. if it's a roo, both legs will stick straight out. if it's a hen, one leg will stick straight out and one will curl up towards her body. well, all 3 of my chicks legs stuck straight out on this! SO....i tried 2 ways with all 3 chicks and BOTH ways said they were roos. and if what your saying is correct about the silent crow....well, all 3 do that as well. i have 2 silkies and a showgirl.

 

[patman75]

My white leg horns have been a little more high strung then the other chicks and never let me hold her. Before she started laying I was thinking that I would never get another. But now that she is laying she is a machine 6 eggs a week and big eggs. Yah she is a little flightly and a mean alpha hen but she great layer and alway comes running when I call.

I thought she might be a roo too at first.

 

[smallcitychick]

I've heard that leghorns are more flighty and not as friendly as other breeds. Not sure on the 'silent crowing' though.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

The stretching the neck thing is normal for ALL chickens of BOTH sexes. They are not trying to crow, but swallowing and adjusting food in their crop.

Also, NEVER judge a chicks gender by how it acts. Roosters can be friendly as much as mean. Same goes for hens. Leghorns are also a flighty breed in general so I'm not surprised that yours is skittish around you.