My 4 year old hen is starting to crow like a rooster!

[marthalazar]

If I didn't live in NYC where roosters are illegal this might be funny. I got part of the sound recorded, and you can hear it if you go to my blog here:

http://www.brooklynfeed.com/2011/06/my-gender-confused-hen/

Has anyone else had this problem? She started to act more aggressive when one of my girls died last summer. I think she's now the top hen. She stopped laying eggs recently, but after a couple of weeks there was one in the nest box today.

She crows when she's in her (very roomy) coop, and is quiet when she's in my yard eating all my lettuce. It starts at 6:30am and I'm afraid that it's just a matter of time before a neighbor reports us for having a rooster.

Any advice??

 

[Denninmi]

Its a hormone thing, I think. Maybe she needs estrogen? I wonder if you could give her feed very high in natural estrogens, like soy?

If you think you might have a legal problem, get a vet to certify that its a hen. You aren't breaking any laws by having hens -- if its not a rooster, they couldn't do much about it. But as a courtesy to the neighborhood, I'd see what you could do to alter the changes in the bird.

 

[sillysparrowness]

I don't know if it's a hormone thing... I had a silky once, same thing. The rooster died, she was top hen and then startet crowing. She sounded exactly like yours, btw. Even if it is illegal, if you have your neighbours sympathies, they won't report on you, will they? And a crowing hen might even... I don't know, fascinate them? Amuse them? (let's hope) Show them the curiosity and explain! That would be my advice. Because my hen, back then, she never stopped crowing. Until she drowned herself in the rain barrel. Silkys can be so stupid.

 

[lichick28]

I had a RIR that started crowing at about one year old. I had only hens and some one told me she was taking on the character of a rooster. She was so tame and ate out of my hand and came running when I called her before the crowing started but got very aggressive. I insulated the coop and tried to keep her in until a decent hour but she would not stop crowing. She attacked me & bit the vein on the top of my hand which got infected. That was when I found a new home for her

 

[poseygrace]

Well, you ARE in NYC... anything goes there! Maybe she is just exploring her gender options? Your blog was cute, BTW, I enjoyed reading it. I hope she quiets down for you soon!

 

[marthalazar]

Thanks for all of your comments. I'm not sure what is going on. Lulu is now laying eggs again after I treated her for mites. She is more often making the egg laying sounds, which is a good sign. Still hear the crowing, but not as often. I'm hoping that when I introduce this next round of chicks into the coop with her, it will give her something to take her mind off crowing.