My Crowing Hen's Making Me Cry!

[hoosierhen]

You neighbors may like the sound of crowing. When I moved to my current home, the people who lived in the house before me, warned me about the MEAN neighbor next door. So far the "mean neighbor" has cut my grass when my riding lawnmower was down, and when I told him I was getting chickens, he thought it was cool. I share pears with him from our trees, and will share garden produce with him. I think I will give him some eggs from the girls once they start laying- just to be neighborly.

 

[fallenweeble]

what an interesting problem!

i suspect, like many of the others that responded, that traditional latino/spanish neighbors may think nothing of living next to chickens. i think it's largely a waspy sort of thing to find them "inappropriate" in non-rural areas.
i bet a few gift eggs here and there will do a lot in terms of diplomacy and, who knows, you might even make some friends!
technically, the neighborhood i live in is not exactly zoned for chickens (there's a fuzzy measurement standard that i don't even really understand) but MANY of the folks here have them - roos too. my neighborhood is largely composed of immigrant families. the numbers of other local chickens certainly make it easier for me to "hide" amongst all of the little neighborhood flocks.


anywhoo, what an odd thing! keep us posted.

 

[hoosierhen]

When I lived in Okinawa, my little house was on a little ridge. Directly below me, I had chickens, water buffalo, and pigs within eyesight. I used to walk to this little stand and buy a bag of eggs (yes bag) every so often. When I would go through the bigger towns, I would see cattle tied in "garages" next to cars. Everyone coexisted quite nicely.

 

[bantymum]

heres a post from another thread on this same topic:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=23039&p=2
I hope this helps and she returns to her normal self real soon for you, perhaps you can tell your neighbours that this is only a temporary thing.
Good luck
:aww

 

[BJ]

Both of my hens crow. When my roo died last year, my dominant hen crowed a LOT...but I think it was an "I'm lonely, is anyone out there?" kind of crow. I had lost nearly all of my flock to illness, and when the roo died, she was all that was left in the coop. I had 2 in a separate pen. They started "crowing" to each other once they discovered there were "others". Once I put them all together in the spring, they quit crowing. They ALL lay eggs and are very henlike, except for the occassional crowing. NOW, I had to separate my Mille Fleur D'Uccle because she was pecked. She is in the house. She crows and so does the dominant hen in the coop outside. I think they are mourning. They let out this sorrowful, horrific crow as if they are crying out to the world, "Is another chicken out there somewhere?". Is is sad and embarrassing at the same time. They are both laying eggs currently (middle of winter)....so I don't think they are going through a sex change! It is just plain WIERD!

 

[lindseykoehler]

Wow...thanks everyone for the input. It makes me feel better to know that other urban backyard chicken folks have crowing hens too.

The crowing seems to be Della's response to being cooped up in the girls' new run. She usually starts in after my husband lets them out into the run (they're used to having the WHOLE backyard to themselves - but we were having a problem with hawks) But she didn't crow this morning...so if this means that she's getting used to the reduced space, then great! I think the handfuls of radish greens helped too.

Thanks EggCentric and BirdBrain for the translations! Really, our neighbors speak very little English.

Here's my favorite quote about crowing hens (there's many variations):

"A whistling woman and a crowing hen will frighten the devil out of his den"

 

[SpottedCrow]

I've heard it stated as "A crowing hen and a whistling women will come to no good end."

I whistle too.

 

[ksacres]

Quote:
yo soy is I am

el es is he is

soy is only used when you are talking about yourself.

I took four years of Spanish in high school, and only remember bits an pieces!

 

[BirdBrain]

KS, You are absolutely correct. I lived in South America until I was 18, but that was over 25 years ago and I have had little practice in the mean time. I usually use Spanish to speak to my folks or my best friend when I don't want the kids to know what we are talking about.

 

[EggCentric]

Quote:
Yep, I used one of those handy translation sites. The only words I actually know in spanish would only anger her neighbors,,, lol