My hen just crowed

[Stef in Davis CA]

Um...I've had roosters before but have NONE now. My hen, the flock dominant golden laced wyandotte just crowed. She has always been the loudest and likes to stand around yelling all day (I must have very understanding neighbors). This afternoon in addition to her normal cackling, she is actually cock-a-doo-ing. What does this mean? Does this happen to anyone else? Does this mean she might be having hormonal problems? She is laying normally and being her normal bossy self.

 

[CoopCrazy]

IO have heard if you dont have a rooster that sometimes the dom hen will take on the role , she'll stop laying and sometimes even crow...

 

[dawg53]

I had 3 salmon faverolle chicks one of which was a rooster. As they grew up together, I heard the rooster start to crow and one of the pullets crow also. I thought I had 2 roosters! Once the real rooster outgrew the other 2 and became dominant, that was the end of the hen crowing lol. The hen now lays nice eggs but I had to give the rooster away as he was attacking everyone in sight including me.

 

[joletabey]

I have a BSL that will occasionally crow - she never did it until my roos got big enough to let loose, and it's like once she heard them, she tried to imitate. She doesn't do it often, but she does it.

 

[Noahslittleark]

I have a Rhode Island Red hen that turned into a rooster(ette) this spring. She is a 2 yrs old and this spring grew a comb, tail feather, big wattle, crows, tries to mate, and protects the others now. Its a little freaky at first

but she is a sweetheart . It sure beats a mean rooster!

 

[Domestic_goddess]

Are you sure she's not just cackling loudly after or before laying eggs? They like to announce how special they are when they lay eggs.

 

[ICallMyselfCherie']

Just in the last couple of days I read that hens may start to crow if there are no males in the group. Apparently, as CoopCrazy said, one will take on the male role and crow, and even grow spurs!! I had never heard of that until like two days ago. But I guess it's actually not that uncommon!!

 

[pgpoultry]

Hens can also become masculinised if they develop an ovarian tumour as one of my poor girls did. She looked much more like a cock with a large comb, wattles and male pattern feathers before we had her humanely destroyed. These poor hens do stop laying some time before the obvious masculine signs appear. Ovarian tumours are much more common in hybrids.
Sandie

 

[Stef in Davis CA]

Thanks for all the info! Its a relief to know that other people have hens that do a little crowing. I'm gonna assume then that everything is fine unless she stops laying and seems ill--right now she is spunky as ever, keeping all the other hens in line and being her usual loud and proud self. Lets just hope the neighbors continue to find the chicken noises quaint (we're not allowed roosters in the city cause of the noise--hopefully no one begins to think I have one!!!).

As I'm sitting here typing, she is starting to crow again--very definitely a "cock-a-doo--oo", not a usual hen sound. I'm just gonna relax and go with it.

Thanks for the info BYC!!!

 

[ninny]

Yup if i dont have a roo one of my hens always morphs into one.