oh dang....rooster in the bunch....

[kareninthesun]

I woke to the sound of a weak, sad sounding crowing. Darn! Pulled on my robe and flew downstairs hoping it was really the parrot doing her thing, but no.....I opened the back door and stood listening. Nope. Maybe I was hearing things....walked up to the coop door, the flock ready to be let loose, and one of them crowded again. Ahhhhhhhhh.....no!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm envisioning all these chickens just days away from laying their first eggs...and a friendly male in the midst....can't have a rooster here, have a friend whom says she'll take all the roosters, but first I have to find him. None show signs according to feathers being pointed. I have three who's tail feathers droop, and I'm suspecting them. I also have a few which hav metallic coloring, beautiful. Do only males have the metallic coloring? If so, when it's time for me to have High Tea with my Maker, I'm gonna complain of the unfairness of this.

I've been out of town for a week, but none are taking turns hanging around each other, befriending anyone, acting amorous, randy or even interested.

 

[bustermommy]

post pics in the breed/gender section maybe?

 

[flspnr]

I had the same thing happen. I brought the one I thought was a boy in yesterday, and played some videos of roosters crowing on youtube. He tried to crow back. Definitly a boy! Maybe you could give that a try? Or something similar - maybe just make crowing noises outside and see which one responds. We have a neighbor with a rooster just far enough away that you can barely hear it, and I caught my boy trying to talk to him yesterday. I'm new to all of this, this was my first time with this experience, but I was able to figure it out by playing another rooster crowing and my baby crowing back.

Good luck figuring it out!!

 

[kareninthesun]

thanks for the info....i am amazed of the process: in less than a week, gone from one crowing to three younger ones trying too mimic...while in the complete darkness of the roosting area upstairs in the coop. kinda sounds like they are being strangled towards the end. the hens squalk back like" shut up already!!!" anyway, once all started finding their voices, all the boys tail feathers started growing VERY fast and doing the droopy thing. prepping for the hormones I'm guessing. in the meantime, my girlfriend whom lives on an awesome little.ranch is going to get some beautiful roosters from me to add.to her large group of happy free.rangers. I'm keeping the Black Copper Maran. he's the oldest, and I am fortunate that he only crows once the sun starts to come up, and stops crowing once I open the coop door to free them. so far, he crows 2-3 times max. good thing i stumble down stairs fast....