Oh dear - we have a case of a crowing hen

[Stephine]

A few mornings ago I listened to the usual sunrise crows from our rooster when I noticed his solo had turned into a duett. Or call and response. Argh!!
I have 12 hens that are about 17 months old and two newcomers, now 7 months old, a cockerel and a pullet.
I have no idea who the crowing hen is. She sounds like a practicing cockerel right now, loud, but awkward.
I have one SS hen who is very friendly with me but my cockerel would like her gone. She is also the one that was most likely to engage in fence fighting with him when he was still penned before full integration. Maybe it’s her?
I am fascinated!

 

[Birdinhand]

if it's truly a crowing hen, my experience is that typically it's an issue that resolves it's self once they start laying. so I'd recommend going out there when you usually hear the crowing and take post near by and wait, maybe enjoy morning coffee out there and see if you can identify which one it is. if it's one of the young one's, take a closer look and make sure it's not developing into a true rooster. if it's one of the older one's it could be a hormone issue from an internal tumor of some other reproductive issue and it may need to be culled.

 

[andreanar]

Photos of the ones you suspect??

 

[rebrascora]

My first question would be "Is the 7month old pullet, really a pullet and not a late developing cockerel?" If you are happy that she is definitely female, then you have a crowing hen. I had one that would duet with her mate and still laid eggs and was not even the dominant hen of the trio but she was a leghorn, so no shrinking violet! I was pretty shocked when it first happened, especially as most say that it will only happen in the absence of a rooster.
I think it is only fair for the girls to crow if they want to as the roosters, will often join in the egg song!

 

[Stephine]

Ha! No, pullet is definitely a pullet. I‘ll attach a picture. She has started laying a while ago (and is btw. Buttercup, the winner of the new flock laying contest this year, in her flock of one ). The grown hens are also absolutely all hens - I had two roosters raised from chicks in that batch (who I have given away since) and the difference is so huge I couldn’t possibly miss it.
I think it is either a case of a hormonal issue or a case of extreme bossyness.

This is Buttercup (a little while ago - behind her the tail of her broodermate cockerel)

Here they are together (also a little older picture) - no, the little SFH is definitely a pullet.

 

[Stephine]

Oh, I don’t have a recent picture of Daisy, the SS my roo can’t stand. I‘ll take one, but she is definitely a hen.

 

[Birdinhand]

might I suggest not breeding that one, basically chickens would be banned, both sexes, pretty much everywhere accept big farms if the hens crowed too :~()

 

[Stephine]

might I suggest not breeding that one, basically chickens would be banned, both sexes, pretty much everywhere accept big farms if the hens crowed too :~()

We haven’t hatched any of our own chicks yet. If we ever do and she is still around there may or may not be one of her eggs in the mix. She is one of only two hens that have gone broody on me, she went broody twice, maybe six weeks apart - so she looks right now like the most likely candidate. But our own chicks wouldn’t be going anywhere but our own farm, so you‘re safe. No worries...

 

[Stephine]

We haven’t hatched any of our own chicks yet. If we ever do and she is still around there may or may not be one of her eggs in the mix. She is one of only two hens that have gone broody on me, she went broody twice, maybe six weeks apart - so she looks right now like the most likely candidate. But our own chicks wouldn’t be going anywhere but our own farm, so you‘re safe. No worries...

Oh, I have to add: I really don’t know which ine is crowing - I am just wondering if it is that SS, but it could be any of the others....

 

[aart]

Oh, I have to add: I really don’t know which ine is crowing

Until you see it.......
Had a crowing hen, took me a couple weeks before I actually saw which one it was.
She crowed all last winter, but stopped once she started laying again.