One of these bantam pullets is crowing, but who? Stumped

[DeckDuck]

These guys are Silver Duckwing OEGB x Golden Sebright. They're a little over three months old. When I got them, I picked these four out of their siblings because they seemed to have the most pullet-looking combs.

The day after I brought them home, they were only four weeks old and I swear the one with the blue leg band (now called Proclamation) jumped up on a stick and crowed right in front of me. He/she never did it again and proceeded to grow into a pullet. But now there are squeaky-gate-hinge crows coming from their coop in the morning before I let them out. It is obviously one of these 'pullets' because the only other birds sharing that coop are a Silkie hen and a Silkie rooster with a deep crow. The rooster was crowing at the same time as the mystery cockerel, so I know it's not the same bird making two different noises.

Anyway, these birds really all look like pullets to me and I have no idea who is crowing. I'm perplexed. Here's head, comb, hackle, and saddle shots of each. Any clue? The purple chick is slightly redder, but with such a small comb at three months old, how on earth could she be a he?

Chick with the green leg band:





Chick with the pink leg band:






Chick with the blue leg band:






Chick with the purple leg band:

 

[TheJadeChicken]

I see pullets. Crowing is not a true way to sex chickens. Some young Hens will make crowing sounds. Can you get a video/sound of what you mean?

 

[Kelsie2290]

Nice mystery you have there, even if the two are a little pinker, by 13-14 weeks you'd think you'd be seeing more development out of a boy, both breeds usually aren't that shy about showing themselves. Mockingbird? Neighbor has a rooster? Neighbor watching a lot of The Nature Channel? You are sure your silkie hen is a hen?
The patterning on their feathers turned out really pretty, very nice looking birds.

 

[DeckDuck]

Quote:
It's very curious, isn't it? We had a starling nesting in the yard one year that imitated the ducks, but I haven't seen any around this year -hmm. The Silkie hen laid eggs in her hay day, so 100% on her. I'm so stumped that I'm beginning to consider all sorts of possibilities but it really sounds like the crowing is coming from the chicken coop, as it logically should. I can't rule out anything with the neighbors yet but they have never kept chickens.


The little guys are growing in the most lovely double lacing and penciling and big ol' OEGB tails. I'm very pleased with how they're turning out.



Quote:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees pullets; I was beginning to think I was loosing my chicken-sexing touch. Can pullets crow? I've read about hens crowing later in life, but not pullets.

I'll see if I can get a recording of this. They get quiet when I walk over but maybe I can do some sneaking.

 

[DeckDuck]

Pinkie is crowing! Now, two months later, these girls are at POL and both the pink and purple leg band pullets are laying. The conformation of their vents confirms that it is them and not their sisters. The extra crowing in the morning has not been heard for quite a while.

The one with the pink leg band (Pinkie. Ha!) is going crazy with hormones. She's been fighting with the other hens a lot right now as she's beginning to lay. A few days ago the nut caught the rooster while he was stuck behind a bucket and started to peck his face, no doubt planning to overtake him in the pecking order. The rooster proceeded to come out from behind the bucket and give her a good piece of his mind. After the rooster had taught her a lesson a larger hen was all riled up and started to chase Pinkie around too, so I picked the pink-leg-band-pullet up. I swear to you, she found herself above the other chickens, swelled with pride for her perceived victory, stiffened her breast and neck, and gave a crow. In my arms. I saw it happen. It was not unlike the pathetic crow a young, unpracticed cockerel would produce.

So there we have it. Just when I thought I had imagined everything.


Here's Pink-leg-band-pullet at 5 1/2 months old. There's no way she's a boy! ...right?

 

[DeckDuck]

Oh dear. I just watched my little Silkie hen Popcorn crow. She was really going at it, and I remember the sound from many other occasions when I've tried to find out who it was coming from. Early this morning her rooster would crow and then immediately after she would follow up with squeaky crow attempts. I got the camera but when I came back she had clammed up.

Popcorn has been a hen for going on nine years; laying, brooding chicks, etc. She's so old to be starting this now. I haven't been aware of this happening until a few months ago.

This is so weird. I'd never seen a hen crow before; now I've got two who are doing it all of the sudden (perhaps three, if I count what blue leg band chick did in the beginning).


ETA: This is Popcorn