Pullets stopped chirping :(

[CALI CHICK]

Over the last few weeks I've observed my 3 pullets lose their cute little peep, peep, and cheep, cheep sounds.

First was Buffy (BO) who sounded like she was growling with a sore throat. Next, was Rocky (PBR) who joined the croaking crew. And today, between a few peeps, Rodie(RIR), started her voice change. Right now, at 13 weeks old they sound more like sick geese "honking" than chickens "Clucking"! Poor girls!

By the way-when will they actually sound like full grown chickens?...or maybe I don't want to know.

 

[shober]

Mine are 16 weeks today and they sound like grown hens. The easter egger roo I had crowed for the first time yesterday and he had to be re-homed. I can't have roosters in my neighborhood! At first I didn't know what the sound was.......sounded like a dog in distress! It was at 6:15 in the morning too!! He went to a wonderful home too!

 

[CALI CHICK]

Awww, sorry you had to get rid of your EE. Hopefully he wasn't a favorite. We had to re-home ALL of our silkies...4 roosters! And our cornish cross were both roosters. One started crowing at 7 wks old...but of course, we just ate them. (That was the plan anyway.)

These 3 pullets better indead be girls. After having raised the 4 silkies, my son is hesitant to get attached -but it's too late. We love our chickens.

 

[bobbieschicks]

My 17 week old white leghorn, Snow White, sounds like a chicken. She's pretty close to laying. My Ancona, AC, is 15 weeks old and her comb indicates she is closer to point of lay and her cluck is more pronounced then it used to be. But my other little ones, Smokey and Bandit, are also 15 weeks old today and they still cheep more then cluck and they don't have big combs. So maybe the changeover is hormone related at POL?

 

[moodlymoo]

Some of my 16 week girls sound like a frog and some still peep. I have noticed my wynadottes still peep

 

[mom22alcorns]

My pullets turned 12 weeks on November 11th and pretty much all of them sound like they have a strangled cluck now instead of a cheep.

I sure do miss the mad and crazy cheeping that greeted me when I came walking up to the coop each day.

Now they run up and do this weird kind of long drawn out sound when I walk up...lol They sure are big though at 12 weeks...look like full grown hens minus the developed combs. Can't wait until spring and they start to lay!

 

[CALI CHICK]

I'm glad so many other chickens are going through this phase. For awhile I began to worry that Buffy (the BO) was a rooster by the way her voice changed so soon. It was at least 3 weeks ago when she was about 10 weeks old. Someone else (on a different thread) assured me that her BO had a growly voice early also.

I really miss their cute little peeps, too. Every once in a while it seems like they make the baby chirping sounds...like when I move their tractor and they discover fresh ground and bugs. At 12 weeks they DO LOOK like full grown chickens -at least from across the yard. Up close, they look like full grown, miniature chickens.

Chickens are the best pets!