Question about a fake rooster...

[Chicabee19]

Let's say you live in town, have only hens and no rooster, and one of your hens is crowing.

What do you all think of getting a ceramic rooster to put out in the run, and a quiet recording of a rooster -- low enough so the hens can hear it, but not loud enough to bother the neighborhood???

Do you think this would actually TEACH the hens to crow and then you'd be stuck having to play the recording all the time to prevent them from doing it?

just a goofy thought I had early this morning while reading complaints about crowing hens...

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

If you have a hen that is crowing, you might want to check that bird again... LOL

 

[silkiechicken]

Well, a lawn ornament with sound probably won't change them. They'll probably need the pecking of the roo, the showing of food, the dancing and roo dominance a statue can't provide to get the idea.

If you wanted though, even a 2 lb bantie roo can put large standard girls in line so to say so maybe you could sneak in a bantam some how. I had a silkie roo keep a flock of about a dozen girls in line. He was about a quarter of their size.

 

[cyrixlord]

My girls can make some noise but its definately not crowing. they just sound like the standard mill

bock bock bock bock BAAWWWK
bock bock bock bock BAAWWWK
bock bock bock bock BAAWWWK
bock bock bock bock BAAWWWK

Usually there is a legitimate reason why they're doing this (scary big bird, or they lose sight of one another) so I check it out and make sure they're ok and give them chickenscratch to let them forget their worries.

the dogs have learned to come and check them out when they do this too. they make such good protectors of the girls!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Quote:
If you don't have a roo the top hen can start acting like a roo. She will even stop laying.

 

[spook]

Quote:
If you don't have a roo the top hen can start acting like a roo. She will even stop laying.

Ayup, that they do. I have a hen that crows, she has laid green eggs for 6 months (the other eggs are brown, until I got an EE) Needless to say, I have a bantam roo in the growings to put her back in the girls locker room...

 

[Featherland]

I think it would be an interesting experiment to place a recording of a rooster crowing to see how your girls react. I think you should try it and let us know.

 

[bluie]

Quote:
This is reassuring to me. I have five standard hens, one silkie hen and one silkie roo that are five weeks old (I feel relatively confident of their genders). I wanted a little roo, hoping for little crows, but I also wanted everything else a roo does. From day one, as two day old chicks, Boss Man has been bossy and looking out for everyone else. He has a special sound only he makes, when he is making sure everybody is in sight or in the coop at bedtime. He is a fine little fellow. Thanks Silkie chicken.

 

[blueskylen]

funny this post came up today because as i was letting the girls into the run this morning, i was shocked to see one of the hens jump on the back of another hen and act like mating. i was sure this was a hen - no crowing, looks the same as the other 2 austrolorps.??? maybe she/he has me fooled and is really a roo?

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Quote:
I know that! But if its a young one, it may very well be a rooster!