Rooster Crowing Behaviour - Is it Easily Heritable?

[ChookieG]

Hello fellow BYCers! This topic has been mentioned in several postings in various threads but I thought I'll try and compile more empirical evidence of people's experiences with their Roosters from just this thread. What I'll like to find out in particular is if anyone has any Rooster/s that:

1. Doesn't crow frequently
2. Has a very soft crow AND/OR
3. Doesn't crow at all

If you answer "yes" to any of the three above, can you share your experience of whether any of your Rooster/s male babies inherited the same trait? There are arguments that crowing behaviour is purely environmental. The info I've gathered so far also suggests it can be inherited.

Thank you!

 

[the_peanut_coop]

This is an interesting topic! I've never bred my own birds, but I will be watching the thread

 

[ChookieG]

This is an interesting topic! I've never bred my own birds, but I will be watching the thread

Thanks @the_peanut_coop! Pity nobody's put forward their experiences yet. Maybe I've posted this thread during the holiday season when most people are offline??

@SarahGfa & @MadamContrary, would you care to comment on your experiences?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My younger males in my mixed flock rarely crow, but it's because their fathers (the flock master to their respective flocks) are in charge and the sons know better than to crow.

 

[ChookieG]

My younger males in my mixed flock rarely crow, but it's because their fathers (the flock master to their respective flocks) are in charge and the sons know better than to crow.

Hmmm... yes that would seem its due more to their environment.

 

[SarahGfa]

My aseels seem to crow less than any other rooster breed. Only once a day at most, and only in the springtime. They were noisier (and fightier) when I had 2 male aseels of the same age and no older rooster to keep them quiet. Now it is just like @JacinLarkwell said, the oldest one keeps the rest from crowing, so in the wintertime like right now I sometimes go for a week or more without hearing a single rooster crow!

I don't know if it is all aseels that are like this, or just the ones I got. I think that their ancestors, the jungefowl, could not crow as much as modern barnyard roosters, since that would attract predators. @Florida Bullfrog has Red junglefowl so maybe he knows if they crow less.

 

[ChookieG]

My aseels seem to crow less than any other rooster breed. Only once a day at most, and only in the springtime. They were noisier (and fightier) when I had 2 male aseels of the same age and no older rooster to keep them quiet. Now it is just like @JacinLarkwell said, the oldest one keeps the rest from crowing, so in the wintertime like right now I sometimes go for a week or more without hearing a single rooster crow!

Amazing!

My two roo cockerels (12 weeks old) have started crowing mostly in the morning. I heard them crow late in the evening (at around 8pm) 3 days ago and once yesterday afternoon at around 3. I'm guessing things will change once they are sexually mature (?) but for now things are nice as it is.

I don't know if it is all aseels that are like this, or just the ones I got. I think that their ancestors, the jungefowl, could not crow as much as modern barnyard roosters, since that would attract predators. @Florida Bullfrog has Red junglefowl so maybe he knows if they crow less.

Interesting. There's a species of small bird called Fairy Wren that's endemic to Australia. It does quite the opposite and "crows" constantly, especially in the presence of predators. So I'm wondering whether the notion of crowing less in chickens is only limited to chickens or present in just a few other wild bird species.

 

[SarahGfa]

Interesting. There's a species of small bird called Fairy Wren that's endemic to Australia. It does quite the opposite and "crows" constantly, especially in the presence of predators. So I'm wondering whether the notion of crowing less in chickens is only limited to chickens or present in just a few other wild bird species.

It was just a random hypothesis, could be wrong. I have noticed that my domesticated turkeys gobble more than wild turkeys, and my domesticated coturnix quail crow more than wild quail. I've had lots of different rooster breeds and so far the aseels crow the least. My bantams crowed the most. I think they had Little dog syndrome.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Just popping in to say that quokkas are freaking adorable.

 

[ChookieG]

Just popping in to say that quokkas are freaking adorable.

Yeah I know!

I didn't know they even existed till a year back! I can't believe such a cute creature's even real!!