Rooster Denial

[cimarron]

We have a mixed flock of eight egg birds we've been raising since they hatched. The chicks were sexed but we've had a hunch that our Australorp is not a hen...it grew faster, developed combs and wattles at about 6 weeks and now...gulp...is making a funny moaning sound in the morning! It's about 13 weeks old now.

My question is, do roosters work their way up to crowing? Could this be a variation of development for a hen? We'd actually like to have a rooster around, but our city codes are on the strict side, especially with noise complaints from roosters. We don't want to blow our cover.

Thanks!

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Yep...roosters work their way up to crowing. It (usually) doesn't just magically happen.

I used to have a recording of one of my birds...but I can't seem to find it???

Here's a good example...although it's not my chick! lol

 

[skeeter9]

Yes, they definitely work their way up to it, and it's pretty funny!!! Enjoy!!!

 

[Gercarson]

They start out sounding like school boys and then one day - the actually emit a real he-man crow. I've never heard anything that sounds like a "moan" though.

 

[lcourtaway]

My guy started at 2 months and it sounded like a combination of gargling and throwing up. He got better the more he practiced. My other rooster crows "backwards" it's a backward melody of the traditional cock a doodle doo thing.

 

[cimarron]

yep just watched it...er, him...doing it again this morning. it is a funny sort of almost-crow. no cockadoodledoo yet just, "errrrrrrrrrrrr". but he looks proud! he's feeling his oats! working his way up to that first he-man crow.