CoopBoots
Crowing
- Aug 31, 2022
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My silent crower, Chad. (He closed his beak right before my camera got the photo... I'll try filming tomorrow.)
TL; DR: I believe silent crowing is real and is just part of behavioral inhibition brought on by purposeful cockerel domination from a lead rooster or cockerel. As it isn't deemed "safe" enough to exhibit as competition to him, they practice the body stance only until larger and fit to fight or evade a full on attack.
...........................
Just a recent observation.
I have four cockerels and four pullets all being raised within my flock by my main broody. This is the second clutch that has occurred during my young rooster's tenure as flock leader. (He's a year and a few months old now.)
The first clutch had one really precocious and aggressive cock in it. Early crower, huge hen chaser, forceful mater. My rooster (a cockerel himself at the time) didn't know how to handle him and erred on the side of gentleness, and even my almost 2 year old hens couldn't fight him off, so the cock was culled for uncontrollable hen harassment and aggression. (The pretty mottled gold and white monster below, he didn't get much bigger before going insane)
Fast forward to this second clutch, and my rooster is chasing and disciplining, quite violently, ALL eight youngsters, pullets included. It only started after they were fully feathered and weaned from mom as far as I can tell. I'm keeping a pretty watchful eye and so long as I see no bleeding/trapping situations I'm trying to have faith that he's preventing aggression rather than just terrorizing them needlessly. They have a lot of space and can even escape the run itself quite easily, so this hasn't been an issue.
Anyway, this clutch has very obvious cocks and none of them crow, chase, or otherwise interact with my hens other than to flee. They are quite fearful of all the adults at this stage. But what's funny is the most advanced one DOES show me rooster behavior. He boldly approaches me, "talks" like my big roosters do (but in his baby voice), and he angles his body toward me, shoulder a little down in my direction. But the fascinating thing is that, much like his father does, he starts to "crow" right when I first approach him. There is just no sound, only the posture and slightly opened beak. And only once, maybe twice, right at the beginning of our encounter.
Could it be crop adjustment? Yes, I suppose, but I think a silent crow is more likely. It's too coincidental that it happens, predictably when I first go to see him, and then never afterward. I almost got to film it because I was expecting it for the second time today, and sure enough, there it was. In addition, I've seen crop adjustment before and it appears to include a second upward head movement as part of the gape that I don't see at all during crowing.
Anyone else seen a cockerel practice with the sound off? Really interested in how common this is, or if I'm probably still mistaken about what crop adjustment looks like. I plan on looking for videos and seeing if I can get my cockerel recorded before he comes unmuted (probably soon, based on size I was already expecting the real thing. He's a chonker)
TL; DR: I believe silent crowing is real and is just part of behavioral inhibition brought on by purposeful cockerel domination from a lead rooster or cockerel. As it isn't deemed "safe" enough to exhibit as competition to him, they practice the body stance only until larger and fit to fight or evade a full on attack.
...........................
Just a recent observation.
I have four cockerels and four pullets all being raised within my flock by my main broody. This is the second clutch that has occurred during my young rooster's tenure as flock leader. (He's a year and a few months old now.)
The first clutch had one really precocious and aggressive cock in it. Early crower, huge hen chaser, forceful mater. My rooster (a cockerel himself at the time) didn't know how to handle him and erred on the side of gentleness, and even my almost 2 year old hens couldn't fight him off, so the cock was culled for uncontrollable hen harassment and aggression. (The pretty mottled gold and white monster below, he didn't get much bigger before going insane)
Fast forward to this second clutch, and my rooster is chasing and disciplining, quite violently, ALL eight youngsters, pullets included. It only started after they were fully feathered and weaned from mom as far as I can tell. I'm keeping a pretty watchful eye and so long as I see no bleeding/trapping situations I'm trying to have faith that he's preventing aggression rather than just terrorizing them needlessly. They have a lot of space and can even escape the run itself quite easily, so this hasn't been an issue.
Anyway, this clutch has very obvious cocks and none of them crow, chase, or otherwise interact with my hens other than to flee. They are quite fearful of all the adults at this stage. But what's funny is the most advanced one DOES show me rooster behavior. He boldly approaches me, "talks" like my big roosters do (but in his baby voice), and he angles his body toward me, shoulder a little down in my direction. But the fascinating thing is that, much like his father does, he starts to "crow" right when I first approach him. There is just no sound, only the posture and slightly opened beak. And only once, maybe twice, right at the beginning of our encounter.
Could it be crop adjustment? Yes, I suppose, but I think a silent crow is more likely. It's too coincidental that it happens, predictably when I first go to see him, and then never afterward. I almost got to film it because I was expecting it for the second time today, and sure enough, there it was. In addition, I've seen crop adjustment before and it appears to include a second upward head movement as part of the gape that I don't see at all during crowing.
Anyone else seen a cockerel practice with the sound off? Really interested in how common this is, or if I'm probably still mistaken about what crop adjustment looks like. I plan on looking for videos and seeing if I can get my cockerel recorded before he comes unmuted (probably soon, based on size I was already expecting the real thing. He's a chonker)
but eventually he figured it out, and then he just wouldn't STOP!
