Silkie "hen" just crowed?? Please help (photo included)

[taras]

My ~6 month old silkie hen (bought at 14 weeks from a lady who breeds silkies and said they were without a doubt all hens) just CROWED this morning. Not a half-crow, or a screech, but a flat-out "cock-a-doodle-doo".

I'm worried now that she's not a "she" after all.

Can anyone help me? I'm new to the silkie thing, and am at a loss.

Please look at the photo in this link: i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m632/tarascot/Screenshot2011-05-02at111815AM.png
You'll need to copy/paste into your browser, as they won't let n00bs post URLs.

FWIW, neither of the silkies, or the two wyandottes we bought at that time are laying yet, so I can't use that as evidence

Thanks!

Tara

 

[hillfarm]

I have a roo that makes the egg laying sound, you know the buck buck buck song. But never had a hen crow. I think you can definantly chalk this silkie up as a roo. sorry.

 

[Tom Turkey]

It looks like a hen to me. I have some hens crow before when there was no rooster around.

 

[hillfarm]

thats good to know, tom thanks for the info. I guess the only way to be certain is if you get an egg.

 

[Tom Turkey]

Keep us updated!

 

[Teresaann24]

Looks like a hen to me are you sure this was the one that crowed?

 

[TeriyakiChicken]

Does it have blue earlobes?? I had a "hen" too but it grew an enormous comb, wattles, blue earlobes and started to crow. Check the combs and wattles.

 

[spiritdance]

I have a Dutch bantam hen --with a rooster, no less -- that crows now and then. Before she started laying she crowed constantly. After she started laying she quit for awhile but still coughs up the occasional shocker. Lays an egg a day faithfully, so no doubts here, just an anomaly.

 

[welasharon]

It was hard as heck to tell from that pic but mine started growing streamers and they are roos.

you can really tell on the one on the right as they stick out longer and flow to the back

 

[Celtic Chick]

I was just reading about an infection that can cause a hen's hormones to be suppressed, enhancing her male hormones and causing her to crow! But I can't remember where I read it.

I'll keep looking.
Ok, found it in Gail Damerow's Chicken Health Handbook. Don't think this is your problem, though.
"Spontaneous sex change" is a phenomenon whereby an old hen develops the characteristics of a cock, perhaps because an infected ovary has caused hormonal changes. The hen's comb grows larger, she molts into male plumage, & she may crow or mount other hens. If the infection is successfully treated, the "cock" will revert back to a hen at the next molt. If the infection is cured before the next molt, the "cock" will lay eggs. This phenomenon was once considered witchcraft, the most famous case being a "cock" named Basel who was burned at the stake in 1474 for laying eggs.