Sounds

[langton]

I have six chicks, about 5 weeks old (two speckled sussex, one black australorp, one barred rock, one easter egger, one red star). The barred rock chick makes beautiful, musical noises that none of the others make. I'm hoping that this doesn't mean that she is a HE. She has been one of the slowest to develop, plumage - wise, so it's not that she's more mature than the others. Has anyone noticed some breeds being more "musical" sounding, or vocally diverse, than other breeds? Or might this be early signs of a rooster? (I really hope not, she's one of my favorites!)

 

[gryeyes]

I have a couple of pullets who have larger vocabularies and say chicken-y things with more inflection. As chicks they sometimes sounded like songbirds. Lots of trilling, some multi-tone cheeps, etc.

I was really surprised at the variety of sounds produced by my rooster. Sometimes he sounds like he is GROWLING, and he also has really endearing calls to lure his girls over for something nifty to eat. (Sometimes just before he jumps 'em, the sneaky fellow.)

But some of the girls are more vocally diverse than the others. I wouldn't necessarily say it's an early sign of "rooster."

 

[gritsar]

Rest assured that being musical is not an indication of a roo; neither is play fighting.
I had two pullets that would coo/sing themselves to sleep and they are indeed hens now.
The slow feathering you mentioned worries me more as an indication of a roo.