The tiny serama; a Hatching adventure

[tlcmurphy]

This is the first day some of the chicks turn 3 weeks old! They're in the ugly stages

View attachment 3834026

Nonsense, all chicks are cute!

 

[BDutch]

I never caught their very first crows on camera, but here was one at 6 days old crowing:

That's the most adorable thing ever . 6 days is still VERY impressive!



As you can see BDutch, anything is possible with these birds!

lovely, but I would say its a firm cheep//peep. Not a crow like young cockerels make.
Watch this compilation to hear what I mean.

 

[fluffycrow]

Nonsense, all chicks are cute!

You're way nicer. All they've been hearing from me these past few days is "you're not the prettiest right now, but it'll pass!"

 

[fluffycrow]

lovely, but I would say its a firm cheep//peep. Not a crow like young cockerels make.
Watch this compilation to hear what I mean.

At that age, it'd be physically impossible for a chick to make this sound. Just because the crowing is not well defined, doesn't mean it's not a crow. It's just the best lil' man can do

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

That's the most adorable thing ever . 6 days is still VERY impressive!

What a cutie!

Oh my goodness, that is cute!

They were the cutest for sure, but they also turned into the biggest buttheads as I recall

Well, maybe not the biggest buttheads, that definitely goes to the group of Marans cockerels I had that would immediately go into attack mode as soon as I set foot in their pen. But those early crowers were definitely bitey and feisty little squirts.

This is the first day some of the chicks turn 3 weeks old! They're in the ugly stages

View attachment 3834026

Aww, I agree with tlcmurphy, I think they're still cute! I think I've only ever had one bird I actually considered to have gone through an ugly phase, and that was mostly because he didn't grow practically any feathers for the longest time

lovely, but I would say its a firm cheep//peep. Not a crow like young cockerels make.
Watch this compilation to hear what I mean.

Yes, I wouldn't consider myself to be the leading expert on cockerel crowing or anything, but I've heard a few cockerels crow over the years.

In each case, you'll notice they take up a very specific stance, standing tall, head high, neck arched a specific way. This distinct arch of the neck is instinctively done when any chicken, male or female, young or old, crows; it actually internally plugs their ears so that they don't deafen themselves when they crow all the time. If you look at the little guy in my video, he's clearly doing that same neck arch. Listen closely and you'll hear the same syllables to his vocalization as some in your video as well, that distinct 'chii-iir-iirp' that many of them do. This was certainly not a normal chirp or peep, it was a very early crow. His was just higher-pitched and a bit sped up due to his rather precocious development of the behavior.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

They were home hatched from Roscoe and Donna, so no feed store mix-ups or anything, and both times were the only chicks in the house at the time.

I never caught their very first crows on camera, but here was one at 6 days old crowing:

That is amazing! And cute! And horrifying if you have to listen to a cockerel crowing for almost six weeks straight in your house!

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

You're way nicer. All they've been hearing from me these past few days is "you're not the prettiest right now, but it'll pass!"

The ugly stage is sometimes when they start getting cute! My chicks are at the ugly/cute stage. There is one cockerel that is adorable. He is Ruby's chick and he takes after her a lot in his appearance. And personality. He is constantly trying to get on my hand, shoulder, head, or just wanting pets.

 

[Sally PB]

They're in the ugly stages

It's a different form of cute! Love the "teenager" growth stage.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

But those early crowers were definitely bitey and feisty little squirts.

Early crowing comes with a cost: more hormones. Which is not something I personally want! LOL.

 

[fluffycrow]

They were the cutest for sure, but they also turned into the biggest buttheads as I recall

Well, maybe not the biggest buttheads, that definitely goes to the group of Marans cockerels I had that would immediately go into attack mode as soon as I set foot in their pen. But those early crowers were definitely bitey and feisty little squirts.




Aww, I agree with tlcmurphy, I think they're still cute! I think I've only ever had one bird I actually considered to have gone through an ugly phase, and that was mostly because he didn't grow practically any feathers for the longest time




Yes, I wouldn't consider myself to be the leading expert on cockerel crowing or anything, but I've heard a few cockerels crow over the years.

In each case, you'll notice they take up a very specific stance, standing tall, head high, neck arched a specific way. This distinct arch of the neck is instinctively done when any chicken, male or female, young or old, crows; it actually internally plugs their ears so that they don't deafen themselves when they crow all the time. If you look at the little guy in my video, he's clearly doing that same neck arch. Listen closely and you'll hear the same syllables to his vocalization as some in your video as well, that distinct 'chii-iir-iirp' that many of them do. This was certainly not a normal chirp or peep, it was a very early crow. His was just higher-pitched and a bit sped up due to his rather precocious development of the behavior.

I guess early crowing is connected with early maturation, and as such, lots of hormones at an age that's not appropriate?