Training hen to stop crowing...

[Secretchicken]

Has anyone had luck in discouraging their top hen from crowing? I am trying to keep chickens where they are not allowed by our HOA and our top girl lets loose with the crowing on some mornings...I dash outside with handfuls of greens or meal worms to get her to stop. Am I rewarding the behavior? Should I instead squirt her with water? She stops when she sees a person so I can't immediately "correct" her during the behavior as she is doing it. Please help! The neighbors on both sides are cool with our girls but I worry someone else might hear them and turn us in...It's just so ridiculous I can have a couple pound size birds but folks can have their loud barking, poop in the street leaving canines all over the place.

 

[impis]

Are you sure she's not a he?

 

[Donna5]

This morning at 5:00 my little dog wanted to go out...I open the door and hear a crazy sound, I thought there was a goose going crazy. Unfortunately I walked outsided and realized it was one of my 5 hens going "BGOK" so I ran barefoot and pj's through the wet grass to shush her. This was the first loud noise coming from them so far. I may sound a little confused as I haven't had chix in many years, but is that just a loud hen noise or is there a chance she is a he??

 

[Batty about Banties]

I have a 1 yr old roo that sounds like a hen sometimes but I haven't herd a hen crow yet?

 

[fshinggrl]

Egg songs are especially loud! Good luck! Are you getting eggs yet? Are you sure it isn't a rooster? Can you post a picture?

 

[Kudzu]

One of our hens quacks, how weird is that?

 

[dragonlair]

My Frizzle Cochin bantam roo crows in English, and says over and over "Get me outta here".

 

[Secretchicken]

She is definately a girl and has been laying very well for over a year. She usually only has one "crowing" a day and it's exactly like a roo. She loves her egg song too even if it's the other chicken who lays.

 

[Donna5]

On my first post regarding my loud hen I said they are 5 months old, actually they are about 3 months. At this stage is there a way to tell if they are hens or roosters? I bought 5 hens knowing it is a 95% chance of being correct.

Thanks

 

[Secretchicken]

Quote:
With my birds I've always looked at the comb development. If they stay small and don't turn red untill close to 20 weeks they are usually girls. The waddles come out sooner on males as well. You should post some good pics in the Gender section on here. There are also differences in the feathers on the back of the neck and back by the base of the tail.