TRANSGENDER HEN??? questions please help!

[Moochie]

One of my small bantam roosters used to mount my spanish black whenever he or she dust bathed. That's when he was 3 months old too.. He always tried to woo an older hen but always got pecked so I guess he turned to the turkey who didn't mind his friendly chicken back massage. So blue heads? Hmm, my blue slate has a bright red head that fluctuates from pale pink to bright red. The other one looks kind of blue.. He doesn't get very red like his partner and his caruncles are forming faster than the girl's but I guess I'll have to wait and see.
Are gobbling noises associated with gender? When I went outside to give them some grass for a treat the wild eastern was near the fence making noises, it started out as a "cheep cheep" and then a quick "ergleblerbeh" and he kept doing that over and over. The other one just clicks and purrs.

 

[mkcolls]

I read this thread this morning, enjoying the information.

This afternoon one of our year old RP hens started displaying around another RP hen. DH came to the house telling me I had to see. Full feather display, held for a couple of minutes at a time, thumping, caruncles expanded in size, but completely white. It was amazing. DH was convinced she was in fact a he.

Since she has been laying eggs since spring, and laid her last egg yesterday, I was able to tell him that the behavior does happen, and that she is a she.

Thanks for the great information. Very timely!

 

[flocksalot]

Well I have never had nor heard of a hen being able to gobble. They do turk and my older girls will make an almost barking noise when a stranger comes near me or my son (my husband they would help load as they don't particularly like him). It's pretty loud and almost like smacking a heavy piece of wood onto a solid object. They will also stand with their heads stretched way up and be very very red in the face. People are pretty frightened of them. They are much better than a watch dog in my opinion. I've even had two day old cute baby tommies ( I know they're jakes) try to gobble at me. It comes out as peep peep peeeep really fast. It's so cute I have to try to get them to do it again and again.

When hens are happy or nesting they will make a lovely musical noise that reminds me of delicate chimes. A few years ago we had a hen that wouldn't lay her egg unless my son sat in the nest box with her. She would sit and sing away to him while she covered him with bits of hay or straw. Many times I found him fast asleep in the nest box because he got bored waiting for her to finish. Now that he can read he takes a book with him when one of the girls requires him to sit with her as we always have one that needs him near. Pretty soon he's going to be to big to fit though.

Young poults make adorable noises from their first whistling sounds, then plucking, and onto turking. When any aged turkey is happy and content, usually when I'm scratching their neck or petting them, they will make a very gentle sounding noise that you can only equate with them being happy. I can always tell what they are into by the sound they are making. I always know when they are in the garden eating something I would prefer them not to. In particulary strawberries or brocolli. I can even tell some of them apart by their voice. Yesterday I kept thinking I'm missing a turkey sound, but last night I forgot to count them. Sure enough we are missing a Midget tonight. Guess the local 2 legged thief has been a visiting. I had picked up all the eggs before my husband and I went out to lunch, so they couldn't steal them. I'm tired of coming home and finding 2 to 4 dozen egg shortages. I guess they found something else to steal. For that reason only I'm actually considering letting my husband get a dog. The only real problem with that is the Midgets will want to chase it all over the place and we can't get a fully grown or it would eat the birds.

Young Jakes will strut, tsk, attempt to swallow air, and take a few steps towards whatever they are showing too. We have a stupid tom that has taken a disliking to my son's shoes. He has just recently taken to attemping to spur them and bite them. Since he's around 40lbs and my son is around 60 we could have a problem. I told my son to just give him a shoe which tom carries around for a bit like he did some big thing. He's gonna go soon if he gets any more agressive. Although my sons not afraid to lay on him if he has too. Once tommy is tuckered out he is free to go about his business.

In the past we've never had a problem with the chickens and the turkeys. I keep the turkeys up the hill closer to our home and the chickens coops are all on the other side of the property near the barn/shed and the horse shed/yard. Since we built our home the chickens have been coming up the hill more and more and some of them have taken to making treks through the gardens. In the past ie. before Midgets we never had a problem with them mingling here and there. Some of the chickens love to eat the turkey food, and use their nest box for a nap. But this year we have Midgets and they are a riot. When they see a chicken off they go after it. The Broad Breasted will follow just to be part of the crowd. Daily we have to at least once go stop the turkeys from chasing the chickens. It's really pretty funny when you look out and see the turkeys have taken up residence in the chickens favorite hangouts and are sitting in all their prime spots in the trees. Now the poor chickens have to sneak up on the other side of the horse pasture, past the geese and ducks, and around the back side of the garden to get up near the stuff they want to peck through. But garsh durn if those turkeys don't find them nine times out of ten and then the game is on. They never actually catch the chicken they just love the chase. And oh boy I had better not come carrying a chicken or I'll have Midgets perching on my shoulders like my parrots do. The only difference is I didn't invite them to fly up and sit on me. I think turkeys are more jealous and possesive than my parrots ever are. Can't wait for them to try that with one of the horses.

 

[flocksalot]

I read this thread this morning, enjoying the information.

This afternoon one of our year old RP hens started displaying around another RP hen. DH came to the house telling me I had to see. Full feather display, held for a couple of minutes at a time, thumping, caruncles expanded in size, but completely white. It was amazing. DH was convinced she was in fact a he.

Since she has been laying eggs since spring, and laid her last egg yesterday, I was able to tell him that the behavior does happen, and that she is a she.

Thanks for the great information. Very timely!

I would lay odds that she was really displaying for your husband. Girls of all species do strut their stuff for potential mates. Aw he's got a girlfriend that you can actually approve of.

 

[Moochie]

What is the turking noise? I am very interested in turkey behavior!

 

[flocksalot]

The noise we associate with turking sounds like AURK AURK AURK to us. We especially hear it when the turkeys have come looking for us up at the house. They will walk around until they either see us or hear us through a window, or if that fails they come and sit around the front door periodically turking for us. I've been known to call AURK AURK AURK so I can figure out where the turkeys have gotten off to now. They will answer and come flying or running depending on their size. Well the old girls wobble like weebles but they still soar to me. Another noise they make we call plucking and liturally sounds like PLUCK. They usually make that noise when they are happily eating something they really like. Whether that be their food, some tasty alfalfa, or the berries I just put in the bucket behind me. Seems like it takes me longer and longer to fill my bucket lately and all my turkeys wear lipstick in various shades throughout the berry seasons.

 

[Moochie]

Ohh okay, I know what the plucking is! As for the turking I'll have to look out for it.. Unless.. Sometimes when I come in to feed them they'll go "ark ark ark" only 3 times though every time they make the sound. It also seems the hungrier they are the louder it gets.

 

[flocksalot]

Ohh okay, I know what the plucking is! As for the turking I'll have to look out for it.. Unless.. Sometimes when I come in to feed them they'll go "ark ark ark" only 3 times though every time they make the sound. It also seems the hungrier they are the louder it gets.

Yup that's the one. We wake up to it every morning. In that case it means OPEN THE DOOR!