Quick background: I have 9 chickens...Barred Rocks: 1 rooster, 2 pullets, 22 weeks old tomorrow. 6 Commercial Blacks (BR cross), all pullets, 17 weeks old tomorrow.
A couple of days ago, one of my girls (don't know which one) started making all sorts of racket. I had put a golf ball in one of the nesting boxes because my son (he's 10) has been checking for eggs multiple times a day, and he's been learning a lot about chickens and asked me "Mom, if we put a ball in there, will it make them lay?" I said "Probably not, but lets put a golf ball in there and see, ok?" I figured the noise was because one of the girls thought she laid an egg.
This morning I went out there to let them out of the coop into their secure run, and I watched as three of them were making the same racket...one older pullet who was outside in the run, and my rooster and younger pullet still inside the coop. The younger pullet is in a nesting box, and the roo (Zeus), sitting in it right in front of her...both making this loud clucking racket.
I ran in the house and grabbed my camera and recorded them. What does all this noise mean? Is the younger pullet getting ready to lay? If so, isn't she too young? She's only a day shy of 17 weeks old...BUT...she has a larger comb and wattles than her sisters...it's like she didn't have them one day, then the next day I was like holy crap, I hope she isn't a cockerel!! And why is Zeus making the same noise? And the older pullet who's not even a part of whatever's going on between Zeus and the younger pullet? I am inside on my computer and I can hear them still making the same racket...and my windows are closed!!!
Here's the video...don't mind the camera work (lol), I wasn't really paying attention to what I was recording...just wanted to get the sound on camera. You'll see the pullet in the nesting box at the end...notice how big and red her comb and wattles are?
This is my first time owning chicks, any insight is greatly appreciated!!
A couple of days ago, one of my girls (don't know which one) started making all sorts of racket. I had put a golf ball in one of the nesting boxes because my son (he's 10) has been checking for eggs multiple times a day, and he's been learning a lot about chickens and asked me "Mom, if we put a ball in there, will it make them lay?" I said "Probably not, but lets put a golf ball in there and see, ok?" I figured the noise was because one of the girls thought she laid an egg.
This morning I went out there to let them out of the coop into their secure run, and I watched as three of them were making the same racket...one older pullet who was outside in the run, and my rooster and younger pullet still inside the coop. The younger pullet is in a nesting box, and the roo (Zeus), sitting in it right in front of her...both making this loud clucking racket.
I ran in the house and grabbed my camera and recorded them. What does all this noise mean? Is the younger pullet getting ready to lay? If so, isn't she too young? She's only a day shy of 17 weeks old...BUT...she has a larger comb and wattles than her sisters...it's like she didn't have them one day, then the next day I was like holy crap, I hope she isn't a cockerel!! And why is Zeus making the same noise? And the older pullet who's not even a part of whatever's going on between Zeus and the younger pullet? I am inside on my computer and I can hear them still making the same racket...and my windows are closed!!!
Here's the video...don't mind the camera work (lol), I wasn't really paying attention to what I was recording...just wanted to get the sound on camera. You'll see the pullet in the nesting box at the end...notice how big and red her comb and wattles are?
This is my first time owning chicks, any insight is greatly appreciated!!
