UPDATE! THE BOYS ARE DOING SOMETHING WITH THEIR NECKS! UPDATE!

[stormylady]

Ive just noticed this the last couple of days, every once in a while I notice that they stretch out there neck and almost look like there trying to gag. they don't make anynoise , they will be nine week next tuesday. Its just boys.haven't noticed any of the girls doing it. Is that normal or is something wrong? Thanks for your answers, Sandy The breed is Light Brahma if that makes a difference.

Just wanted to let everybody Know that said He (Honeycomb) was trying to crow! You were right! I came home From work this morning, I no more than got in the Door shut behind me and started talking to the dogs (ritual every morning LOL) I heard this AWFUL sound coming from the Kitchen and went running in there to total silence, I searched The box looking for an injured chicken, blood cause I thought maybe they had been fighting (the Boys!) nothing. So I start walking away from the box to go to the back room and I heard it again! went running back to the box, Total silence! but looking up at me of course was my Honeycomb! So I walked away again but not all the way to the door but where they couldn't see me, and it went again,went running back and caught him in the act! and it was Honeycomb! He was trying to crow well Trying is the key word! The poor boy sounded like a poor sickly mule that could only get out half a bray! I was flabbergasted! went runing into my sons room and said did you hear that, Honey comb was crowing! My son said Mom he was quite all night long till you came in! So what do you think was it a coinsidence that he crowed when I got home, I ask because he usually, well up til today would get all excited and chattering when I get home and go and see them in the morning. Is this going to be another ritual , dogs barking and whinning and chickens crowing to say goodmorning! I know Im probably reading more into it than I should because dont they usually crow in the morning? LOL, I just think its neat that he waited till I got home to start. Does anybody elses Rooster greet them with a crow in the morning? WELL GOTTA RUN, HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY! Sandy

 

[wolfbaine30]

Sounds to me like your little boys are trying to find their voices

They are just fine.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Pretty soon they will be CROWING along with their neck stretches.

You will notice that they put their entire neck, head and body into doing this with a slight bend down of the head and a bow of the neck.

Yep, they are feeling their oats err i mean poultry grain.

 

[jemagsy]

Could be they are getting ready to crow.

However, I've noticed my hens do this from time to time even when they were little chicks. We thought that our barred rock was choking the first time and really freaked out, however, it doesn't seem to harm them. I think they do it sometimes just to weird me out.

You can check their crops to make sure they're not impacted (they'll feel real hard) and as long as you don't see food coming out their throats, like grass or something is hung up in there, I wouldn't worry too much about it unless they start showing other signs of illness or distress. You can usually tell if a chicken is sick just by looking at them and listening to them (in general whistle and then listen to them while they are staring at you - if you hear wheezing or sneezing you probably have a problem). Check their poo and make sure it's normal, otherwise I say you're good to go and they are just doing that weird gaping mouth thing (looks like baby birds in the nest right or a cat when it's yawning?).

 

[stormylady]

Well Im glad there ok, but there just babies! Im not sure Momma (ME) is ready for all that crowing, Dang they just did start Cacklin'! LOL. Maybe they will keep looking for their crow for a couple of more months before they find it! LOL . Im pretty sure I wrote on my "chicken schedule " (joke) that there will be no crowing for 6 months! I guess they didn't read that part, Oh well boys can be so hard headed! LOL Thanks for the replies, Sandy

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
Yeah they're not impacted, and it is only the boys and they just started doing this the last couple of days, I
ve never seen any of the girls doing this, Im kinda thinking that my Honeycomb made a noise the other day while we were outside, but it didn't sound like a crow but it was deff. longer than a cackle, I thought he was just scared so he made a weird noise, more like a strangled noise? I don't know. I will check there crops again though just to make sure. Thanks Sandy

 

[jemagsy]

Yeah getting ready to crow sounds like. Some birdies have kind of a cock-a-ah-ah sound at first.

Just keep an eye on them, if that's the only thing they're doing they sound just normal.

Good luck and keep us updated, especially if anything changes.

 

[EweSheep]

Typical chick rooster behavior~! Sometimes they will "bluff" the others for a stare down like "Im bigger than you!" type of thing when confronting another rooster.

 

[gritsar]

What was it again that my SO thought was happening the first time my baby roo crowed? Oh yeah! He thought the dog was choking to death!
So Stormy, if you hear something that sounds like that you'll know they found their voices.

 

[stormylady]

I think ya'll might be right! because I took 1 roo outside the other day, not honeycomb but one of the other boys and 4 girls out side for a run in the pen, And he went crazy ! spinning around in circles and then hop flying to the girls and tried bossing them around, The girls were none too impressed by him to say the least! I got it on tape and was going to post what he was doing but the tape was too long. The girls stood up to him and that didn't go over too well with him so he continued, I guess in hopes one of the girls would look at him! It seemed like he picked on Millie, my biggest BO pullet the most, But she was very addiment about him getting out of her face! LOL, Was I right in thinking that is what fellow bycers call the Rooster Dance! spinning all around and hopping on one foot to the other and then ending with the great flight of maybe five feet! If it is.... I just thought they would start all that boy stuff much later than 8 and a half weeks old wont be 9 weeks til Wednesday. Oh and by the way no real crows yet just a lot of gagging motions going on! This spring is gonna be a real trip down chicken 101 lane isn't it!

Thanks Sandy