What causes crowing? How do they learn?

[MonkeyZero]

Hi

My cousin's hubby asked me:

Why do roosters crow? who taught them, even if there are no roos in the area, and you never made the crowing sound? What makes them crow?

He asked me and I was speechless!
Please tell

 

[fallenweeble]

this is a really interesting question. i'll be checking back to see what kind of answers you get!

 

[skeeter]

they slip out after dark and go to rooster school

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Hmm.. they just know. I think really it's an instinct-thing. Kinda like.. in my flock, I got the big girls when they were day olds, hatched in an incubator. They'd never SEEN corn before.. but they knew what it was!

And back to your rooster quest, I have a bantam cochin cockeral that lives here in my computer room until spring. I hatched him in an incubator, and with the exception of his two female 'roommates' he's never even SEEN another chicken. He started crowing about a week ago (funniest thing ever!). He's never heard one.. never seen one do it. He just knows..

Instinct is a strong motivator, I think.

IMHO, of course.

Meghan

 

[mdbucks]

Its hormoanal, why do most animals start chasing/seeking others of thier species in the springtime? Its not in the air its in thier genes, Or to be simple MOTHER NATURE TELLS THEM TO DO IT.

 

[rooster-red]

INSTINCT

 

[meriruka]

They just do it on their own. I had two silkie chicks in a box in the kitchen. One morning I heard a noise that sounded like "aackkkk aaaaaaack". (Sort of like a cat getting rid of a hairball) Over the next week or two my boy improved and now has a piercing crow that scares me to death every morning at 7 am.