When do roosters start to crow?

[bruceha2000]

I had a hen that started a 3/4 crow at about 2 years. About the only sound she could make but rarely did was normal hen noises. She would bugle, squeal, whistle. But "bawk, bawk"?? None of that silly stuff though she did sing the egg song like a proper girl. She wasn't a morning crower, she (like any rooster) crowed whenever she felt like it during the day. It was just one of her repertoire of vocalizations.

 

[chick mansion]

Hi It has been such a long time since I have owned chickens. I was just a kid then. I finally got some chicks. I was hoping to just have pullets, but I did get some straight run. So there is definitely possibility that I got some roos. I am on a 2 acre lot and we can keep chickens as long as our neighbors are okay. I don't want to have to deal with that if I don't need to. So my question is, at what age will roos start crowing? It always seemed like it was right before they were full grown. But I keep seeing here and there posts of as early as 3 weeks. Is that really possible?

It all depends on the breed. I have a flock that are all the same age, a little over 4 months. I had two chickens that started at 3 months. One that started at around 3.5 months. And one that still hasn't started, (even though I am positive that he is a rooster).

 

[MageofMist]

I have a young silkie cockerel who is 4 month old and still hasn't crowed yet. I am pretty sure he is male due to his comb and wattle size compared to the others and the more streamlined crest and sharper looking neck fluff.

He DOES however do tantrums if I don't let him out in time, doing his warning call "Buk buk buk baaaak!" to get my attention as he seemed to have learned that gets me to run out to check on them the fastest.

 

[BirdGirl2004]

I have about 5 or six roosters and some crow a lot, at odd hours..it's 1:30am and I can hear one of them now. And I have one that I have yet to see or hear crow. Do some roos just not crow? I know this guy is a roo..but he's not crowing even though most of the others are. He appears to be higher up on the pecking order than one of the crowing roos. Maybe he's just a guy with little or nothing to say??

By the way, that is a great quote in your signature lol!! And is so true!

 

[bruceha2000]

It is certainly true of my 18 chickens! I have to throw scratch or BOSS out so they stand sorta still long enough I can count to be sure they are all in the barn before I close it up.

 

[GardenTillers44]

We have a flock of 14 pullets and 2 cockerels (1-Orpington and 1-Sussex) all 16-17 weeks old. Neither roo has made a peep yet. They both hang together and keep to themselves. The hens rule the roost at this point, but we are starting to see some roo-like behavior. The Orp started to stand up to the Light Sussex hens this week and has been strutting on top of the coop.

 

[Annie3268]

I have some young Swedish Flower chickens. One room and two hens. The Rooster is just beginning to crow. Will the hens begin laying pretty soon? I think they were hatched around Easter

 

[GitaBooks]

I have some young Swedish Flower chickens. One room and two hens. The Rooster is just beginning to crow. Will the hens begin laying pretty soon? I think they were hatched around Easter

Both roosters and hens vary in when they show their "signs of maturity". Some hens start laying at 16 weeks while others wait for over 30! Same with roosters. I had one that started at a week of age and some wait until they are fully mature to give it a try.
I would guess a hen should begin laying at around 25-30 weeks unless it is a commercial laying breed like a Red Star or a Leghorn.

Hope this helps : )

 

[bruceha2000]

The earliest of my 2012 girls to lay were the Anconas and Cubalaya around 23 weeks. The earliest of the 2015 girls were 1 EE and 1 White Rock, just past 23 weeks. Others were as long as 29 and 30 weeks.

The 2017 Exchequer Leghorns started at 19.5 and 20.5 weeks (takes 2 eggs to make 1 USDA Large ). Still waiting on the 2 Welsummers, the EE and the Barnevelder, they will be 23 weeks on Monday.

 

[dreamerhps]

I have about 5 or six roosters and some crow a lot, at odd hours..it's 1:30am and I can hear one of them now. And I have one that I have yet to see or hear crow. Do some roos just not crow? I know this guy is a roo..but he's not crowing even though most of the others are. He appears to be higher up on the pecking order than one of the crowing roos. Maybe he's just a guy with little or nothing to say??

I've always been told that if you hear your rooster at night, there is usually a predator lurking around and he is calling out a distress call.