Why Do Bantam Hens Crow?

[MysteryChicken]

I had a 3 week old pullet I hatched start crowing. She's a bantam, a mix of Red JungleFowl/Hybrid X Silkie. She's now about 11 months old, & laying eggs. Every once in awhile she'll get all puff chested, & do the dance around another bird when in a bad mood. Occasionally trying to fight. Haven't heard her crow in awhile though.

My sister's Sebright pullet started crowing at about 5½ - 6 months old. She never crowed again.

 

[dickison.family1]

Hi! There is something I've been noticing a lot with my Silver Duckwing Old English Game banatm hens that I have been wondering about. That is, why do they crow. The most crowing I've noticed them doing is when they had chicks or was broody. Now, my bantam pullet, Lolly, crows along side her brothers. When she crows the most is when she is away from her mother. At least four out of five of my bantam hens crow (but not all the time like my three bantam roosters do). Would any of you know why they crow?

Here is a video of her crowing. She only crows once in this video, and you can hear her brothers crowing in the background.

This was very helpful to me. My very young bantam hen started trolling this morning

 

[Ponypoor]

lol they are characters! i have had silky hens, cochins, seramas, and my sebright girl all crow - some do and some don't

So it could be that my silkie may in fact be a hen? I thought Roxanne was a hen (16 weeks old) but the other day started crowing... So likely Rocky Stallion Chicken instead.... ?

 

[therandomhatcher]

sounds like you have a transgender bird.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

So it could be that my silkie may in fact be a hen? I thought Roxanne was a hen (16 weeks old) but the other day started crowing... So likely Rocky Stallion Chicken instead.... ?

There is a possibility that it could be either or, or even both. (Both is rare, though.) I'd be looking for things like hackles and saddle feathers. On Silkies, they do appear to be harder to sex. Check the comb, too. Do you have a picture of her?

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

So it could be that my silkie may in fact be a hen? I thought Roxanne was a hen (16 weeks old) but the other day started crowing... So likely Rocky Stallion Chicken instead.... ?

Could be a crowing pullet or a slow developing cockerel.

 

[Ponypoor]

Could be a crowing pullet or a slow developing cockerel.

He's a he and now my other Silkie is crowing too - hmmmm, purchased two chicks - both roosters! Wonder what my other 3, 10 week olders will be - likely also all roosters - or worse I will end up with 4 roosters and one hen! haha!

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

He's a he and now my other Silkie is crowing too - hmmmm, purchased two chicks - both roosters! Wonder what my other 3, 10 week olders will be - likely also all roosters - or worse I will end up with 4 roosters and one hen! haha!

I've hatched out a lot of chicks. It's always quite disappointing when you wait 21 days for chicks to hatch, then several weeks to figure out what they are, just to have the whole hatch be roosters! Lucille, the grandmother to the hen in the video, Lolly, had that happen to her. She hatched out all three of the Standard sized eggs I placed under her. (I thought that was a perfect hatch.) Turns out, all three turned out to be roosters! In no time, they out grew poor Lucille. I hatched out way too many roosters that year. I had three hatches that year, and most of the chicks were roosters.

 

[LibbieBlake]

My Bantam hen does the exact same thing. I’ve read that it can happen in the absence of a Cockerel/Rooster.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

My Bantam hen does the exact same thing. I’ve read that it can happen in the absence of a Cockerel/Rooster.

Hm, the absence of a cockerel/rooster? I had three cockerel/roosters in her flock, so I don't think that was the case with her. I've noticed that she did it when she was separated from her mother.