Yawning chickens

[SunnysideupstateNY]

I have 20 week old SLW that I strongly suspect is a roo but I haven't heard a crow yet. Well I noticed for the first time today that (s)he yawns. Is that her/him trying to start crowing? There's no noise with this behavior. Or is it something else?

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

Oh and its the only one doing it in the flock.

 

[crawfordmama]

I read a post similar to this earlier today, and it was determined that the young rooster was trying to crow. Keep listening - I bet you'll hear some weak raspy noises shortly (so long as he appears healthy in every other aspect). Not sure if you wanted a roo, but enjoy!

 

[Yazzo]

Although hens do yawn, young roosters seem to do a special kind of yawn, I call it a 'crow stretch'. When a chicken is yawning, they usually hold their beak up at an angle, or yerk their heads up then down quickly. With a 'crow stretch' a rooster will point his head and beak downwards and bend his neck, stretching it and sometimes letting out a bit of air. They seem to be preparing for crowing like this, possibly by stretching their air sacks. How does your chicken 'yawn'?

Also, if (s)he's standing up and flapping, then doing the 'yawn', probably a rooster.

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

Its been ruffling its feathers and standing when it does it. Its ok I can exchange him for a pullet at the place I got him from. lol This would be the second roo out of six pullets I got this spring. It would be kinda fun to hear him crow for a day tho.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

I keep laughing at all of you with 20week roos that don't know how to crow, my oegb was sitting on the side of the box at 3 week and trying to crow by 5 week I decided the 2 crowers had to go