4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[chocolateeclaire]

Slightly worried as Zena, big fat black Orphington, crowed for all the world like a cockeral this morning when I let them out!!!

Had to shut her up with a banana as worried about the neighbours!!!

Is this normal??

Also the 4 are 20 weeks old now and still no eggs - will it be soon??

Thanks - Claire

[chelsea]

It is normal for some hens to be noisier than others. My big cochins are really gobby

 

Pure breeds take longer to mature/reach POL than hybrids, it will be sometime before you get eggs - it can take up to 8-10 months for the big fluffy hens to reach maturity.

[Snowy]

Some hens do produce a feeble crow, usually when announcing an egg laid. If Zena is not laying yet, could she be a he? Is her face furniture well developed at all?

[pinkmagic]

One of my Polish bantams crowed for a couple of days after we got rid of her husband! It was as if she thought imitating him would bring him back!

[Patricia W]

Yes, one of my Poland hens had a go at crowing when she was younger. This was in response to Phillip the real cockerel. But she only did it a few times then seemed to reconcile that she really was a hen and laid an egg!

[Faye&Ant]

One of my Polish bantams crowed for a couple of days after we got rid of her husband! It was as if she thought imitating him would bring him back!

 

Awwww

[Romany]

One of my Polish bantams crowed for a couple of days after we got rid of her husband! It was as if she thought imitating him would bring him back!

 

How funny! My Black Pekin Bantam, Cutie, also crowed like mad for two days after her husband was 're-homed' and hasn't let out a squawk since... she hasn't laid yet so she's either a very quiet 'he' or was just confused for a while back then?!!

[Janty]

My ex-batt, He/She crows all the time...she has had to be re-homed at the in-laws. When they recently introduced a cockerel, He/She went mental. She was trying to get at him through the netting and although he wasn't that bothered about a fight, He/She certainly wanted one.