batcatz Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 She's definately a hen! She lays lovely blue eggs. It started when the top hen started sitting on hatching eggs so I think it's something to do with her trying to take the place of the top hen. Has anyone else had this happen? None of the neighbours have complained yet, but she's woken me up a few times and given me a headache! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 My top girl Clover does this ,I think she wants to show she is boss.She often does it also as an alarm call when next doors cat is around .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egghead68 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I think there are some historical cases of hens who started crowing and were condemned as witches! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heth1986 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 My top girl does this I used to get woken up at 04:30 by her and have now had to resort back to shutting them in at night and throwing a bit of food round when I let them out to keep her quiet. To be fair, the neighbours said they never heard her but I'm obviously tuned into her shouting and couldn't sleep through it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeloo Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Yep, happened to me. My Australorp started "crowing" at dawn when my black hybrid was broody. She wasn't good at it so she sounded more like a parrot than a rooster! Some of the neighbors did get irritated because an email went out about barking dogs and "a squawking bird." Fortunately, I finally managed to break the broody by blocking her access to the nest box. Being broody on the roosting bars or in the run just wasn't as fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueChick Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Does it sound like this "buk, buk, buk, buk, BUUUUK?". If so, mine do this occasionally - strangely only in the summer! I wondered if it was something to do with the broody season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeloo Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Does it sound like this "buk, buk, buk, buk, BUUUUK?". If so, mine do this occasionally - strangely only in the summer! I wondered if it was something to do with the broody season? Yes, very similar. There was a series of low boks that let me know she was warming up and then she belted out a loud "Buh-AWK!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chestnutmare Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 That doesn't sound like crowing to me, just like a noisy hen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeloo Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Like I said, she wasn't very good at it! The fact that it happened at dawn and was accompanied by flapping wings convinced me that crowing was her intent, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egghead68 Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 My five-year-old pekin hen has just started crowing - a proper cockadoodledo. She seems perfectly healthy and is laying well but I have read they can do this when they've damaged an ovary... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madchick Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 My 8 month Sussex Bantam Hilda has just started crowing since being confined to a cage after having a bad wet bottom. I caught her straining and she had prolapsed her vent. We attended to that and she then laid a blood stained egg and passed a little more blood. Since then and no further eggs she has started this feeble crowing only in the moring when I put the lights on. I let her out with her feathered friends and she initally started cock-like fighting with one then it all settled and she is back at bottom of the pecking order and behaving normally but no sign of any eggs. I still bring her in the house at night until I'm 100% sure she is healthy (checking her bottom for being wet/prolapse vent and checking her poos) Just dont understand the crowing but maybe she has damaged her ovary. Will just have to wait and see. The crowing is very entertaining but the neighbours will moan as they're that sort of people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Yep, happened to me. My Australorp started "crowing" at dawn when my black hybrid was broody. She wasn't good at it so she sounded more like a parrot than a rooster! Adelaide, one of my Australorp girls, has just started crowing She does it just once, when they're all let out in the morning...she sounds like a cockerel being strangled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 My 8 month Sussex Bantam Hilda has just started crowing since being confined to a cage after having a bad wet bottom.I caught her straining and she had prolapsed her vent. We attended to that and she then laid a blood stained egg and passed a little more blood. Since then and no further eggs she has started this feeble crowing only in the moring when I put the lights on. I let her out with her feathered friends and she initally started cock-like fighting with one then it all settled and she is back at bottom of the pecking order and behaving normally but no sign of any eggs. I still bring her in the house at night until I'm 100% sure she is healthy (checking her bottom for being wet/prolapse vent and checking her poos) Just dont understand the crowing but maybe she has damaged her ovary. Will just have to wait and see. The crowing is very entertaining but the neighbours will moan as they're that sort of people. I think the females only have one ovary and if that is damaged in some way then they don't produce enough hormones to stay in lay and will begin to crow and exhibit male characteristics, but will never function fully as a male. The old saying was "A whistling woman and a crowing hen is neither good for God nor men" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Does it sound like this "buk, buk, buk, buk, BUUUUK?". If so, mine do this occasionally - strangely only in the summer! I wondered if it was something to do with the broody season? Yes, very similar. There was a series of low boks that let me know she was warming up and then she belted out a loud "Buh-AWK!" This sounds like an egg song to me - my Sussex girl does this just before and after she lays, and whenever her pal is laying too. It's very loud, but thankfully my neighbours don't mind x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
