crowing hen

[Mercurious]

For about a week now my dominant hen has announced the dawn with what can only be described as a crow. I dont't think she popped out for a sex change op so I looked it up on Google, thought she might be ill, but according to Google it can happen. It isn't common but sometimes when there isn't a rooster arround the dominant hen takes on the role. I'm not allowed a rooster here in the city so hope the neighbours don't complain to the council. If the chicken police come knocking tho they won't find a rooster and it is only at dawn that she does it. Very weird. So has anyone else had this experience?
I'm going to get video of her next time she goes off and post it to youtube so you all can have a look.
What a laugh!!!

[Gina Neither]

I have never experienced this but a friend from work told me that it could happen, wasn't sure whether he was taking the PISS but looks like he wasn't :-)  He reckoned that in the case of the rooster being killed then the dominant hen would naturally take over and over time actually turn into a rooster, crowing and fathering chickens!!!  Wow so interesting :-)

 

Brian, from looking at your photo my guess wouldn't of been two back ones are roosters and the lil lady at the front with the smaller comb.

[Brian Adam]

We got three australorp hens at 15 weeks from chickensathome a couple of months ago. Recently one started a few notes of crowing too. It is also growing wattles, comb, and saddle feathers. Looks like a rooster! Crows like a rooster! The more I look at the no2 chook, with a badly pecked rump, I think she's a roo too!

Only one of the three looks like a hen. What do you think?

[Mercurious]

That one sitting down at the front looks to be a rooster with those tail feathers. The other ones I don't lnow. Can't see their bums.

[Brian Adam]

Yes, it turns out we had TWO roosters! We took all 3 'hens' to Raewyn Norton at http://heritagefarmnz.com (where Susie at chickensathome.co.nz got them from) and she immedialtely saw them for what they are. We have now swapped them for several new chicks: a light sussex, two gold wyandots, and another australorp. If you want a great choice of NZ rare breeds and heritage chooks I think heritagefarmnz is the place to go. 

[Jenny Freewalker]

Hi Mercurious, yes l have had this experience twice. My dominant hen at the moment occasionally crows having slowly developed from a squark to now what is a recognisable crow but it only happens intermittently. She is also still laying eggs. However, l do know of an instance where the hen not only started to crow but also fathered chickens. Seems to be more prevalent with bantams and l have only ever had bantams

[Kristen Morse]

Hi there, I have 2 crowing hens, both Arucanas, one greets the day about 6.15am and the other salutes the afternoon after she has laid. They have been doing this for 2 of their 3 years now, thankfully not every day and since they lay the green and blue eggs they have got away with it. the black one sometimes appears to be mating one of the bantams and they go about together like a rooster and his favorite. So I'm assuming it is a dominance thing. the crow is not as noisy as a rooster more of an ARR-CHOO but body posture , puffed out chest and standing tall etc shows it is not a cluck. my neighbors are very tolerant!

[Mercurious]

Well I'm glad I'm not the only one with wierd chooks. Love to see a vid of your two.
Mine is just an inbred moggie I think with no special eggs like yours but crowing like a rooster as she does makes her a bit special.

[Cally Brown]

Mine doesn't crow (though her cackle is heading in that direction) but she does think she's Defender of the Flock. One of my other hens likes to be patted but I can't do that any more as The Defender attacks me if I try! Last time it resulted in a bleeding scratch about 8 cm long, plus four vigorously bleeding peck holes! I hope she defends them as well from any rat, stoat or weasel that happens by!

[Mercurious]

Geeze what a vicious hen! lol