[Carl_shave]

Hiya all, i havnt been on hear for a while been very busy at work, i have kept chickens for a gud few years now and i have ahd a hen for the last 8 years, been broody and lays very well but last week i caught her eating eggs so moved her into a pen with just another 2 females, she is laying a egg everyday but thankfully not eating them but the other day i caught her crowing, why has she started crowing, she is next a pen rite next to other cockerels and why now after 8 years thanks for any help given

[Sassy]

It is heard of for hens to turn into cockerels, although I would have thought she would stop laying! Perhaps she is just a good mimic.

[Beano]

I have a hen that has been crowing on and off for a year now. I think it's age/ovary related. She is the top hen, is yours? She has not crowed now for a few mornings but sometimes she hears cockerels crowing in the distance and that will start her off. It's only first thing when they are let out. She jumps on top of a shelter we have built and crows five or six times, has a huge poo and then jumps back down. It's quite funny really and she's healthy enough. She has stopped laying though.
I would not be too worried if I were you. We're all allowed to get a bit weird as we get old and she is a good age.

[hillfooter]

Sometimes, when they get older and start to stop laying their ovary (only one is active I think it's the RHS one) becomes atrophied (wasted) and this effects their hormones and they can take on the characteristics of a male.  It's not common, though I believe much more common than people give it credit for.  In 10 years of keeping 30 plus hens I've seen it twice.  They may even start to tread and mount the other hens.

Anyone reading this and wondering if their hen is crowing shouldn't mistake this for the  normal exaulting a hen does when she has laid.  That's a "BUC BUC BUC BUC ..SQUAAWWWK!!" noise repeated continuously over a 5 min or so period.  It announces she's laid to the broody and rest of the flock. 
HF

[wildy78]

One of mine has started to make crowing sounds.  She is only about 9 months old, she is the top hen and very bossy.  I have a suspicion that she has stopped laying also. 

Are you still having the problem? can it be resolved?

[hillfooter]

One of mine has started to make crowing sounds.  She is only about 9 months old, she is the top hen and very bossy.  I have a suspicion that she has stopped laying also. 

Are you still having the problem? can it be resolved?

Not that I know of I don't think you can get HRT for hens
HF

[Kate and her Ducks]

I've never seen it although it happens in ducks too but I had read an article that it can happen if there are no or not enough males around so one of the hens kind of takes over the role. The cases in the article were reversed by the introduction of more males although this won't help you if she is already near males!

[cejx]

all 5 of my birds have gone bonkers at the moment.  shouting for treats, shouting when they don't get treats, shouting at me, shouting at the cats, shouting HELLO to the birds in the sky, shouting at each other...  I can only assume they are high on life - and our neighbours are getting lots of free eggs to appease them!

[Beano]

cejx I love the idea of your shouting hens. Do they shout very early in the morning?
Mine wake me up every morning at around 6.30am with their shouting to be let out.
When Poppy (the crowing hen) starts crowing I have to get up. It's only March and it's going to get worse as the nights get shorter.

[joyfull]

My boys already start crowing at 4am - don't think they can get much earlier 

[Aunt Sally]

I don't think you can get HRT for hens

You can get hormone implants to stop them laying but I don't think you can get them to stop them crowing  

[Thrift]

We had someone crowing last year which was a mystery as the assumption was they were all female. There was a hen with a large comb which was the obvious suspect but we were reasonably certain she was laying.

Finally the decision was  that it was one of the white cobs so it was duly dispatched, plucked, gutted etc. It was finally sitting in the oven when we sat outdoors for a cuppa and, you guessed, heard a loud and victorious crowing! 

[cejx]

cejx I love the idea of your shouting hens. Do they shout very early in the morning?
Mine wake me up every morning at around 6.30am with their shouting to be let out.
When Poppy (the crowing hen) starts crowing I have to get up. It's only March and it's going to get worse as the nights get shorter.

They all crow - from 6am ish!!  Luckily, they can get themselves up into the first bit of the coop, so they can get water and pellets, but not without letting us - and the neighbours know!  But, I guess, they are letting is all know that they are now happy, fit and more importantly ALIVE!