What a Racket!!

jubilee

jubilee

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As we are doing quite well with our white orps this year, i wanted to keep them exceptionally clean and white for the National and the Federation shows, so thought it would be wise to bring them in. The only shed i have empty is my brooder shed, which is close to the house, we have removed all the sections so it's just one big shed, bedded it down and moved all my white girls in there for winter. My husband remarked that we don't usually keep birds in sheds, believing a free range paddock is the better option for such large birds, but as they are all hens, and the shed is huge, they'd be fine. How wrong he was! :roll:
The last two mornings we have been woken by what can only be described as a noise from Hell! :evil:
I have discovered the culprit to be my best white hen, who appears to be fed up with being a hen, and has now decided she is a cockerel! And is crowing her little head off. :roll: So, the theory of they will be fine and quiet because they are all hens has flown out the window along with any future long lie-ins! The noise is truly horrendous, i have had a few crowing hens in the past, when we have split our breeding pens up for winter, and the dominant hen thinks she should take over from the absent cockerel, which have been along way from the house, but i've never had such a loud disturbing one as this, it sounds like someone is strangling her! (Which might be the case if she doesn't shut up!!) :lol: :lol: It's like the death screams of a torture victim! God love her! It's a good job she's my favourite, or i might be asking does anyone know any good chicken recipes!! :-)12 :-)12 :-)12

JubesXX
 
We have one that shouts down the place even with the cockerel!! she will run with her head high shoutin' WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH feathers all fluffed and tail flappin' it's brilliant to watch, but not so nice if you're sleeping...
 
I've heard of hens becoming cockerels due to a damaged ovary and I've seen dominant hens behaving like cockerels and even single hens talking to themselves in cockerel. Never heard of a normal hen crowing though -how odd. Is it a 'White' Orpington thing because our coloureds are ever so well behaved -excepy Ollie perhaps.

Were moving our Brown English Leghorn Bantams into the greenhouse for Winter soon. Snowdrop, who is the vastly dominant hen is in for a shock though as young Boris, their new cockerel, will be there to greet her. They really suffer from the cold being of Mediterranian origin. We will be adding bubble wrap insulation to the roof and have bought the smallest gas brooder for heat on sub zero mornings, as it is a long job lighting a Tilley lamp every time.

Question is when introducing the hens to the new young cockerel one at a time (one each day) should Snowdrop be first or last? So will she be more approachable for Boris if she is on her own first and not protective of the others? Or should she be last introduced to what would be the newly established flock of hens and cockerel and therefore just slot in without fuss?
 
We introduce the girls all at the same time chris, but he is bought to them, so perhaps try putting them in first, let them settle for a couple of days, then introduce him, the hens will remain in their original 'pecking' order, and he will just slot in fine. They will teach eachother a few manners, it doesn't take long. He will automatically know who is the queen of the flock anyway, and he'll soon pick out his favourite, it may be her, it may not, you'll soon know by the dissapearence of one girls feathers faster than the others.
No, it's not a white orp thing, i have had Jubilee and Spangled girls doing the crowing thing, so not just narrowed to whites, although i must say, she is a very bossy pullet, she has to be the first to feed in the morning, and the last one who settles for the night.
Apart from the racket she makes first thing, she is perfectly normal. The dominant one perhaps. The jubilee hen who crowed, also tried treadding!! :shock:
Forgetting the horrendous noise, it's great fun having them closer to the house to watch them and their behaviour.

JubesXX
 
Crowing hens is another of those status things that people like to brag about. And I've never had one !
 
I did wonder if it was something in our water chuck, i'll send you a bottle of it and see if it produces you one!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
It's these big butch orpingtons, that's what it is! :roll: :-)07 :lol:

JubesXX
 
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