I have one EE hen that began to crow and mount the other hens at the beginning of this year. I separated her from the others to see what was going on. About a week later she began laying weak shelled eggs or eggs with lumpy calcium deposits on them and thin areas in another. I supplemented her feed and the others' with oyster shell and a little bit of game bird feed (a high protein food I give to my quail) and she went through a moult, then eventually began laying healthy shelled eggs again. She still occasionally asserts dominance by mounting the hen lowest on the pecking order but she doesn't do any crowing or rooster dance stuff. I think a combo of low calcium and an impending molt might have imbalanced her hormones.
My sister-in-law's hen Smudge (2y/o goldlace mix) has recently started crowing and her fringe is so much bigger and redder than the other hens. A few months back the rooster of the flock was rehomed so our little Smudge apparently decided to take on his role. Smudge is our favourite by far as she needed a bit of extra help hatching. SIL carried the egg in her bra, since the mama hen stopped keeping it warm when she got busy with the other babies. SIL then passed the egg on to me 8 hours after the air hole broke and I ended up spending 2-3 hours carefully researching and removing the eggshell one tiny bit at a time to help her hatch. (If you feel like you need to do this research the hell out of it first. You can endanger the chick further if you do it wrong!) She's always been the broodiest and lays eggs but I'm pretty sure that the left ovary has stopped working as well for some reason. She still lays eggs and is the biggest mama-bear you will meet.
@@chickensinmygarden She really is. Just wish she stopped scaring us by going missing when she gets particularly broody x] First time we thought a fox got her. Second we found her inside a super thick bush she had managed to make a nest inside of. Third time we never found her hiding spot and expect to find some rancid eggs sometime in the future given it's the Australian summer. Only reason she returned was cause SIL had gotten some fertile eggs and when Smudge saw the babies she had an absolute freak out. So now we have 3 chicks with 4 mamas x]
WOW! This was SO INFORMITIVE! I knew about the "female rooster". Have witnessed it once. But did not understand the how behind it. And I have also seen spurs on females. And Never knew where the name "Leghorn" came from! And the spur wearing hen that we had, was an escapee from the tyson plant in Corydon Indiana! lol She lived a long happy life! All it took was one worker looking the other way for a split second! lol And boy was she a BIG HEN! HUGE! I have heard this is because they give them hormones. So I wondered if she had spurs because of this. But I guess not! THANK YOU FOR THE KNOWLEDGE!!! I am so enjoying your videos!
I had to rewatch this because my Swedish Flower Hen Chicklet has little spurs now. She's also my dominant hen. Might explain why she rose up the ranks so fast as she was part of a flock of chicks that was introduced to my established flock. I think even Ishmael and Ahab my old lead hens stepped down to her. I was shocked.
He was a beauty! A buff-laced Wyandotte. I bred them for a while. My whole playlist about genetics is how I did that. This final one shows the birds off well th-cam.com/video/-GmfMHC2zOo/w-d-xo.html
I have 4 6 month old austrolorps. 1 has a longer comb and wattles than the others but no spurs and acts like she is at top of the pecking order. I'm wondering if she can br a rooster. However her feathers are very smooth.
Thank you for sharing this video and videos on genetics of combs and other things you have posted are very well made and helpful I have a hen with spur buds and seen this and clicked on it because I have been wondering what a cause may be for it she is a welsummer.
I haven't seen spurs in a Welsummer but it wouldn't really surprise me to find the occasional Welsummer hen with spurs. How old is she? The buds might get bigger as she gets older.
We have a hen that crows, has a spur, tries to mount other hens and follows me like she's a guardian. She only started this behavior after our beloved rooster passed away. She's not that young and very female looking. Who knows?
I think you are suspecting that your hen is trying to take over the boss/protector role vacated by your rooster. I believe you are right. She sounds like a wonderful hen 🙂
I have a small mix breed hen. When she was young we were not sure if she was a hen or a rooster until she started laying because she had quite a prominent, red cone. She is also quite aggressive towards other hens. And will fight with young roosters. She’s always been odd but just recently she will start calling me over to a piece of food like a mother hen does with her babies or a rooster with his hens... but when I come over she pecks me. She’s also very Squaky and loud, and has just recently stopped laying and is showing characteristics or my rooster. I wouldn’t be surprised if she started crowing to be honest. Does anybody have any idea as to why this behaviour is occurring?? TLDR: my hen is acting like a rooster
The hen does not completely change into a rooster, however. This transition is limited to making the bird phenotypically male, meaning that although the hen will develop physical characteristics that will make her look male, she will remain genetically female.
I just did a bumble foot surgery on my black (with white feathers) hen and had to cut a toe nail from the back of her leg. The nail was bent almost into her leg. I don't believe it is a spur, could it be an extra toe? Both feet have it. Surgery hopefully went well. I took out a big piece of hard infection. She is now recovering . She lays white eggs and is probably 4 years old.
It could be an extra toe - some breeds or strains of chickens have extra toes - it's called polydactyly. I'm glad the bumblefoot surgery went well. Best wishes to you and your flock 🙂
I have 2 that look like roosters but I have never heard them crow . There the first ones to the door when I open it . I guess I will find out cause I have a broody hen as well . Yesterday I caught the broody hen off the clutch but another hen was sitting on the eggs until she came back . What is the best way to know if I have a rooster ?
I check on them 2 or 3 times a day and collect there gifts (eggs) . I guess we will find out in a couple weeks when or if the eggs hatch . Thank you for your replys
I have a chicken that was sold to us as a hen. But it throws its head back and appears to be trying to crow. I also have noticed that it may be growing spurs. We bought two chickens as pets, and they are supposed to be hens. But one of them has definitely has acted like a rooster. They are two different breeds so it is hard to tell by comparing them.
Good video. I've had many spurred hens over the years. It is much more common in some breeds than people would suspect.
I'm sure you are exactly right - it's not very rare but most people just don't know that.
Well there you go! Hens can definitely have spurs. Not a lot of people know that.
I learn something new everyday. Thanks for today's lesson.☺
I do too, and I love to share what I learn, so thanks for watching.
Now I know two reasons why hens cam have Spurrs, this is very informative thanks for the video
Thanks for watching. Have a great day 🙂
I have one EE hen that began to crow and mount the other hens at the beginning of this year. I separated her from the others to see what was going on. About a week later she began laying weak shelled eggs or eggs with lumpy calcium deposits on them and thin areas in another. I supplemented her feed and the others' with oyster shell and a little bit of game bird feed (a high protein food I give to my quail) and she went through a moult, then eventually began laying healthy shelled eggs again. She still occasionally asserts dominance by mounting the hen lowest on the pecking order but she doesn't do any crowing or rooster dance stuff. I think a combo of low calcium and an impending molt might have imbalanced her hormones.
That certainly sounds possible. I'm glad she came right 🙂
I laughed so hard at the rooster in cowboy boots!
My sister-in-law's hen Smudge (2y/o goldlace mix) has recently started crowing and her fringe is so much bigger and redder than the other hens. A few months back the rooster of the flock was rehomed so our little Smudge apparently decided to take on his role.
Smudge is our favourite by far as she needed a bit of extra help hatching. SIL carried the egg in her bra, since the mama hen stopped keeping it warm when she got busy with the other babies. SIL then passed the egg on to me 8 hours after the air hole broke and I ended up spending 2-3 hours carefully researching and removing the eggshell one tiny bit at a time to help her hatch. (If you feel like you need to do this research the hell out of it first. You can endanger the chick further if you do it wrong!) She's always been the broodiest and lays eggs but I'm pretty sure that the left ovary has stopped working as well for some reason. She still lays eggs and is the biggest mama-bear you will meet.
What a wonderful chicken! 🙂
@@chickensinmygarden
She really is. Just wish she stopped scaring us by going missing when she gets particularly broody x]
First time we thought a fox got her. Second we found her inside a super thick bush she had managed to make a nest inside of. Third time we never found her hiding spot and expect to find some rancid eggs sometime in the future given it's the Australian summer.
Only reason she returned was cause SIL had gotten some fertile eggs and when Smudge saw the babies she had an absolute freak out. So now we have 3 chicks with 4 mamas x]
Wow! We must be a very enthusiastic mama!
WOW! This was SO INFORMITIVE! I knew about the "female rooster". Have witnessed it once. But did not understand the how behind it. And I have also seen spurs on females. And Never knew where the name "Leghorn" came from! And the spur wearing hen that we had, was an escapee from the tyson plant in Corydon Indiana! lol She lived a long happy life! All it took was one worker looking the other way for a split second! lol And boy was she a BIG HEN! HUGE! I have heard this is because they give them hormones. So I wondered if she had spurs because of this. But I guess not! THANK YOU FOR THE KNOWLEDGE!!! I am so enjoying your videos!
That's great, and thank you for saying so 🙂
Enjoy!
I like her comb it cute like hair 🤣
She is cute, isn't she 🙂 She has the big floppy comb because she's a Leghorn
Thanks for the video but your hens are beautiful and your roosters are magnificent. They look so nice and you take care of them so much!
Yes indeed - well kept chickens are happy and often beautiful. I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy some chickens yourself.
Great video as usual ! Me and my mother are becoming big fans of this lovely channel !
Thank you. I wish I had time to make them more often but I am getting quite a collection and some of the oldest ones are actually the most popular.
1:22 made me laugh a lot.
Every day should have some smiles 🙂
Same exact reaction here
I've got Spurs that Jingle jangle Jingle
I have a hen changing over to a rooster right now. What an odd one she is.
I have a pet chicken named Honey. Honey is definitely a hen, but she has spurs.
I had to rewatch this because my Swedish Flower Hen Chicklet has little spurs now. She's also my dominant hen. Might explain why she rose up the ranks so fast as she was part of a flock of chicks that was introduced to my established flock. I think even Ishmael and Ahab my old lead hens stepped down to her. I was shocked.
I bet she looks beautiful (even if she is bossy) 😊
2:14 That is a very Handsome rooster
Great content. Thank you 👍🏽
Thank you 🙂
This was very helpful I love chickens.
I do too! 🙂
2:14 That is one Nice Looking Rooster
He was a beauty! A buff-laced Wyandotte. I bred them for a while. My whole playlist about genetics is how I did that. This final one shows the birds off well
th-cam.com/video/-GmfMHC2zOo/w-d-xo.html
@@chickensinmygarden Awesome Thanks! 😊
Hen in menopause 😂😂😂
I have 4 6 month old austrolorps. 1 has a longer comb and wattles than the others but no spurs and acts like she is at top of the pecking order. I'm wondering if she can br a rooster. However her feathers are very smooth.
It's possible that she's a he, but if so, you would probably have heard crowing by now.
Thank you for sharing this video and videos on genetics of combs and other things you have posted are very well made and helpful I have a hen with spur buds and seen this and clicked on it because I have been wondering what a cause may be for it she is a welsummer.
I haven't seen spurs in a Welsummer but it wouldn't really surprise me to find the occasional Welsummer hen with spurs. How old is she? The buds might get bigger as she gets older.
A lot of people say, 'What's that?
We have a hen that crows, has a spur, tries to mount other hens and follows me like she's a guardian. She only started this behavior after our beloved rooster passed away. She's not that young and very female looking. Who knows?
I think you are suspecting that your hen is trying to take over the boss/protector role vacated by your rooster. I believe you are right. She sounds like a wonderful hen 🙂
That explains my two hens with spurs!
What breed are yours?
@@chickensinmygarden The two spurred hens are white Leghorns. It must be a thing with them.
I believe it is. I was just wondering whether it might be a thing with other breeds too
I have a small mix breed hen. When she was young we were not sure if she was a hen or a rooster until she started laying because she had quite a prominent, red cone. She is also quite aggressive towards other hens. And will fight with young roosters. She’s always been odd but just recently she will start calling me over to a piece of food like a mother hen does with her babies or a rooster with his hens... but when I come over she pecks me. She’s also very Squaky and loud, and has just recently stopped laying and is showing characteristics or my rooster. I wouldn’t be surprised if she started crowing to be honest.
Does anybody have any idea as to why this behaviour is occurring??
TLDR: my hen is acting like a rooster
That sure is some weird behaviour! It will be interesting to find out how she progresses. Do take some photos so you can see any change. 🙂
Fun fact: a hen's 'saddle feathers' are called a cushion!
😀
Did you know that chickens like when you rub their wattles
No I didn't know that 🙂
The hen does not completely change into a rooster, however. This transition is limited to making the bird phenotypically male, meaning that although the hen will develop physical characteristics that will make her look male, she will remain genetically female.
I just did a bumble foot surgery on my black (with white feathers) hen and had to cut a toe nail from the back of her leg. The nail was bent almost into her leg. I don't believe it is a spur, could it be an extra toe? Both feet have it. Surgery hopefully went well. I took out a big piece of hard infection. She is now recovering . She lays white eggs and is probably 4 years old.
It could be an extra toe - some breeds or strains of chickens have extra toes - it's called polydactyly.
I'm glad the bumblefoot surgery went well.
Best wishes to you and your flock 🙂
I had 2 females with just one spur
How unusual! We're they related to each other?
A lot of people ask, “Who’s he? Or she?”
A ma’am or a sir, accept him or her
or whatever it might be
My hen has spurs
I have 2 that look like roosters but I have never heard them crow . There the first ones to the door when I open it . I guess I will find out cause I have a broody hen as well . Yesterday I caught the broody hen off the clutch but another hen was sitting on the eggs until she came back . What is the best way to know if I have a rooster ?
How old are they? I have never yet come across an adult rooster that didn't crow although sometimes it's not very often
There about a year old
@@terryedge3423 Then indeed they should be either laying or crowing by now.
I check on them 2 or 3 times a day and collect there gifts (eggs) . I guess we will find out in a couple weeks when or if the eggs hatch . Thank you for your replys
@@terryedge3423 Do let me know what happens 🙂
Thankyou...
Thanks for watching
what gender is it legally?
My one hen also has spurs
It's interesting, isn't it.
So if hens turn into roosters... then roosters lay eggs😱 I solved humanity
Actually when the become roosters it’s because they don’t produce estrogen and can no longer produce eggs lol
A cockatrice is said to hatch from a rooster egg
I have a chicken that was sold to us as a hen. But it throws its head back and appears to be trying to crow. I also have noticed that it may be growing spurs. We bought two chickens as pets, and they are supposed to be hens.
But one of them has definitely has acted like a rooster. They are two different breeds so it is hard to tell by comparing them.
How old is it? And what time of year is it where you live?
Poor hens don’t have enough money to buy good feathers
transgender-chickens? lol
Martha turns gay
So you're saying she turns into a Lesbian???
Not at all.
Stop complicating matters. If you listened and understood, you wouldn't say such a silly comment. Kinda immature..
Finally, a transgender representation ~!
I don't have anything against transgenders but does it have to be integrated into each topic?
@@mohamadali7555 It was only a joke, you old jeezer. 😄
@@nightslasher9384 not old. Not funny.
@@mohamadali7555 😢
@@mohamadali7555 it quite literally is trans chickens. It’s completely relevant to this topic