Silent crowing Orpington

[sticksoup]

Hello! I have a darling 4-5 week old Buff Orpington who was sold to me as a female. Poor little "Sunny" has had a hard couple weeks, culminating with a very sad hawk attack that took away her only chicken mate right before her. We've been devasted and little Sunny stays with me as much as possible until we can find a new mate. I've noticed since the attack that she does something silly opening her mouth and shutting it until I realized what she is doing is crowing- only completely silently. Does this mean I have a little rooster on my hands? Is it time to go from 'Sunny' to 'Sonny'?

 

[98 gt]

not necessarily....
btw welcome to BYC
hens can start crowing, but roosters will never start laying eggs.
where are you someone may lve close enough to get you a chicken mate /buddy (depending) if close enough

 

[sticksoup]

Thanks for the Welcome! I live in Bradenton Florida and it seems like our local chick suppliers are on the edge of getting new deliveries, but none in stock yet. I'll put up a pic to help determine sex, but it's nice to know even the girls crow. Thank you!

 

[eggzettera]

&

Sorry to hear you lost one,

but glad to hear that you getting him/her some company.

 

[lepoulet]

It sounds like this little chick might be open mouth breathing, the stress of the hawk attack on his mate may have compromised her. Is she doing ok otherwise, eating, drinking, etc? I suggest this only because a dog once scared one of mine (didn't injure it) but this chicken open mouth breathed for several weeks after the dog "attack." The dog only mouthed the chicken, but really scared it terribly. It was a wake-up call to make sure that all visitors keep their dogs on leashes around here.

Just a thought. Hope she is ok.

 

[CBee]

Your little chick could also just be yawning. I only suggest that because that's how I was with my first chicks last year. I saw a couple do that and went crazy, thinking they were choking or dying or...crowing. Oh no!

But finally I'd realized that they were just all yawning. I mean, still, like Lepoulet said, after a hawk attack I would keep an eye on her, but don't write her off as a roo yet.

 

[sticksoup]

Any advice on sex of Sunny?

 

[juliechick]

I'm guessing rooster, but it's really hard to tell by the pic. Can you get one of it's head?

 

[sticksoup]

Thank you everyone for advice on Sunny. She seems to have stopped her silent crowing so I agree it could be a fear/stress thing. She did go through an ordeal.
*Even my big girls (2 RIR's) who saw the attack growl when they see a circling predator bird above. I never knew a chicken could growl- it's a crazy world.

 

[sticksoup]

I got all sorts of views- does this help?