# Chicken or cockerill?



## cherylb (Jun 2, 2013)

One of my chickens went mad this morning. 4:30 am. The sun was already up, and it wasn't a cock-a-doodle-do noise, it was more like something being strangled! It was awful. Then I've noticed today that the back of the birds leg has a bigger bump in it than the other ones. What do you think?


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

cherylb said:


> One of my chickens went mad this morning. 4:30 am. The sun was already up, and it wasn't a cock-a-doodle-do noise, it was more like something being strangled! It was awful. Then I've noticed today that the back of the birds leg has a bigger bump in it than the other ones. What do you think?


Just looks
Like a rooster spur. If he just started crowing. It takes a while before they really get it down. Kind of like a teenage boy getting his "man voice".


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## cherylb (Jun 2, 2013)

Great! If I locked them in at night and didn't get them out till a certain time, would he keep quiet until then? For the last week I've been keeping them in the coop but not locking the henhouse door


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

They crow when they feel like it. Day, night, midnight, in the coop, in the yard. Just when they feel like it. Some breeds or chickens only at day, night, others, allllll the time. Especially when they are working out the kinks.


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## cherylb (Jun 2, 2013)

Oh dear! :-/


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

It's definitely a chicken  but its probably a cock. Although some pullets do grow spurs the strangled noise in the morning tells me cock trying out his voice. Like the previous posted said, cocks crow all day and any time , whenever they feel like it.


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## cherylb (Jun 2, 2013)

Thank you all for your advice. I shall have to rehome him. My neighbours weren't impressed thus morning.


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

Sad to hear for ya.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

It would be worth your efforts to deliver a peace offering of some eggs or bread or a pie and have them wait it out. Like EVERYONE has said every bird is different. Your rooster may find he doesn't like crowing, or your neighbors(as in my case) may come to enjoy the birds crow in due time. 
Some people like it some don't, personally the sound is calming and reassuring to me, and once my neighbors got used to it they all learned to love his throaty calls as much as I. It is worth noting that I live in a very small mountain town and almost everyone is up when the rooster crows anyways.


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## cherylb (Jun 2, 2013)

He was taken away yesterday :-( and now my hen is all alone until the weekend. How will she react if I bring another hen in? She's only around six months old and not started laying yet but when she does, what's the chances if them being fertilised?


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## apdeb (Jul 9, 2013)

No rooster no fertilization

Sorry but you should have waited it out a bit
My opinion


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

Also, the change in the coop can throw her off as well as the new one you bring in. Could cause a stress that dampens egg production for a few more weeks.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

cherylb said:


> He was taken away yesterday :-( and now my hen is all alone until the weekend. How will she react if I bring another hen in? She's only around six months old and not started laying yet but when she does, what's the chances if them being fertilised?


If she hasn't started laying yet, he wasn't mating her...chances of fertilization will be slim to none.

If she had been fertile and laying and he was sexually mature, chances are there was a mating and her eggs could/can be fertilized for up to 30 days.


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## MaransGuy (Jul 15, 2013)

They won't be fertile unless they have a rooster to breed them.


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## cherylb (Jun 2, 2013)

Bee, that's what I was wondering as I had heard they can lay fertilised eggs for long time afterwards. 
He was returned to the breeder and he agreed he was a rooster. Unfortunately I live next door to shift workers, nurses and newborn babies and I just didn't feel comfortable with them being woken up through the night. 
As for the laying I'll just have to wait and see. I don't think I'm doing anything wrong, she's on layer pellets, clean house, fresh water 2/3 times a day, and a large coop to play in.


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