Chickens are among the earliest domesticated animals by humans. Through genetic tracing, modern domestic chickens have been found to have been domesticated in Southeast Asia at least 8,000 years ago.
Today, chickens are the most widely distributed bird species in the world, with the largest population. As of 2018, there were over 23.7 billion chickens living globally, and this number continues to rise. This figure may reflect success, or it could also represent a sadness for this species.
Most of the chicken population lives on farms, raised for eggs or meat.
Success lies in the fact that their genes have been proliferated more than ever. Sadly, they are often kept confined in farms year-round, primarily for egg-laying and then for meat.
Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that chickens are the most populous poultry species and are closely related to our lives.
However, due to their close relationship with humans, we often observe some unusual behaviors in them, such as some hens crowing for no apparent reason.
Crowing is a privilege of roosters.
According to folklore in many Asian countries, “hens crowing” is a manifestation of “chaotic yin and yang,” a sign and omen of impending misfortune.
In some places, there are even specific distinctions based on the time a hen crows. For example, crowing at midnight is said to indicate fire-related incidents, while crowing at 2 AM suggests theft. Some believe that if a hen crows once shortly, the village will face banditry, while a prolonged crow indicates misfortune for its owner.
It is not hard to guess what fate awaits those hens that crow. Regardless of their owners’ wishes, due to gossip and numerous unpleasant stories, a hen that crows is often slaughtered and eaten within one or two days after making its sound.
If you have ever heard a hen crow, you may find it hard to forget. It is not a loud crow like that of a rooster, but rather sounds like it is choking. The crow can sometimes be prolonged, but its ending is typically very brief, unlike the lingering and resonant crow of a rooster.
Hens can also crow like roosters.
Why do hens crow?
The issue is believed to lie in the relatively fast growth rate of chickens. Essentially, after a few months, chicks reach maturity. At this point, hens can lay eggs and are not slaughtered, while roosters are usually processed shortly thereafter. This often results in a lack of roosters in a flock.
According to many observers, the phenomenon of hens crowing often occurs in flocks without roosters.
Chickens are social animals. This means that any group will have a hierarchy, with some individuals being dominant over others. Typically, the lead is the largest rooster, followed by the second rooster.
This creates a division of power. For example, regarding food, the dominant rooster gets absolute priority and can peck at other members at will. Some studies have found that the order of crowing among roosters is also related to this power hierarchy within the flock.
The crow of a rooster also reflects power and position in the flock.
This hierarchy is established as soon as a flock appears, but when there are no roosters in a flock, this superior-inferior relationship must be reestablished.
At this time, some hens will learn behaviors from roosters, including crowing. Therefore, the purpose of a “hen crowing” is to reestablish their position within the flock.
Whenever a hen crows, it seeks to assert its dominance over the rest of the flock and establish its own territory—similar to how a rooster typically leads. Unfortunately, from a human perspective, this is seen as an omen, and it becomes a “death crow” for that hen.
Hens can evolve into roosters if conditions are met.
Hens transforming into roosters
In addition to mimicking roosters, another common situation is that hens can actually undergo a transformation into roosters.
If you pay attention, in any flock of chickens, you may notice some hens that are more “masculine.” These hens will grow combs (although not particularly pronounced), show less interest in laying eggs, and develop colorful feather clusters like roosters.
Essentially, all hens naturally produce male hormones from birth. When the hormone levels exceed normal, they will exhibit some characteristics and behaviors of roosters.
Perhaps it’s better for hens not to crow.
Hens are born with two ovaries, similar to humans. The left ovary grows and develops, producing all the estrogen that hens need to regulate egg production (or egg cells in chickens), which is released into the oviduct.
On the other hand, the right ovary does not develop as the hen matures. It remains dormant, much smaller than the left ovary, and largely undeveloped.
However, if the left ovary of a hen is damaged or for some other reason stops producing the necessary estrogen, the transformation into a male may occur. Scientists refer to this phenomenon as “reverse sexual differentiation.”
Anatomy of a chicken.
Since the left ovary is the only source of estrogen production, if it is absent, the estrogen levels in the hen will drop, and its testosterone (or male hormone) levels will rise.
At this point, the hen will begin to transform into male characteristics and behaviors, of course including crowing.
However, this hen will not truly become a rooster. Physically, it remains a hen, and its androgen levels are not high enough compared to a rooster to fully transform into one.
Interestingly, once the left ovary of a hen is completely damaged and the right ovary activates, it will develop male reproductive organs. Thus, these hens will attempt to mate with the other hens in the flock.
Although technically, this is how a hen transforms into a rooster, it is very rare for a hen to naturally become a rooster. Therefore, the most common case is simply “hens crowing.”
Chickens also have their own social hierarchy.
Is a crowing hen an omen, deserving of death?
In reality, there is no scientific basis to prove that a crowing hen brings bad luck.
However, killing that hen becomes necessary.
First, this crowing hen tends to lay fewer eggs. Because it will become more aggressive, it will also eat more, encroaching on the share of other hens that can lay eggs.
Second, such a hen will become increasingly aggressive. If in a flock without roosters, it often pecks at other hens. If this situation persists, it will adversely affect the entire flock, so unless it can be separated for “foster care,” slaughtering will be an easier option.
