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Original poster

Cockerel owners - does yours crow in the middle of the night?

22 replies

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 27/02/2008 19:26

Because ours does. He's shut in with the hens, it's completely dark and on the occasions I've gone to check on them, there has been no sign of any lurking predators.

What the devil is he playing at? Anyone...!

OP posts:

LieselVonTrapp · 28/02/2008 09:58

Just out of interested, are there any other cockerel owners out there?

BoysOnToast · 28/02/2008 10:01

hmmm.
im getting chickens soon and am thinking of getting a cockerel too.

my neighbour has chickens and a cockerel - was the first person who actually keeps them that i got to speak to about it. she said basically that they have different personalities and some are 'nicer' than others. some, apparently, are a total PITA and might need, um, rehoming and trying again with a new one.

sounds like you may have one of those... ?

Loshad · 28/02/2008 10:05

ours (current cockerel overload of 7!!) don't crow when it's dark - they "fuss" if i go up to them very late at night (probably because we only do that if their numbers are to be reduced and they spotted that)
They are abit hard to hear as they're dwon the garden, but I don't think they ever crow before dawn, and even then not a lot before I let them out at 7am.

BoysOnToast · 28/02/2008 10:16

ooh, do you think its coz theres lots of em?

geekgirl · 28/02/2008 10:36

mine doesn't, but then he's not much of a crower anyway.

Original poster

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 28/02/2008 11:28

It doesn't matter if he's a PITA - I can only hear him from one room in the house and not always then. There aren't any neighbours to consider either. I just think he's weird!

He's only been crowing for a couple of months, maybe he's just practicing!

OP posts:

LieselVonTrapp · 28/02/2008 11:40

Just interested - why a cockerel?
Are they good pets? Are they pets or are you on farms?

BoysOnToast · 28/02/2008 12:33

im on an ex-farm. so have the space... they'll be pets, but useful (and some of them edible) ones.

Loshad · 28/02/2008 14:07

we were given a couple, and then some of the eggs that have hatched over the years are bound to be male. Periodically we do a cull - coq au vin, then of course the population grows again. Think the hens are happier with a cockerel, and they are very beautiful. We've plenty of space too and no near neighbours. DONB, I think that may be it - if he's only a youngster.

Iklboo · 28/02/2008 14:10

There must be a witch in the area! (folklore - a cockerel crowing at night = witch)

Original poster

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 28/02/2008 14:29

liesel - ours aren't pets, they're here for eggs and meat but that doesn't stop them being fun to have around the place. Chickens do make good pets though and they're much more useful than guineau pigs! You only need a cockerel if you want chicks.

A witch? She's either well hidden or it must me or the DDs.

OP posts:

geekgirl · 28/02/2008 14:35

mine are pets - have kept them for meat, but this lot are just pets really and I wouldn't eat any of them. They're friendly and nice to look at, and lay lots of eggs (not the cockerel, obviously! - He's just the man to keep the ladies happy , he's good-natured and beautiful )

BoysOnToast · 28/02/2008 14:49

nah duchess, she'll be living in a local ditch or copse or summink, innit?

Original poster

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 28/02/2008 17:04

Or perhaps we housed the chickens in her little cottage in the woods? Our 'henhouse' is on my profile. What d'you reckon?

OP posts:

BoysOnToast · 28/02/2008 17:56

am loving your profile, norks. yours and megalegs.
my chickens will be living in an eglu cube. they havnt even arrived yet and i know already that it will be too small. im going to start with 6 hens, prob going to buy 4 more (inc one cock i think) straight away, then we're up to capacity already. may have to get building.
think some sheep next... maybe a pig or two?

Original poster

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 28/02/2008 18:37

I want a couple of pigs too. I've a useless 1/2 acre of scrubby woodland which would be perfect. DH is not sure if he could eat our own pigs - he has no qualms about any other animals, just pigs. I keep talking about bacon sandwiches though and he's beginning to come round.

OP posts:

BoysOnToast · 28/02/2008 20:57

yep, think of the bacon. besides, they'll stink so much he wont mind eating them when hes lived with them for while

WelliesAndPyjamas · 28/02/2008 21:01

Funny your thread should appear tonight because our cockerel has been doing this the past couple of night too. My theory is that because the nights have been a little milder and the songbirds have started singing at night again (no, really, they do around here!) so it is confusing him, making him think dawn is coming.

pointydog · 28/02/2008 21:04

well well well. More than one cockerel owner.

Original poster

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 29/02/2008 10:31

wellies - I hadn't thought about other birds waking him up. Though I only hear owls but in the summer we have nightjars & occasionally a nightingale.

I hope he grows out of it. It's probably very annoying for his girls!

OP posts:

Raffaella · 29/02/2008 10:35

Yes our cockeral crows in the night but he always has done. Never quite known why.

WelliesAndPyjamas · 29/02/2008 10:50

Does light any filter in to your chicken coop, raffaella? Even if it is from a street light or from your house, it may be confusing him and making him think the sun is constantly about to rise . (You realise that this is just me expanding on my own theory here - it isn't scientific whatsoever!!).

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