Thursday, April 19, 2012

Charlotte or Charlie? ~ Rural Thursday

Her name is Charlotte. 


She lays brown eggs. 


Remember...the weird one?

Well, here's Charlotte the other day...


CROWING...

That's right. 
The old girl arched her neck, flapped her wings and let out a crow! Ok, it was a croaky crow, but she was definitely trying to crow. Sounded like a young rooster with laryngitis! 

And she continues to do this almost everyday!

So I researched this phenomenon at the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, and found out that it can happen when a hen becomes old. 

I guess Charlotte is old for a hen. 
She's at least 4, if not 5 yrs old. 


Here she is with the other girls. They used to pick on her but they don't anymore. 

Now I know why :) 
She has taken on rooster qualities and hunts for bugs, clucking at them to come and eat!

But I'm not ready to change her name just yet.

How's that for a weird Rural Thursday?!

Images are mine. Please don't take them without asking. Not that anyone would want them. I'm just sayin'. 







14 comments:

  1. Well who knew?!? Most of mine are just over 2. Something to look forward to I guess ;-)

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  2. funny... a lot of creatures get cranky when they age

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  3. Charlotte is a good looking hen!

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  4. I've got hens that are at least this old and have never witnessed this. Very strange! Lol.

    PS -- I did purchase that dinnerware set you saw on Pinterest. Can't wait till it gets here! :)

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    1. I hope you'll post pictures of the dinnerware all pretty on a table :) Maybe a tea setting?

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  5. Now that's a funky chicken. :P

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  6. I have had chickens that are more rooster-like and roosters that disguise themselves as hens for a very long time. This always fascinates me, but practicality makes me chose to keep only the straight-forward on our small property as indulging my curiosities is not often practical or economical. Besides, when the main rooster discovers he has another rooster in the pen all is found out and done for.

    I hope poor Charlotte finds her old age kind,and also, this makes me very happy God did not see fit to make me a middle-aged chicken.

    A very intriguing rural Thursday for sure.

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    1. She is fat and happy being the queen/king of the roost :)

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  7. Interesting! I wonder if this has to do with a decline in estrogen. Hopefully she'll take on the more mellow of rooster qualities and not start chasing people! We have five that are maybe going on four years old, so this is something I will be watching for!

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  8. She sits right down and lets my son pick her up so I think she is retaining her nice hen quality despite the weird crowing phenom :)

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  9. Maybe Charlotte is just going thru Henopause.

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    1. That's too funny! I don't know how I missed your comment. Sorry about that!

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I am so delighted that you've taken time to come by and comment. Blessings for a joy-filled day!

1 Corinthians 1:3 ~ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.