Read Online Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow - Free Book Online
Authors: Gail Damerow
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beginning),
hari
(the stretch), and
hiki
(the finish).
Japan recognizes three major longcrower breeds. The Tomaru (black crower) is noted for its rich two-tone call that deepens toward the end. In pitch it is intermediate between the calls of the other two breeds. The Koeyoshi (good crower), supposedly developed by crossing the Tomaru with the Plymouth Rock, has a deeper voice. Koeyoshi cocks take 12 to 18 months to mature and usually don’t start crowing until they are about 8 months old. The Totenko (red crower) is noted for its long tail, as well as for the duration of its high-pitched crow. You can find audio examples of all three by doing a keyword search on the Internet.
Germany has its Bergische Kraeher, supposedly the oldest German breed, imported during the Middle Ages from the Balkans, where its nearest relative is the Bosnian crower. In Kosovo the Drenica breed was fairly common in the Drenica province before the recent war and subsequent displacement of rural people into cities; folks who remained in the country opted for breeds that lay better. The best cocks of this breed reportedly crow for up to 60 seconds.
The typical longcrower has an upright stance, long legs, and a long neck.
In Russia the Yurlov crower was developed during the second half of the nineteenth century. Although its crow stretches out like that of other longcrowers, the call typically lasts a mere 7 to 9 seconds. Similarly, the crow of Turkey’s Denizli breed averages 10 to 15 seconds, although some individuals may crow as long as 35 seconds. To ensure the survival and purity of this breed, the Turkish government maintains a breeding station where cocks are selected based on voice.
The duration of crowing is preserved through generations by constant selection for the longest-crowing males. Unfortunately, the better the crowing ability of the breeding stock, the lower the fertility of the eggs and the more readily the delicate chicks succumb to various diseases. So, although longcrower breeds appear in many countries, they remain relatively rare.
WHEN A HEN CROWS
Among longcrowers, crowing hens are considered valuable as breeders. In other breeds, the crowing of a hen implies that she’s either diseased or getting on in years. An exception is in a flock with no rooster, in which case a hen may take on the masculine role, including crowing.
A hen has two ovaries, but only the left one produces eggs, while the right one remains undeveloped. If the left ovary becomes inactive due to atrophy or disease, the testicular tissue of the right ovary is stimulated into functional activity, resulting in the hen’s getting a dose of the male hormone responsible for crowing. Sometimes an aging hen will crow during nonlaying periods, when male hormones exert greater influence than female hormones.
Researchers in Lithuania investigated the role of female hormones in crowing by identifying the gender of week-old incubated eggs and injecting the male eggs with a form of estrogen, while injecting the female eggs with an estrogen inhibitor. All the chicks matured normally, except that in the cocks the rate of crowing, duration of crowing, and strength of crowing were significantly reduced, and four of the seven treated hens regularly produced brief, weak, crowlike sounds.
To Minimize Crowing
If you keep chickens in a populated area, you might be tempted to believe that the sole function of crowing is to annoy the neighbors. The question often comes up: How do you keep a rooster from crowing?
Sorry, but no 100 percent foolproof way has been found to prevent roosters from crowing. Decrowing surgery is not a ready answer. Assuming you could find a vet to do it, the operation is expensive, risky, and not always successful. Caponizing (severing or removing the cock’s gonads) minimizes crowing, but a capon is useless for breeding. At any rate, most people, including veterinarians, find the surgical procedures of decrowing and caponizing to be distasteful
hari
(the stretch), and
hiki
(the finish).
Japan recognizes three major longcrower breeds. The Tomaru (black crower) is noted for its rich two-tone call that deepens toward the end. In pitch it is intermediate between the calls of the other two breeds. The Koeyoshi (good crower), supposedly developed by crossing the Tomaru with the Plymouth Rock, has a deeper voice. Koeyoshi cocks take 12 to 18 months to mature and usually don’t start crowing until they are about 8 months old. The Totenko (red crower) is noted for its long tail, as well as for the duration of its high-pitched crow. You can find audio examples of all three by doing a keyword search on the Internet.
Germany has its Bergische Kraeher, supposedly the oldest German breed, imported during the Middle Ages from the Balkans, where its nearest relative is the Bosnian crower. In Kosovo the Drenica breed was fairly common in the Drenica province before the recent war and subsequent displacement of rural people into cities; folks who remained in the country opted for breeds that lay better. The best cocks of this breed reportedly crow for up to 60 seconds.
The typical longcrower has an upright stance, long legs, and a long neck.
In Russia the Yurlov crower was developed during the second half of the nineteenth century. Although its crow stretches out like that of other longcrowers, the call typically lasts a mere 7 to 9 seconds. Similarly, the crow of Turkey’s Denizli breed averages 10 to 15 seconds, although some individuals may crow as long as 35 seconds. To ensure the survival and purity of this breed, the Turkish government maintains a breeding station where cocks are selected based on voice.
The duration of crowing is preserved through generations by constant selection for the longest-crowing males. Unfortunately, the better the crowing ability of the breeding stock, the lower the fertility of the eggs and the more readily the delicate chicks succumb to various diseases. So, although longcrower breeds appear in many countries, they remain relatively rare.
WHEN A HEN CROWS
Among longcrowers, crowing hens are considered valuable as breeders. In other breeds, the crowing of a hen implies that she’s either diseased or getting on in years. An exception is in a flock with no rooster, in which case a hen may take on the masculine role, including crowing.
A hen has two ovaries, but only the left one produces eggs, while the right one remains undeveloped. If the left ovary becomes inactive due to atrophy or disease, the testicular tissue of the right ovary is stimulated into functional activity, resulting in the hen’s getting a dose of the male hormone responsible for crowing. Sometimes an aging hen will crow during nonlaying periods, when male hormones exert greater influence than female hormones.
Researchers in Lithuania investigated the role of female hormones in crowing by identifying the gender of week-old incubated eggs and injecting the male eggs with a form of estrogen, while injecting the female eggs with an estrogen inhibitor. All the chicks matured normally, except that in the cocks the rate of crowing, duration of crowing, and strength of crowing were significantly reduced, and four of the seven treated hens regularly produced brief, weak, crowlike sounds.
To Minimize Crowing
If you keep chickens in a populated area, you might be tempted to believe that the sole function of crowing is to annoy the neighbors. The question often comes up: How do you keep a rooster from crowing?
Sorry, but no 100 percent foolproof way has been found to prevent roosters from crowing. Decrowing surgery is not a ready answer. Assuming you could find a vet to do it, the operation is expensive, risky, and not always successful. Caponizing (severing or removing the cock’s gonads) minimizes crowing, but a capon is useless for breeding. At any rate, most people, including veterinarians, find the surgical procedures of decrowing and caponizing to be distasteful
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