Yep, Queenie is broadening her repertoire to include not just contented clucking and the enthusiastic bawk bawk bawk bacaaaawk that announces the arrival of an egg, but a rooster-like cock a doodle do. Well she only makes it as far as cock a do...
It's kind of abbreviated, well more like strangled at the end. So far she only does it in the mornings, to notify me that she and her gal pals would like to be let out into the yard. Yes, my birds have trained me to rush outside and let them out into the yard to play and peck and scratch for the day. So these days I rise before they do, in the summer I get a real jump on the day, rising at 4:30 or 5. They wake when the sun comes up.
Since the weather is cold, the neighbors have their windows and doors closed. Only a few of them have confirmed hearing this strange sound. And neither of the other two hens seem interested in acquiring this new skill. But then Queenie is the top of the pecking order and they probably don't want to question her authority.
Recently she has stopped doing it everyday and is, perhaps, keeping it as a special party trick, just to be used on auspicious occasions. I've talked to a few other chicken owners and none of them have had this experience or heard of it.
Maybe it's time to call Animal Planet to see if there is money to be made from this animal anomaly. Of course as soon as I sign the contract she will refuse to crow ever again.
