Good Morning to You too: When Our Hen Turned Out to Be a Rooster

Meet Jessie. We raised her (him) from a 1 day old chick. We had many hopes and dreams that someday Jessie would provide us with fresh eggs for breakfast. Now we cringe each morning at (ahem!) 5:30 A.M. sharp with a crisp and clear, COCKA-DOOODLE!!!! But no DOOOOS.... Not sure if Jessie will ever do the cocka-doodle-dooo, but whatever he dooo's, I hope my neighbor's don't want to dooo me in.

Looking again at my city ordinance rules, we can have up to 10 chickens in town. No specifications on roosters. I'm assuming (ahem) that we CAN have a rooster...

Anyway, my girls (and 1 guy) are growing fast! I built them a nice large pen last week and they seem pretty happy!

Like many first-time chicken owners, we were convinced Jessie would someday reward us with fresh eggs. We raised "her" from a tiny one-day-old chick, watched her grow, and patiently waited for that first egg.

Instead...

One morning, at exactly 5:30 a.m., we received a very enthusiastic wake-up call.

COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!

It didn't take long to realize Jessie wasn't going to be laying eggs after all!

When Your "Hen" Turns Out to Be a Rooster

This is actually a common surprise for backyard chicken keepers. Even chicks sold as pullets (young hens) occasionally turn out to be roosters, and chicks sold as "straight run" have roughly a 50/50 chance of being either male or female. Many people don't realize what they have until the bird begins crowing or develops the larger comb, wattles, and colorful tail feathers typical of a rooster.

Why Roosters Aren't Allowed in Many Cities

Although backyard hens have become increasingly popular, many cities prohibit roosters because of noise rather than concerns about the birds themselves. A rooster's crow can easily be heard hundreds of feet away and often begins well before sunrise, making it difficult for nearby neighbors. Some cities allow hens but specifically ban roosters, while others limit the total number of poultry that can be kept. Before bringing home chicks, it's always a good idea to check your local ordinances.

What We Decided to Do

As much as we enjoyed raising Jessie, we also wanted to be respectful of our neighbors. After discussing our options, we eventually found him a wonderful new home where he could crow to his heart's content on a farm with plenty of room to roam.

Looking back, Jessie gave us more than a few laughs and taught us one of the first lessons of backyard chicken keeping—you don't always get exactly what you expect, but sometimes those surprises become the stories you remember most.