When Do Silkie Chickens Start Crowing?

All Silkie roosters are capable of crowing at about 4 to 5 months old, but not all will. Silkies as young as 2 months old have been known to crow, while others have not begun crowing until nearly a year old. Unlike other breeds of chicken, Silkies are less likely to crow if you have other mature roosters on-site. Part of their shyness may be because most Silkies forgo the traditional "cock-a-doodle-do" for what sounds like a yodel or Tarzan call.

Laying hens will sometimes vocalize loudly in a rhythmic pattern interspersed with clucks shortly before egg-laying. The rhythmic pattern may be echoed by other hens who are not on the nest box. In flocks of birds where there is no rooster, a dominant hen may actually make calls that sound similar to crowing, although more often than not, the "hen" turns out to be a shy rooster that finally worked up his courage to crow.

Many Silkie roosters are less prone to crowing than other breeds, with most vocalization occurring around sunrise and again in the evening. Multiple roosters kept together usually result in only the dominant male crowing, and some roosters kept as a solitary pet crow only rarely or not at all. There are no "absolutes" when it comes to Silkie roosters, however, and the age at which your rooster crows and how often he crows will depend upon his personality and other factors.

If your Silkie rooster wakes you up in the wee hours of the night by crowing at streetlights or passing cars, you can help prevent crowing by picking him off the roost and placing him in a private cage covered with a light-darkening cloth in a solitary area, where he'll rest relatively quietly until morning. He will not be difficult to grab if you have handled him as a chick and wait until he is settled in for the night.