What Is the Youngest Age That a Rooster Is Able to Crow?

Most of us are jolted awake by the sound of an alarm crowing into our still-slumbering ear, an electronic signal that the day has started. But in the days before commutes, cubicles and the digital clarion call to both, people woke to an ̶0;all-natural̶1; alarm clock: the rooster's crow. Few of us still wake to the cock's crow, but that doesn't stop male chickens from raising a racket. But at what age does this vocalization begin?

  1. Cock's Crow

    • A rooster's crow is a traditional start to the day.

      A rooster's crow is one of the more distinctive sounds you'll encounter on a farm -- and if you cross a ruby-crested cock on his home turf, you'll definitely have a crow leveled at you. The rooster's crow is a message to potential rivals of his territorial claim, an avian shout-out to challengers that his coop, flock of hens and farmland stomping grounds aren't up for grabs and anybody looking to dispute that fact is in for a fight. And while a rooster will crow when starting his morning, he'll issue that distinctive caw during all other hours of the day as well.

    Sound Like No Other

    • A rooster's "cock-a-doodle-doo" is an iconic sound.

      A rooster's crow is a truly iconic sound, a vocalization we like to spell out as ̶0;cock-a-doodle-do!̶1; More melodic than a crow's ̶0;caw̶1; but every bit as effective, the rooster's vocalization is a whole-body process beginning with the rooster taking deep breaths while flapping its wings. While an intimidating example of body language, this wind-up is also the rooster's way of gathering air in the series of air sacs that comprise a chicken's respiratory system. After that, he lets the air out of his extended neck in a single and very loud exhalation.

    When Chicks Crow

    • A young rooster will usually begin cawing around 4 or 5 months old.

      Unless the breed of chick purchased is sex-linked (the sex is obvious from an early age), all baby chicks look the same -- you can't tell pullets (young hens) from cockerels (young roosters). A rooster's crow is one of the first indicators that he is, in fact, a he and not a future layer. Typically, a rooster will make his first attempt to crow somewhere between 4 and 5 months, a sound many chicken-keepers describe as comical in effect, though they become experts quickly. The 4- to 5-month timeline isn't a rule -- some roosters wait nearly a year to vocalize, while some try out their crow at 2 months or earlier.

    Word of Caution

    • Pullets can crow, too, so don't be so quick to remove a suspected rooster from the flock.

      While some chicks attempt to crow at a very young age, it's best to wait until 3 months or later before removing a potential rooster from your flock. A practice crow isn't enough evidence to definitively declare one chick a ̶0;he,̶1; as pullets also possess the ability to make the sound. Wait until further indicators (enlarged comb, aggressive behavior) become clear before relieving yourself of a newly revealed rooster, lest you accidentally make a meal of a future layer!