Rooster Talk: Why Do Chickens Crow Morning And Night?

Nothing sounds more farm-like than the rooster’s crow. The piercing call can at first seem foreign or even romantic to the new homesteader, recently transplanted out of the city. To others, like myself, having chickens for most of my life, rooster crows are an expected part of the day. Wherever you are in your homestead journey, maybe you’ve wondered Why do chickens crow? Let’s take a closer look at the top reasons your backyard birds even make such a noise.

Why Do Chickens Crow Anyway?

Let’s first get one thing straight. You’re probably hearing a rooster crow, not a hen. The rooster is the adult male species of the chicken, and here are the main reasons he crows:

• It’s his natural instinct
• He’s the leader of the pack (err flock)
• Roosters protect hens
• Dominance

The Rooster’s Role In The Flock

Because the rooster does so much for a flock of hens, crowing is part instinct. He teaches the hens what his distinctive crow sounds like. He tells them when morning is approaching, when there’s danger in the area, and where the roaming boundaries are.

No matter where the hens are, a good rooster can call his ladies back to him, or the coop, anytime.

The Leader Of The Flock

To begin, they are the leaders of the flock. You can absolutely have a flock of backyard chickens without a rooster, and a dominant hen will assume her position as the top of the pecking order. 

But if you do keep a rooster with your backyard flock, he will definitely be the boss. He wants to be the one to keep order amongst the group. Crowing just reminds the ladies in the group that he’s in charge.

Protective Roosters

Next, roosters are protectors over the hens in the flock. They perform a different type of crowing to alert their hens that something is wrong. You can watch a hawk fly overhead, hear the loud crowing, and watch your hens scatter to the nearest hiding places.

Additionally, he may take his flock throughout the boundaries that he sees fit and safe for his hens. He lets them know with more crowing.

Some chicken keepers may find their persistent calling annoying, but keep in mind that he’s doing his job. A big reason to even keep a rooster in your flock, is so that your hens are somewhat protected.

Roosters Want to Be Dominant

Just like most every kind of animal group, someone is dominant. Someone is in charge, and he or she keeps the rest in their place. This is true within a flock of chickens as well, even if you have just one rooster. 

If you keep multiple males, however, understand that they will fight for the position of head rooster. This is one of the tops reasons that your boys will call out. 

Furthermore, if your neighbors have roosters calling out, your fellow will respond in kind. They are telling one another “I’m over here, stay away from my hens.”

Why Do Roosters Crow In The Morning?

If living the chicken-keeper life is unfamiliar to you, then you probably believe that roosters only crow to say “good morning.” 

It’s true that the morning crow comes at the crack of dawn, signaling the start of the day. There’s that romanticized farm life I mentioned.

A rooster’s internal circadian rhythm naturally signals him to begin crowing, just like all of the surrounding, wild male birds. So just before sun up, you can count on your noisy beaked alarm clock to start your day.

Why Do Chickens Crow Through The Day?

But more than just mornings, rooster crowing can happen at several times of day, even at night. Any external stimuli like car headlights, the shutting of a car door, a racoon approaching, or any variety of reasons, can cause roosters’ crowing.

This is when I can sympathize with the annoyed neighbor who didn’t elect to keep roosters. So you should know, that adult male chickens will crow loudly many times a day, every day. If you have close neighbors, not in a spread out rural area, know what the neighborhood rules are on such noise.

Does Excessive Crowing Mean a Rooster is Aggressive?

No. If it seems like your rooster is crowing too many times of the day, it just means he’s doing his job well. An aggressive rooster will pull the feathers of the hens, and may attack you or your guests. 

In other words, you’ll know if he’s aggressive, you won’t have to guess. An extra vocal rooster is just exercising his natural way of communicating, and you have a great communicator there.

Side note: You can read more about raising friendly roosters in your flock too.

Do Hens Crow?

While female chickens typically leave the loud calling crow to the males, sometimes hens will give their best attempt at crowing too. Yes, this is a real thing, and it’s not an identity crisis. Again, why do chickens crow?

I have personally seen a hen crow during two different seasons in my own flocks over the years. Both times, a rooster was recently removed from the group. 

Remember that pecking order thing amongst hens? And remember how the males always want to be the dominant rooster? Once the rooster is gone, the hens have to scramble for a new boss bird in the flock.

In these cases, hens may give their best attempt at a little showboating by puffing out their chests and yelling out. It’s a wildly funny sounding “crow” that can only be described as a weak, shortened caw. She will never be as loud as a rooster, but you’ll know that it’s very clearly different than any other sound hens make.

I have since learned that this exact scenario is especially probable if your flock has been together for a long time with the same rooster before losing him. If the pecking order has been destabilized after such a long period of consistency, a hen may assert herself as top hen with her version of a crow.

Conclusion – Why Do Chickens Crow?

When asking Why do chickens crow, remember that roosters are far more than just the noisemakers of the barnyard. They’re communicators, protectors, and leaders of the flock. Their crowing may seem random or excessive, but it’s really just their natural way of signaling safety, order, and presence to those around them. 

From the early morning call to the midnight warning cry, every crow serves a purpose in maintaining the rhythm of the flock. Whether you find it charming or a little loud, that familiar sound is a reminder that your homestead is alive and thriving, just as it should be.

Happy Rooster Keeping! (especially in those early morning hours)

Donna and her family have been homesteading for most of their 20+  years together in some shape or fashion. She currently lives on their 20 acre farm where they grow as much food as possible. What started as a just a few laying hens, has grown into large gardens, pastured poultry, pork, and lamb. They are continuously evolving their small farm to not suit their family’s needs, but also providing to their local community. Donna’s favorite part of the family farm is her self-built micro-dairy, where she gets to love on dairy cows while serving her local community. Milking, cheesemaking, and processing dairy have become the soul of their homestead and the center of their farm.