# Why do Roosters crow and crow at night?



## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Ok, so I have 2 Roosters. Why on earth would they be crowing so late at night? Like between 11 pm and 3 pm????
I love a roosters crow. My roosters have different sounds and I love it.


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## YouGoatMe (May 31, 2020)

It could be they are alerting the flock to predators or calling them to safety.


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## Emrcornerranch (Jun 13, 2020)

Mine only crow at night if something wakes them up. If any light gets turned on, they also crow.


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## JML Farms (Jan 1, 2021)

Mine crow at night too. I figure it's the full moon or they are just pretending to be night owls!


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## Cedarwinds Farm (Dec 2, 2019)

If the moon is bright, or there is an outside light, it makes them crow sometimes.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Mine crow all the time. To answer your question they like to prove that they don’t always do what they are supposed to do lol


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## Mike at Capra Vista (Nov 30, 2017)

Roosters will crow in response to other roosters crowing. So in that case it is territorial. 
Why in the middle of the night? Maybe to offer up an uncooperative hen to the predators?


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## double j (Aug 16, 2021)

Roosters crow at night to reinsure the flock.


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## Chief00 (Nov 20, 2019)

Moon was about full last night. That could be why.


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Mmm... all valid I suppose. Here it happens every night. I wonder if I dont have a small predator loose?


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## double j (Aug 16, 2021)

Tanya said:


> Mmm... all valid I suppose. Here it happens every night. I wonder if I dont have a small predator loose?


I have had chickens for about 10 years and my roosters crow every night more then once a night even up into the early morning hours.


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## double j (Aug 16, 2021)

Tanya said:


> Mmm... all valid I suppose. Here it happens every night. I wonder if I dont have a small predator loose?


Do you have a light near by? One of the main reasons a rooster crows is because of light. If you have a street light or a porch light that he can see he's going to crow.


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Funily enough. Nope. The spot light is behind their cage so their cage is in shaddow at night. Oh well. Its mot a complaint. Was just curious


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## Mike at Capra Vista (Nov 30, 2017)

This topic had me spend too much time searching the internet. My take away is no one knows why they crow at night. Most explanations seem to be pure speculation, some of it contradictory (they crow because they are content, they crow because of danger).
The loud crowing is mostly to communicate over distance especially in dense jungle. Mostly crowing is to intimidate other roosters, mark their territory and to attract hens. Roosters make a lot of other sounds, as most of us know. These sounds are intended for the flock and are not very loud and usually very short. There are several different alarm calls, and none involve crowing.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Mine don’t do it in the middle of the night. I would get rid of one who does that. To me, it isn’t normal. 
His timer may be out of whack, LOL 😂


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## alwaystj9 (Apr 10, 2019)

I have the odd honor of having to get up at 330 am when I work days and I can often hear mine crowing randomly in full dark for no apparent reason.
When I go to the coop, they are still sleep incapacitated or groggy, almost like they either crow in their sleep or suddenly awake, crow once, and go back to sleep.
Doesn't seem to matter what breed or age. When I have more than one roo the lesser pecking order roo does not crow much at all, ever, until he ascends to the top of the order.
Around the clock crowing is so normal that I have often wondered where the "Rooster crowing at the crack of dawn" idea came from. Is it a myth?
Maybe I watched the movie "Rock-A-Doodle" too many times when the kids were little.


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

I only have 2 roosters. Different breeds. I really dont mind the crowing, it baffles me and because I sleep so lightly it is a good feeling.


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## Emrcornerranch (Jun 13, 2020)

I have only heard mine crowing at night when the night is bright or there is something out there. Or a car, person, or dog bark wakes them up. I’ve seen them do a danger call and they do crow after the hawk flies by. Then they crow at the other roosters crowing because they crowed. But, mine absolutely crow (or at least two do) when there is danger. I almost always hear something running off into the woods.😣 That might be because my roosters were all raised together and that’s what they learned to do. The ones that do this are Australorp. It does seem to be a behavior of my older roosters who are all the same age and grew up together before I divided them into their own mini flocks. The coop with younger roosters of different breeds doesn’t seem to do this now that I think about it. Well, that makes me appreciate my older roos more! Good job guys!


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Ok. So I observed. Kobus crows when there is an owl. Chris crows when he hears another rooster from far away and my baby Bekkie wants you to think he is being choked


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## Emrcornerranch (Jun 13, 2020)

Tanya said:


> Ok. So I observed. Kobus crows when there is an owl. Chris crows when he hears another rooster from far away and my baby Bekkie wants you to think he is being choked


The last one…What??? Lol!


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Bekkie is only 13 weeks old so it sounds like you are strangling him...


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## Emrcornerranch (Jun 13, 2020)

Tanya said:


> Bekkie is only 13 weeks old so it sounds like you are strangling him...


A few of mine sounded like squeaky toys. I love it when they first start to crow!


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

I love this phase. They look so confused and even to the pount where they look around as if to say I didnt done it


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

My neighbor raises Roosters. They are beautiful. But they crow All the Time. Luckily Ive gotten used to it. I didnt realize how noisey they are. But when you have 100s of them, they do get loud!😯


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Listening to any rooster crow or any bird noises is extremely relaxing to me.


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

So i had an experience I did not expect. When I got home this afternoon Bekkie came running to my car door and waited to see me. As soon as he had a beady eye on me. He crowed (strangulated actually) right at me and waltzed off with Beast in tow. So this may be how they greet each other?


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Its been a year on now and I have now moved. I had to leave behind most of my chickens. I took my tamest male and 2 hens with chicks. My little guy crows to hear where other roosters are and if they are close by. The hens listen too. So that answers the questiin.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I hope you are doing well at your new place. I'm sorry you had to leave most of your chickens.


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

I didnt have much choice. But they are being well taken of. At least I only have one rooster crowing at 3am and not 6


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)




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## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

Tanya said:


> View attachment 238785


Is it just me or does the optical illusion make it look like he wants the drink on the table.


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## Boer Mama (10 mo ago)

Maybe a cpl of your chicks will grow up to be little Roos with their strangled crows to serenade you at night 😅
Good luck getting everyone settled in after the move 🍀🍀🍀


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

DDFN said:


> Is it just me or does the optical illusion make it look like he wants the drink on the table.


Its awesome right


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Boer Mama said:


> Maybe a cpl of your chicks will grow up to be little Roos with their strangled crows to serenade you at night 😅
> Good luck getting everyone settled in after the move 🍀🍀🍀


No. Roos get sold I only want hens. One 3am wake up call is enough thank you.


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## Boer Mama (10 mo ago)

Tanya said:


> No. Roos get sold I only want hens. One 3am wake up call is enough thank you.


I totally agree with you there… just thought you might miss that strangled call after I read thru the thread. Lol
I’m so bad at telling when they are roosters for sure for sure, that they are usually starting their funny calls already anyway 🤣
I’ve got 3 chicks that hatched this year and they’re all roosters… maybe I’ll have better luck next year! 😅


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

@Boer Mama I see my chicks get different tail lifts. Straight up is a rooster and smooth back is a hen. So far the 3 with me now are swinging to the hens. I would be so happpy


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

👍😉


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

Glad you are moved and safe! Good to hear from you again. Nice Roo!🥰


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