Chicken growling at me

[undine]

I have 8 chickens 2 golden comets, 2 australorps, 2 buff orpingtons, and one barred rock. The barred rock and one of the buff orpingtions are very friendly with me, but every so often the barred rock growls idk if its directly towards me, but she walks around growling. Both of the golden comets growl A LOT when they see me have treats for them, and even when i dont. Do they hate me? Ive had them since their were 2 days old, and now theyre 18 weeks =( what does it mean when they growl?

 

[aart]

Chicken 'growling' isn't necessarily like when a dog growls which usually signals a warning.

If they make a noise when you give them treats, I would think you could assume that it's a happy sound.

Chicken vocabulary can be difficult, or just time consuming, to learn...lol!

 

[Katt66]

I think I know the growling you are talking about. My EE rooster "growls" while I'm filling his food bowl. Or pretty much any time I have the jar that he knows his fermented feed comes out of in my hand. I'm pretty sure he's actually expressing his happiness about the food. I always take it as a sort of "Hey! how are you? Where have you been?" As it always seems to be a greeting.

 

[Calomel]

I know the sound! Sort of a loud, low, gravelly "buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk". I don't believe it is an angry sound, my top three hens out of five all do it when they see me coming and boy do they come running for treats. Your girls probably are just begging for tasty things from you, and have you associated with good stuff. I usually interpret it as, "Hey! You have food! Give food? Give food now? Noooooowwwwwwwwww?"

 

[Chicksofmichigan7]

I have 8 chickens 2 golden comets, 2 australorps, 2 buff orpingtons, and one barred rock. The barred rock and one of the buff orpingtions are very friendly with me, but every so often the barred rock growls idk if its directly towards me, but she walks around growling. Both of the golden comets growl A LOT when they see me have treats for them, and even when i dont. Do they hate me? Ive had them since their were 2 days old, and now theyre 18 weeks =( what does it mean when they growl?

I have no idea. My chickens will growl all together and it seems to be something like a challenge to see if you are good for the flock. I growled back and they haven´t growled at me since. I had a chick outside for the first time and when the hens tried peaking him, I just growled and they left him alone. So in all, I think it is something like a like ¨ This is my flock¨ or something.

 

[EverV]

I have no idea. My chickens will growl all together and it seems to be something like a challenge to see if you are good for the flock. I growled back and they haven´t growled at me since. I had a chick outside for the first time and when the hens tried peaking him, I just growled and they left him alone. So in all, I think it is something like a like ¨ This is my flock¨ or something.

This thread is around 7 1/2 years old. The OP hasn't been on since 2014.

 

[Silviaschicks]

Growling is perfectly normal. Your chicken doesn't usually mean anything by it, it only it will growl to tell you to leave if you interrupt their egg laying (this happened to my nephew, who bothered my BR and OE, and they growled at him, and now he's terrified of my chickens )