Chicken languages... What do they mean?

[maizey]

Funny, I just posted about mine cussing me out for stuffing them in the coop early. A low, rapid fire "tut tut tut"..a very disapproving tone they just took with me if ever I heard one.

 

[sred98]

I've learned a lot of my chickens' sounds, too. A few of the birds that consider themselves "special" know their individual names, yes, no, come, and things like that. The thing that really surprised me, though, is my dog has learned their calls, too! She even knows the difference in the guineas' calls!

Shelly

 

[LaBaze]

Ive heard many chicken noises including the egg song, the rooster calling the girls over to eat from my silkie rooster, the growl of the rooster at me, the "OMG RUN!" song from the whole flock, and so on but I still want to know....... What sound says "Come here"???????? Im dying to know.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
It's a clucking sound. I can imitate it, but can't type it out. My broodies use it with their chicks and from them it's a softer version than the one my roos make to call the hens to eat.

Here's what I found on the web:


Chicken sounds or vocalizations have various meanings. A chicken going "tick, tick, tick" as it pecks is announcing the presence of food. A softer "tuck,tuck,tuck" sound can come from a hen with chicks under wing.
Researchers found that chickens give different alarm calls depending on whether a scary intruder flies in or approaches on the ground. Sounds of alarm and pain are distinct.
Roosters have different sounds for certain things,loud, continuous clucking for favored foods and low slow clucks for foods not so desirable. Roosters also make a continuous whining or purring sound while doing the courtship dance just prior to mating and this sound is different depending on the hen he presents to.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_30_sounds_that_chickens_make#ixzz1IbvErcr3

Backyard Poultry magazine had an excellent article on chicken vocalizations. It included information on the 30 different noises a rooster makes. Unfortunately, the article was never made available to read online.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

I generally use a Heeeerrrrreeee chickiechickiechickie. repeat
Our departed dog Cleo understood chickenspeak. Really, she did.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Actually, my chickens have ESP. I walk out the door and they all come running. Could it be they recogize the red bucket that carries their feed? Nah, they have ESP.

I call CHICK CHICK CHICK CHICK CHICK, an so on, and they all come running. Nothing is quite as funny as watching an Orpington or a Jersey Giant hauling their fluffy butts at (their) full speed from 100 yards away to get something from me. Either watching the big, fluffy hen run from the front or back is sure to cause chuckles and giggles form just about anyone who sees it.
I have detected several vocalizations from my flock. I also hear the blackbirds and starlings who have returned or are passing through and they will suddenly get very silent when a hawk swoops in.
I just heard my Silkies purring for the first time just this week. My new Partridge hen was doing it, then I found that my 'dying to go broody' Black hen was doing it tonight. The girl is getting broody over a wire bottom cage!
I have an EE girl who has THE loudest egg screech (no song, trust me) that I have ever heard, and when she starts in, the whole flock joins her. Oh, but take that pile of eggs she tries hoarding to go broody and there is some serious butt chewing going on from her! I call her Hen or Henry. I couldn't tell which she was for the longest time until I saw her squat. She lays a pinkish brown egg. She may be leaving the premises soon for a new home at another farm nearby. Maybe they can shut the loud beak up.
My two Sebrights are in the garage in a cage so as not to get walked all over my by JGs. Whenever my dogs come around the corner of the garage, all hell breaks loose from them. They are little tattle tales, ask Zeke, my Brown Standard Poodle (who has tasted fresh chicken tooooo many times).
I need to find that article, gritsar, I think it would be very interesting. Do you know when it was printed? I can hit my brother up for some old issues.

 

[galanie]

Someone here posted a youtube vid of her doing the predator call and warning calls. I wish I could find it. I learned the predator call well enough that my chicks run for cover when I do it. My grown girls freeze and look around. I don't do it often or they'd ignore me. Wow I wish I could find that video. it's like bawk bawk bawk BIGAAAAACCKKKKKK!!! Similar to but yet different from the egg song. Egg song ends with more of a BAAWWWKKKK and this is a BIG-AACK! hehe. That's the best i can type it.

My momma hen does a tick tick tick that is nothing like the other chicken sounds to tell her baby to come eat this treat. It's more like the tongue tick people do to tell their horses to speed up.

 

[melloladies]

Does anybody else have a chicken that makes video game noises???? My EE Paula is the quirkiest chicken- sometimes she walks around going "boink, boink, boink..." Its so funny

My DH will be laughing, and I ask him what's so funny - he just says "paula's playin video games again!"
She also makes this noise that sounds like screeching tires!

Mostly if she's annoyed- mostly at night when the roost shuffling is going on.

 

[DTRM30]

I call mine with Guck Guck Guck - and they do come running - it's funny to watch

DH likes to tease and call them ducks. Every bird to him is a duck. Geese, chickens, seagulls - they're all ducks.

anyway, they purr at night when I check on them, but the growl at me if they want out and I don't have time to let them out. It's rather funny. They pace back and forth growling at me and giving me the evil eye like hey - I WANT OUT AND I WANT OUT NOW !

They event try to run between my legs opening the door.

 

[LaBaze]

Our 7 week old chicks we have in a pen and whenever I go to open the door all 28 chicks make a mad dash for the door. They really want out and we plan on letting them with the other animals for the first time today...... Hope all goes well