chickens can growl?

[Aunt Mildred]

So my two polish chickens have recently started making a new noise, that I'm not sure what to think of. About two weeks ago they were attacked by stray dogs, and are now separated while the one's injuries heal up. At night, when they're calm, we've been putting them back together to spend some "support time" with each other. They have both started making a noise that sounds like a mix between a snore, a zipper being pulled, and a stomach growl.... I've never heard this! It's definitely not a "coo" - it sounds gutteral! Is this a good thing, or a bad thing? Because I only notice it when we reintroduce them to each other at the end of the day, I don't know if it's a reassuring greeting, or a wary warning. Any ideas?

 

[LynneP]

One of our hens has starting this kind of thing whenever she sees one of the barn cats lounging outside the run. It's a lou
BROWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWL!!!!!!

that goes on for a minute at a time. The other hens gather behind her on a platform or on the ground and pose as she does- very threatening, glaring at the cat with her hackles up. Impressive! Rooster-like. Oh and some of the girls raise one leg while participating. Mine are 9 months. Not sure if your girl is making the same sound, I'm only learning the variations in their calls.

Always entertainment, huh?

 

[sticksoup]

My chickens growl! Recently I was letting my two baby chicks play and scratch in their big sisters enclave when a hawk attacked them and took one away. The big sisters witnessed the attack. Now when we see the hunting birds above the two girls actually growl like dogs. It's eerie...

 

[mom2fourbebes]

you're right...it does sound like a growl of some sort...that's too funny...my chickens do it really low though...and only when I reach under them to take their eggs...they don't peck at us...they just growl real low...

 

[gritsar]

With some of my hens if they are on the nest and one of their sisters should dare to come in the coop and disturb them, they'll growl.
Of course, my rooster growls whenever he senses danger around. It's a warning, like telling the girls to be on their toes.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

My broodies growl alot when they are being disturbed, or my hens when they are laying. My rooster with a 'tude problem also growls alot. Like a dog.

 

[cmom]

My birds growl sometimes too, especially if another bird is in one of the favorite nest boxes and the other birds want the nest. Sometimes they growl at me when I go into the coop and they are in a nest or when I check in the boxes and someone is in one.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

My broody hens will growl at me if I disturb them. Silly little chickens.

 

[rebecca10782]

Oh yea, they hiss too. I learned the hard way. I was trying to pick up our rooster to put him to bed and he wanted to sleep in the raccoon filled trees

I tried to pick him up and he got away, I went for him again and I heard a hiss. I thought "What an odd sound, I wonder what that means???" and I reached for him and he bit me! I gave him a good spank for that! Then he bawked at me like "What did you do that for?" Brat. I was still new to chickens at the time and had no idea that they could make as many sounds as they do.

 

[Sean78083]

Yea ours are doing that too we just introduced 2 new chickens to our old 3 but they came from the same owner idk what it is:/