Chickens imitating sounds??

[NewToFarming]

OK, you guys might think I am crazy but do chickens imitate other sounds??? Last night the cat came into the barn and left out his usual loud meow and all of a sudden from inside the chicken area came a very similar sound, more specifically where the silkies bed down for the night. There definitely was no other cat in the area. I was very shocked to hear this and wanted to know if they can & do imitate sounds they hear.

 

[swordgeek]

I don't really know for sure, but I honestly believe that my crevecoeur imitated us when she was living in the house for 6 months. When we wanted her to hop up on a piece of furniture (like the back of the couch to perch, or escape the bitey cat, or up onto her cage's perch at night), the kids and I would always pat the surface and say, "up UP!" and she started making exactly that same sound. Without the "p" at the end - but otherwise, it sounded exactly like that, in a very excited voice.

It was the only time she would make that particular sound.

And then she would hope right up on whatever we told her to. She always looked so pleased with herself for doing it.

Now that she's outside with the other birds (booooo!

), she still has her old cage to herself. I pat the step up into it, and say "up UP" and she repeats it, then hops up. I just adore that bird.

 

[NewToFarming]

That is so cool! Now I will have to start teaching mine some words!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Those were all great stories! My birds have not imitated any of my sounds though. That would be cool. My 6 birds each know their name, "come", "treats" and "inside" and "outside".
They free range all day and it really helps with their management. Of course "come" and "treats" probably mean about the same thing to them at this point and their name is just an individualized "come".

 

[gryeyes]

Reminds me of the Randall Larsen cartoon with 2 panels:
Panel 1: "What we say." There's a dog looking up and out of the panel, with a voice balloon coming from out of the panel, "Good girl, Ginger! You sit and stay - don't move! I'll be back in a while. Good girl, Ginger! Stay!"

Panel 2: "What they hear." Same image, but the voice balloon is filled with: "Blah blah, Ginger! Blah blah blah blah - blah blah! Blah blah blah blah blah blah. Blah blah, Ginger! Blah!"

 

[gdgross]

I don't know about initiating, but my leghorn is a little loud and she definitely quiets down when I tell her to though! For thirty seconds only, though.

 

[Whitewater]

One of my Australorps, Cassandra, makes a sound when she's worried about something that sounds suspiciously like 'Uh-oh!' Same tone and inflection and everything!

I wouldn't put it past them to be able to imitate sounds, my three are pretty smart for having such small heads!


Whitewater

 

[JetBlack]

You obviously have Mocking Chickens.

 

[JetBlack]

Quote:
"Mine?"

 

[Trifele]

We are new chicken owners and have four lovely young birds (ages vary from 3 to 5 weeks) in a brooder in our bathroom. Two nights ago at sundown, as the tree frogs outside were singing, one of the birds in the brooder began trilling just like a tree frog. She repeated the trills several times. I was amazed, as I have never heard or read that chickens are mimics. Then today as a cardinal was singing outside the window, one of the chicks clearly began trying to imitate it. I continue to be shocked and delighted at how smart, funny, social and interesting our chicks are. How did I get this far in life without knowing how incredible chickens are?