Chickens sound like they are growling. Whats up

[Granny Hatchet]

hi, I am not good at the breeds of chickens but i dont see americana in your chicks at all. they are bantam right? sometimes hard to tell with pictures. I would wonder if you put this pic. in the breed section if someone may be able to tell you what you have here. they are very pretty btw.

 

[frogHOLR]

I have some American Bresse that make this noise too - I've never heard it before in all of my years of having chickens. I know the alert growl that most of you are talking about - the 'hey! I see a hawk!' sound, but this new growl is different. I almost feel like it is a respiratory issue, but then they only do it when I set down their food in the mornings. They seem super healthy and are sailing through their quarantine period without any issues, so I think it really is an excited-for-food sound. It sounds like it's coming from down deep inside of them vs. the braaaa! that comes from their throat when they see the cat in a tree. At least that has been my experience so far! Just to make sure, I put two of my Black Star hens in with the Bresse roo today so they can live with him for a few weeks. I figure if he has something, they should get it and become ill. If that happens, then I'll have to decide what to do with them at that point, but I really think that it isn't going to be a problem.

 

[andreanar]

My EE makes a loud, deep sound like Braaaa, it seems like she does it as she is inhaling. She does this alot.

 

[wannabechickenfarmer]

One of my Australorps growled when she was in the nesting box and my little brown Leghorn tried to force her way in there. So I thought that was a warning.

I also have a scissor beak EE hen who I found unable to walk 3 in the coop 3 weeks ago, there was swelling in one leg and the vet prescribed some anti inflammatory and other meds. So we have had her in the house every since, still unable to stand but eating and seemingly enjoying our company she will just sit there and let out a long long low growl definitely not aggressive. No sign that she is in pain or distressed so I am assuming its a happy noise, she also responds to us with a low short purring noise when we talk to her.

It could be meant for the dogs, shes in a large dog cage up on a table and they like to try and catch a peek at her once in a while. Most of the walls in there have cardboard blocking their view.

When she was mobile she would run back and forth in the pen to greet me and made pterodactyl sounding shrieks, she was first one at the gate to greet me for feeding time. I only heard her cluck once, after laying an egg.

Shes a strange one.

 

[rc4u]

this is the second time i have had salmon favourales and they make a growling "bak" all the time...i have one hen and one rooster at just about 1yr old at this time and the rooster does it also and his crow is growling also...so being second time i had this breed i assume they just do it..the hen never "baks" like the others always drawn out growling type...anyone else with Favs?? jeff

 

[WthrLady]

My ameraucauna mix makes a noise that can only be described and a motorcycle racing video game. Complete with grinding gear changes, squealing tires, and reving engines. Son says they are in the coop playing video games. Sounds like it too!

 

[BrooketheChook]

It's so funny you said that! I've noticed a couple of times now, when my black Belgian hen is sitting by the back screen door and hears me laugh she has copied me a couple of times and it took me off guard. It really sounded quite similar! lol.

 

[BroodyMama2]

Funny, I came on the forum tonight to ask a question about the growling described here, but thought I'd search the topic first to see if anyone else mentioned it already. I love to try and understand my chickens' language so I can better care for them. As one poster on here described, when my girls did this low volume long growl noise, today, they were totally still and alert, looking in one direction for a long time. It definitely seems like an alert. The first time we ever heard it was yesterday (they are 13 wks old now), coming from our Delaware. The only response from any of the other girls was our Buff Orp freezing and getting her neck feathers all ruffled. It didn't look like a challenge between the two though. This morning, our Speckled Sussex made the noise as she was standing at the pop door ready to come outside. She was very cautious about coming out, but finally did and then all was normal. Then this afternoon, ALL the birds were under the coop, frozen, staring, alert and all making that growl. So strange. My first thought was that they heard or saw something that spooked them. They were definitely more jumpy than usual. A couple times one of the dogs barked at who knows what. The sound of a neighbor or something, and they all jumped and ran. They usually don't react to the dogs at all. I watched them do this for a long time, all the while looking around to see if I could see anything that may be scaring them. There is a stray cat that keeps checking them out (They are totally safe in a very well fortified run). Maybe he was lurking somewhere. -- Anyone else have any insight into this sound?

 

[ghenny penny]

I got some young chickens 12-14 wks up to just under 8 months. 5 pullets to be exact and one rooster. The rooster crows as expected , as he is older but my question is this. I had some red layers and white ones last year. Just typical feed store hatchlings. These ones are Americauna mix. Just picked them up 2 days ago. Now they were free range so not used to being cooped up. Somebody but not the roo is making a sort of guttural chicken sounding growl.. Almost like a ticked off chicken growl.My other layers last year I never heard before. The grey ones if you stroke their backs they do that squat and wing thing I saw before, a sign of imminent laying will begin. Thats normal. But this isn`t what I expect to hear from their coop. They are in quarantine so by the time I open the door to their coop they all look stupidly at me as if to say `What you looking at`. we weren`t doing anything``I also wonder if it a breed thing with Americaunas. Has anybody heard this vocal behavior before. Oh here they are as soon as I got home.

mine all froze stiff in the yard side by side one day with their heads tilted looking up. they all started growling. moments later a hawk flew overhead.

 

[WthrLady]

The clasic "pretend to be a tree stump" ruse.