Does anyone speak "chicken"?

[mrsbos]

Loved the Time article. I too really want to learn what my girls are saying. They seem to do alot of that "growling", rather than clucking noise, which really surprised me being a first time chicken owner. The only time I've heard the classic "bok bok BEGOK" was when I think one was getting ready to lay and egg. I hate that it's so cold, windy and snowy around here during the winter, as I hardly get to spend any time outdoors with them. I'm not too keen on being outdoors unless I have to be---bringing them food, changing their frozen water, putting in fresh bedding. When it does "warm-up" into the upper 30s or low 40s, I will sometimes bundle up and hang out with them outside for half an hour. I LOVE chicken sounds! Can't wait until spring and summer!

 

[vfem]

I swear my daughter sounds like a rooster! She even likes to do her impression at 7am as if she is speaking to our roosters from inside the house. Really... I think we do live in a barn.

 

[stilldeb]

I just pay attention to what my chickens "say" and can repeat some of it.

I have one little rooster that comes when I call him, and answers me back (but only me, nobody else). If he is across the yard and I call him, he will flap his little Cochin frizzle (useless) wings and then run to me from wherever he is. His name is Freddy and if I say "Freddy-roo bagawk!", he will answer me "ba-gawk" from wherever he is, even in the coop ready for bed or whatever. (just him) Don't remember how that exactly got started, but he is one cute little guy.

deb g
KY

 

[Sushi]

An aquaintence of mine was working on experiements with coturnix quail auditory centers. They found if they inserted auditory stem cells from a chicken to the quail, that the quail would respond to both chicken and quail calls.

 

[Morgan7782]

That article was awesome!! Thanks for posting it! In it I found this interesting:

"Hens make a somewhat similar cackle when they have laid an egg, but Dr. Baeumer does not think they are boasting or saying "Thank heaven that's over." He believes that it all goes back to the old days when wild hens laid eggs in hidden nests. After each delivery, the hen gave a loud cackle to regain contact with the rest of the flock."

I find it really cool because when my Wyandotte pullet lays her egg, she YELLS the egg song, but the moment I and the other chickens come into her view or vicinity, she quiets down. I love watching chickens and learning about their antics, they really are so interesting!! I am a natural observer and really like watching dogs in groups and packs, just domestic dogs, but watching how they act and stuff. Chickens are almost more interesting! lol!

Wonder how much a chicken linguist makes??

 

[woodmort]

You might be careful of what you say. I recall a post from last fall where a gal used a rooster call and sent her hens into a panic. Lately I've be getting the "Why did you spread all the cold wet stuff on the ground?" call each time I open the coop.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

Chicken.Lytle :

Mine are cussing at me . Don't think I want to know more....

Chicken.Lytle-

Hope you don't take offense to this video...Is a funny video of chickens "cursing". I was searching for a chicken song and this came up.

 

[Judy]

http://www.chickenhop.com/sounds/soundclips.html

Some recordings with translation.

 

[jobeibi]

I've got 6 RRs and a Hamburg. My daughter will "sing" to them, in chickeny sounds, and when she stops singing, the Hamburg will sing back.

Lordy, how do you not fall in love with these animals?

The other day, my pullets were out in their mini-run, and when I went out to check on them, they were all being absolutely still and growling. "RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" was all they would say. They wouldn't even turn their heads to look at me, until I put a black plastic cover on their pen (the pen has a wire top - safe, but see through).
I wonder what spooked 'em.

 

[Saroco]

Every morning when I walk out to their coop, I shout "Hey, Girls!" at least one will reply with a long drawn-out "Bwuuuuuuukk"