Does your broody hum or purr?

[Crabella]

I have three hens that successfully hatched one or two chicks each. At different times I have gone in and one or another of them was, well, humming. Each time the hen was on the nest with soon to hatch eggs or with chicks less than a week old, and they were making a sound that sounded like a cross between a purr and a hum. I was just wondering if anyone else hens that did this.

 

[judial8907]

Crabella,
I have 2 hens that will do this to me everyday when I go to collect eggs. I personally think it is cute, but I think that it is their way of telling me "these eggs are mine and I don't want you to take them." I have a good relationship with all my hens but one, she tries to peck at me when I collect her eggs. My hubby on the other hand is not as lucky as me. They all have a fit when he thies to collect eggs. I tell him that they like me better and then we just laugh about it. I would not worry too much about it unless they stop laying or become mean.

 

[gryeyes]

I call that trilling their "Happy Sound." It is far different from the broody growl to warn you from disturbing them. I've even had quite young chicks trill when they're all settled and cozy.

 

[spikennipper]

When my hens go broody they make a soft cluck cluck sound repeated over and over and they walk around slowly all puffed up when off the nest, when the chicks hatch this continues it's like they are talking to the chicks clucking to keep contact, if some should stray far the clucking gets louder, I always know when the eggs are near hatching time as they start clucking when on the eggs, they can hear the chicks within

 

[Crabella]

I wasn't worried about them, I just had never heard them do it before now. I have heard them do the little soft cluck-talking to the babies as they tuck them under , the broody growl, the egg song, the I have a yummy and you don't, and the alarm signal. I thought it sounded like she was humming a lullaby....

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
<*snort!*> I love to watch those Keep Away Chases!

Quote:
That's the contented trill, all right. I tend to keep chicks inside in the brooder just a tad longer than is necessary, especially if there is a chick who trills in the batch. It melts my heart if one sings that song while nestled in the crook of my arm....

 

[Dachicken]

Yes to purring. I have a team of game hens that gave me some chicks not too long ago and they all purred when it was their turn to sit.