Hens who croak instead of cluck?

[fiddleblue]

I have a flock of 8 hens. The one who appears to be at the top of the pecking order is the largest one, a Light Brahma. Early on, she began a distinctly unique "croaking" vocalization that did not strike me as typically henlike. She begins with a low throaty sound, like a growl, and then the pitch ascends a bit higher and tapers off. This is not a pretty "cluck cluck" by any means. Probably because she's the dominant hen, the other girls in the flock have imitated her and started to "talk trash" as well. Any comments on this? Anyone seen it happen before? I thought at first she might be a "he" and maybe the croak was the beginning of trying to crow, but now that the other hens have copied her I think it's just her personal style. She is also very physical and tends to hop on my back any time I go in the coop and lean over or kneel down. The others don't do this as much as she does.

 

[ranchhand]

I'm the boss!

I have a RIR who makes some wild sounds, grates on my earbones!

 

[welovechickens]

My top hen does that, too. She rarely makes pleasant clucking noises, though she is capable of doing so. She seems to be very dissatisfied with anything but being out where she can run around freely.

She makes the grating noise anytime she's restrained in any way, or when she wants me to come out and let her out.

(which is constantly)