Question about chicken vocalizations and breeds.

[critterkeeper25]

Okay, this may be a stupid question but....we have 4 different breeds of chickens and they all seem to have different vocalizations (you know..chicken speak). I like to go out among the chickens when they are free ranging. I squat down to their level and talk to them. They come over to see if I have any snacks/treats for them and talk. The BO pullets make a sweet HUH? sound with a soft woman's tone to it. The Dom pullets still peep like chicks if they make any sound at all. The Buckeyes make that gravelly "bawwwk" sound. Then there are the mixed red pullets from TS. One in particular makes the weirdest sound. It starts out like a croak and then honking sort of like a person trying to imitate a goose. It's really funny but endearing at the same time. She is the sweetest of the red pullets. If certain breeds of chickens make specific vocalizations, what breed could this pullet be? Not that it really matters, but I am always curious.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Chickens do, indeed, make a wide variety of sounds - and I have noticed some differences in the sounds of various breeds. As to the identity of your bird in question, though, rather than trying to describe her vocalizations it would be better just to take and post some pictures of her so that we can see her -- if you do that we can likely tell you her breed. The "red pullet" bins at TSC this spring contained a few different breeds but all are able to be told apart visually at the age at which it sounds like your birds are since they are no longer doing baby chick peeps.

 

[critterkeeper25]

Yes, I guess that would be the smartest way to figure out what breed she is. LOL I will get my son to take the picture while I lure her out into the open with some feed. Two of the red pullets look very similar. It's only when the one in question makes the peculiar sound that I can pick her out from the two.

 

[SusanPC]

I love your description of the croak and honk sound. My Barred Plymouth Rock (21 weeks) has been doing this for quite a while. It's cute and annoying at the same time. She is our loudest girl. My EE is more of a coo - er and my other two - Buff Orp. and Silver-Laced Wyan. are more clucky. They were all relatively quiet, except for the BPR until recently. Now that they are around laying age, they have all gotten quiet vocal. Sometimes in the morning, they wake me up with their ruckus - hopefully the neighbors won't complain!

 

[critterkeeper25]

We still have 25 chickens. 11 are BOs, 6 of which are roosters. The farmer that leases most of our farm has a friend that is looking for a rooster, so he is going to come over and take one of ours. One rooster is a favorite of mine, I call him Chirpy (he chirped at me a lot when he was a wounded chick, we isolated him while he healed and he kind of bonded with me). We are going to try to keep him. He is quiet and keeps to himself as there is one roo that bullies him often as well as the hens. Needless to say the bully is leaving soon. We are taking the remainder of the roosters to the local livestock auction. When the excess roos leave we will have 19 chickens. 5 BOs, 5 Buckeyes, 4 mixed breed red from TS, and 5 Doms, I have been curious about the breed that came from Tractor Supply. I am going to take some pictures today and post them here to see if anyone can identify what they are. This is our first year with chickens. I love to watch them running around, flapping their wings when I let them out of their run. They're like schooling fish!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

We still have 25 chickens. 11 are BOs, 6 of which are roosters. The farmer that leases most of our farm has a friend that is looking for a rooster, so he is going to come over and take one of ours. One rooster is a favorite of mine, I call him Chirpy (he chirped at me a lot when he was a wounded chick, we isolated him while he healed and he kind of bonded with me). We are going to try to keep him. He is quiet and keeps to himself as there is one roo that bullies him often as well as the hens. Needless to say the bully is leaving soon. We are taking the remainder of the roosters to the local livestock auction. When the excess roos leave we will have 19 chickens. 5 BOs, 5 Buckeyes, 4 mixed breed red from TS, and 5 Doms, I have been curious about the breed that came from Tractor Supply. I am going to take some pictures today and post them here to see if anyone can identify what they are. This is our first year with chickens. I love to watch them running around, flapping their wings when I let them out of their run. They're like schooling fish!

Welcome to the obsession - I could watch "Chicken TV" all day long - best reality show out there, lol.

 

[critterkeeper25]

Well, we had to re-home our last cockerel yesterday. He was submissive with people but really rough with the hens. He was so big and our Dominiques are so small, he was picking them up by their necks and swinging them around. Couldn't have that.

Also, some very good news! We were gifted with our very first egg today! Woot! Woot! Not sure who laid it but I think it was hot out of the old chicken schute! Either that or the hen had been sitting on it. It was on fire! Got a picture of it on my tablet. Will have to post it here later (I'm on my laptop as it is easier to type on here than on the micro keyboard on the tablet). I believe that we have 4 RIRs. Three having much darker plumage around the neck and tail. The other being a lighter color, similar to a chestnut horse. I read here that there are 2 types of RIRs. The heritage type which is darker and the production type which is lighter. I read where the production RIRs can be mean. I guess that we got lucky, because all 4 of them are so sweet. They follow us all over the yard and don't mind being held at all. I think that one of them laid the egg. They are 18 weeks old. Have heard some singing for the past week or so and one of the RIRs will squat down with her wings out slightly when you touch her., I believe she was the only one that was submissive to the cockerels attentions. Everyone else cried bloody murder and ran away with a cloud of feathers behind them. ( He ripped them out).

Will keep you posted when new eggs appear!