Roo doesn’t like when we sneeze

[Iva S.]

my rooster does a very comical growling-type sound whenever somebody sneezes, we get “too loud”, and sometimes when someone coughs. It’s pretty hilarious actually. He does this seemingly randomly sometimes too, except he actually opens his beak and it’s significantly longer. I read roosters can do this as a warning call?? Just kinda curious

 

[azygous]

If this noise sounds sort of like a long gargle, hens also do it. Although I've gotten pretty proficient in chicken language over the past ten years, I've never been quite able to nail down what this means.

They do it while in a relaxed posture, so I don't believe it has anything to do with an alarm, chickens usually being erect when alerting to danger. Often several exchange the gargling among them. Maybe they're having a religious service.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It does sound like a warning call. Young inexperienced roosters will often do it Willy nilly. Older roosters will sometimes do it just for kicks. Otherwise when it's done all chickens will usually stop and freeze for a second. They actually have different calls for different predators, though to the untrained ear they might sound the same.

 

[MageofMist]

Rooroo and Peep-Peep, two of my mature roos, also make this sound. They do it when a large bird such as a pigeon or corvid (magpie or raven) flies by, though the growl is more louder and harsher in regards to the corvids compared to the pigeons.

They also do a "Bubakakaboo" sound when I sneeze, which I think is a startled sound. Scruff, who's about 4 month old, also does the growling sounds every now and then, but is still young and learning from the older boys.