Target shopping bag

[WthrLady]

My roo makes kind of a low growl trill noise for danger.

 

[Shadrach]

The call they made sounded like "bokbok-BAWK! bokbokbok-BAWK!" (faster and higher pitch than egg song) I did not know there is a difference between predator call and general alarm call. What is the third call you are refering to?

Chickens make quite a wide range of calls. Given each chicken has a different 'voice' it can be easy to mistake one call for another. What might elicit one call in one set of circumstance may elicit a different call in different circumstances. it's one of the problems scientists have when testing in laboratory conditions.
I and others have identified three types of alarm call with a reasonable amount of certainty. There may be many more and graduations of these.
The established three are: Ariel predator warning call, ground predator warning call and another call, which is the call I think you are hearing which is for events that may, or may not threaten the flock.
None of the above should be confused with the general panic call which is where all the chickens make a racket.
The 'may be a threat call' here goes something like this.
A long bok and then four short ones after, a bit like, dash, dot dot dot dot, except with a chicken accent.
Mainly the roosters make this call. If I pass buy carrying a bag, this is the call that the roosters here make. They make the same call when one of the dogs gets close.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

@Shadrach : researchers seem to believe that groundhogs have a complex language that includes the ability to identify different people, almost as though they give "names" to certain individuals. Is there any evidence that chickens do this? In other words, do your chickens, or any of them, give a particular call to announce your presence? Like, "bock bock," for "Dad's coming"? Sorry I can't cite the groundhog thing, it's just something I read or heard somewhere several years ago.

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach : researchers seem to believe that groundhogs have a complex language that includes the ability to identify different people, almost as though they give "names" to certain individuals. Is there any evidence that chickens do this? In other words, do your chickens, or any of them, give a particular call to announce your presence? Like, "bock bock," for "Dad's coming"? Sorry I can't cite the groundhog thing, it's just something I read or heard somewhere several years ago.

There is some debate regarding whether chickens have what humans would define as a language, rather than just response sounds to various stimuli.
I think centrarchid here has an interest in this and beleives that chickens may have a different call for different predators and are able to call for each particular known threat.
It's an extraordinarily complex study. You have, if chickens can differentiate between species for example, to accept that chickens are able to place themselves in scheme of of creatures and this might lead to the idea that chickens have some view of self. That would rather awkwardly lift chickens into the fully sentient beings class and not many people, especially those that keep chickens, are comfortable going down that road.
I've got a group of 34 different sounds that would seem to be associated with certain stimuli. There are some that are relatively easy to label; the roosters I've found food call for example. Others, such as a mother hens ability to make a sound that will either send her chicks away from her to cover, or call them to hide under her, have been more difficult to be certain about.
I'm with centrarchid in as much as I believe chicken language is far more complex than we generally allow for. Any creature with as complex social structure as chickens, I don't think could maintain such a structure with a very limited call selection.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

There is some debate regarding whether chickens have what humans would define as a language, rather than just response sounds to various stimuli.
I think centrarchid here has an interest in this and beleives that chickens may have a different call for different predators and are able to call for each particular known threat.
It's an extraordinarily complex study. You have, if chickens can differentiate between species for example, to accept that chickens are able to place themselves in scheme of of creatures and this might lead to the idea that chickens have some view of self. That would rather awkwardly lift chickens into the fully sentient beings class and not many people, especially those that keep chickens, are comfortable going down that road.
I've got a group of 34 different sounds that would seem to be associated with certain stimuli. There are some that are relatively easy to label; the roosters I've found food call for example. Others, such as a mother hens ability to make a sound that will either send her chicks away from her to cover, or call them to hide under her, have been more difficult to be certain about.
I'm with centrarchid in as much as I believe chicken language is far more complex than we generally allow for. Any creature with as complex social structure as chickens, I don't think could maintain such a structure with a very limited call selection.

Thank you. I always appreciate the time and thought you put into your responses.

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

We have selectively bread for every thing, except self intelligency.

 

[SarahGfa]

The 'may be a threat call' here goes something like this.
A long bok and then four short ones after, a bit like, dash, dot dot dot dot, except with a chicken accent.

If you don't mind, I am going to try to make a chicken dictionary here.

__ = long bok
. = short bok

Egg song: . . . . . . ___ . . . . . . . ___ . . . . . . ___
Maybe threat: __ . . . .
Ariel predator: ??
Ground predator: ??

 

[GoatDragonFarms]

We have absolutely noticed a difference in the calls for aerial and ground based predator, yes, thank you!! My big rooster also seems to have a variation on his ground call that he uses when he sees the piece of PVC I use to heard them get picked up (never have I ever hit or poked, just move it behind them).

The girls also definitely know the difference between their three caregivers, and who is most likely to give them treats.

I will work on getting video of their calls, for SCIENCE!