The Language of Chickens: What do yours say?

[thepurplecoop]

Hello everyone,

Since I'm new to chicken ownership, I have been carefully observing my four hens. The other day I was watching them and all of a sudden I was Touched with understanding as to what they were saying. They have a very basic language, and when they coo and cluck they say things like:

Scratch the dirt.
Find the food.
Drink the water.
Preen the feathers.

Their loud shrieks mean "Help!" And they call all dogs by the same name: Bark.

These are just some of the things my chickens say.

I wonder what other chickens are saying. ...

The Purple Coop

 

[Michael OShay]

The most common thing my chickens say is, "What about giving me a treat?" So I usually do--not too much though; I don't want them getting fat and unhealthy. )

 

[iwiw60]

Whenever my girls see me coming out to the coop oh, the chatter that starts! I think they are saying "well it's about TIME you came to visit!"

 

[lovemy6hens]

They're amazing, aren't they? I had no idea before I got mine. You've started a great list. Keep it up!
I've read chickens can make at least 30 distinct vocalizations, sometimes in 2-3 'word' combinations.
My Katy Pecky tells me something every day and sometimes it sounds quite urgent. I don't know what she's saying though.

 

[iwiw60]

One of my girls, Ms. Neurotic, she laid her first egg during the night while roosting (oops! Happens sometimes.) Anyway, ever since then she insists on laying her egg in the exact spot every single time...

Fortunately I have a very clean roost bar/poop tray setup. Every single day she will stand out in the run bwoking her fool head off, I mean BWOKing!! So I go out there and when she sees me she immediately goes into the coop still bwoking. Know what she's telling me? "Get the poop tray cleaned....I gotta lay this egg!" Seriously!

So I do the daily cleanup (SO easy to do with the Sweet PDZ, I just use a kitty litter scoop (you can just see it up there on the left) takes all of 3-4 minutes...DONE!

Still bwoking at me the entire time! I finish up and up she goes! Every day I find her egg in the lower left corner of the roost tray...tell me chickens don't talk to us!!

 

[MarcoPollo]

You know the happy cluck sound chickens make when they find something good to eat? Well I love to hear that and it sounds like they are saying 'oh my this is soooo delicious! I haven't had a (grasshopper, sunflower seed, yogurt cup, bread slice, etc) in forever'!

 

[iwiw60]

Quote:

Thanks so much! I built that puppy all by myself, took me a whole day! It is just so darn easy to keep clean, too!

 

[thepurplecoop]

Thanks everyone for your wonderfully funny and heartfelt comments. I can see very easily how much we all love and appreciate our chickens!

The Purple Coop