Weird question - do chickens learn to mimic words?

[BigBlueHen53]

A kid came knocking on my door a month or so ago, during turkey season anyway, to ask if he could hunt our property. I said yes and not to worry about our dogs, they're noisy but not biters. He said my dogs are his best helpers; when they bark the turkeys gobble, helping him to locate them. I don't know if the dogs and turkeys are communicating, or if the dogs irritate the gobblers and the turkeys are telling the dogs to shut up.

 

[Callender Girl]

Lately, my chicken, Dottie, and one of my cats have been "communicating." Each makes a kind of trilling sound, waits for the other to do the same, and then repeats whatever they're saying to each other, over and over again.

The dogs and I think they may be talking about us!

 

[saysfaa]

It is pretty clear to me that they imitate. When I go in the coop, I murmur to them; they murmur too. When dh goes in, he "bahk!!, bahk!!, bahk!!'s to them; they bahk!! too. It is very consistent and doesn't matter what time of day, what they were doing, or what we came to do.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I say "dut-dut-dut" When I want a hen to go down, sometimes they say "dut-dut-dut" back, but for all the years I have done that, they have all gone down for that.

I always call out, "Bab-ies" Then they know it is me and it is safe. and I just show up.

I have one hen I call "coco" a colubian wyandotte, she seems to always say "Coco." but most chickens say co-co alot.

I read some where chickens will say "Hawk-hawk-hawk" if they see a hawk. (chickens seem to like to say things in 3's. If I am in the yard and a crow flys by I say, "Hawk-hawk-hawk!" They all run to find a place to hide.

I say "Lok-lok-lok" if I have a treat, that is also what a rooster will say, and momma chickens say when they have food.

Trilling- "Wheeeeee" gentle and quiet is calming for them.

 

[MountainMomma359]

So funny that this post popped up, I was just wondering this. When I pick up Winnie I always say "who's my girllllll?" and I swear she always mimics the tones. After a while I even started saying more little things to her to see if she will mimic and she often does

 

[HanSolozMama]

I'm trying to decide if I'm reading too much into it or not. I like picking up my silkie and cooing at her. (making sure she's hand tamed for her new owner). I've been doing it a lot the last week and have noticed something strange. Her name is Doorbell. When I say "Hello Doorbell" I swear she goes "Dooor Bellll". Not like the actual words, but singing the sounds. She also responds to "hi" with a single chirp. I've been watching her today, and while she talks a lot, it seems she only makes those noises around me.

Is it possible for a chicken to learn to mimic humans? I'm thinking I just don't see her enough to hear all her sounds. She does talk a LOT. She does definitely use that specific chirp when I say her name, though.

100 percent. 1000 percent. I have a 4 week old chick that I watched hatch from his shell.. and I was who he saw. He lives inside with me. A chicken diaper and his own play area inside and outside. Everything. And since the first day he was trying to mimic my words and sounds. I thought I was looking too much into it. But when it's time for bed I say "it's sleepy time baby"... " hes a sleepy baayyyybeee" and he was 3 days old when he chirped it back perfectly. He chirps everyone's name. He will ask for my bf or my son by name. He chirps "outside baby outside" when he wants to go out. He even chirps "cricket"... and when I sneeze or sniffle or blown my nose he does that trilling sound over and over. I thought I was crazy at first bro... but now no one will ever convince me he isn't copying every word I say

 

[Candyjablonski]

I trained my rooster to crow if we saw or heard any hawks. I'd say BB get him over and over lol. He would crow and crow. His girls knew to take cover. I always said good night after putting them up and he would respond to me with a sound I can't make!! He would come to the door and crow when he lost his girls free ranging in the pasture. He also played chase with the cat. So I would definitely say we communicated well. I have a white cochin now and he's so smart. Keeps everyone in line. Defiently 2 of the smartest roosters I've owned.

 

[CClipperton]

I'm trying to decide if I'm reading too much into it or not. I like picking up my silkie and cooing at her. (making sure she's hand tamed for her new owner). I've been doing it a lot the last week and have noticed something strange. Her name is Doorbell. When I say "Hello Doorbell" I swear she goes "Dooor Bellll". Not like the actual words, but singing the sounds. She also responds to "hi" with a single chirp. I've been watching her today, and while she talks a lot, it seems she only makes those noises around me.

Is it possible for a chicken to learn to mimic humans? I'm thinking I just don't see her enough to hear all her sounds. She does talk a LOT. She does definitely use that specific chirp when I say her name, though.

Honest I don't see how chickens would be any different than any other animal that spends a lot of time around humans. I realize a lot of people don't think chickens are very smart however I think every animal who spends a lot of time with people would be capable of trying to communicate with us even if it is just singing back a version of what they hear. Since our vocal cords and even the way in which we all hear would be different from our animal counterparts what we are saying may sound very differently but they may in fact be using these to try to communicate with us.