When Does a Chicken Start to Cluck?

[Chickens by the Sea]

This is our first time raising baby chicks. They are about 4 weeks old now and making lots of cute peeping sounds. Our biggest one is starting to get a lower voice, and it got us to thinking. Just when does a chicken's voice change from a peeping sound to a clucking sound? Is it gradual, or does it happen suddenly? At around what age? My kids are very curious about this, and so am I. Thanks!

 

[flakey chick]

My BR had a growth spurt around 8 weeks and her voice started getting deeper then. The boys started trying to find their crow. It was a little sad for me to hear my little girl losing her little girl voice. They would make such sweet chortling noises. The good news is that they still do. Mostly they only use their big girl noises if something is wrong. they haven't started laying yet.

 

[aiwetir]

3 of ours changed literally overnight at about 12 weeks (there were only a few hints before this).

our orpie is still peeping at 16 weeks, it quite endearing.

at 16 weeks, they still chatter quite a bit, not as much, but really quite a bit. the rir squaks at me for some reason, i'm hoping she's not a roo.

 

[Red]

all of my chicks have been quite slow, LOL

Our three BO's...two were still cheeping at 16 weeks (the boys!) and their sister started...um..."honking" at around that time but was killed by a fox before she got time to cluck properly

My other chicks started clucking and crowing around 15 weeks...

aiwetir, that is a brilliant pic

 

[Chickens by the Sea]

Agreed, very cool picture.

 

[mrsengeseth]

my big "girls" are still peeping at 16 weeks. They cluck now and again, but more often it's peeping chatter.

 

[Jeffomatic]

I have four Black Australorp pullets who are ten weeks old. Two of them sometimes squawk in a lower voice instead of peeping. They are doing it more each day. They are nicely feathered, and today in the bright sunlight I saw a glint of that beautiful 'lorp green iridescence in their wing feathers! Tonight it's warm outside, at least warmer than it has been. Spring is coming in fits and starts in Utah! It snowed less than a week ago. Anyway, tonight I am leaving them out for the first time instead of being in my downstairs bathtub. They are in a large sturdy cage (chicken tractor) and have a box to nest in that has a lamp. All this is in a yard enclosed by a six foot solid board fence. I hope I wake up to four live chickens instead of the remains of some predator's dinner!

 

[clownychick]

I know this post is beyond old, but aiwetir's pic is priceless!!

 

[BabyandCotton]

I know this post is beyond old, but aiwetir's pic is priceless!!

x2!!
-Liv