When I talk to my chicks, they shake their heads.........

[Hennypen]

I'm trying to figure this out. Does my voice hurt their ears? When I talk to them, any voice, and I don't have a real loud voice, they shake their heads like they would if trying to shake water off.

Why do they do this?

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

Mine did the same as chicks and some still do as adults! I don't know the reason, but I sure am curious to find out!

 

[chicken_china_mom]

I raised parrots for many years before getting into chickens and I know that parrots shake their heads when you speak to them because it's how they recognize and acknowledge that not only are you speaking to them, but that they recognize your voice, and your tonal inflection. Not only do birds memorize faces, but they recognize sounds too. It's how a bird can pick out it's mate's voice among thousands say, in a loud tropical rain forest. Make sense? I noticed early on that my chicken chicks did it too, and I have to assume that the fact that they are birds too plays into it. So I assume it's a sign that they are recognizing your voice, the sound of it, your speech patterns, etc, as well as whatever name you are calling them by. I can tell you this, as many birds as I might have, I guarantee you, they KNOW their names! I can be across the yard from my Silkie rooster Hector, and he can be pecking the ground, busy as can be, but if I call him by name, his head will snap up and he will look right at me. The other roosters will not though because I did not speak their names. But they all know my voice, and when I talk to each of them, they do the head shake too. I find it endearing because it means I'm getting through to them.

 

[Hennypen]

Awww that's so cute. We'll have to start figuring out names.

 

[newchicksnducks]

Or they are like typical children, already disagreeing w/mom and dad!

 

[luvmychks51]

chickens are smart. they know when you're talking to them. I stand on my porch and just say "Chickens" in a high pitched voice and they all come running from out of the woods. Then I have to feed them something amazing like cut up strawberries so they're not disappointed. But I think they like when you talk to them.

 

[Imp]

That's interesting, because my coworkers do that a lot. I mean really a lot.
Maybe they are chickens.

Imp-

 

[Toi-toi]

That's so cute!!!
I agree, chickens are pretty smart and cute

 

[Fuzzypea]

My chicks are doing that to... maybe some chickens are just born that way?

 

[Princess Lay-a]

Do you sound like Fran Drescher?

LOL!