Why is my chicken making strange noises?

[High-Flyer2001]

Name: Roady (found her at the road, mother had become roadkill R.I.P)
Species: Old english game bird bantam
Other Hens: Blacky (not sure on breed)

One day the chickens where in the garden and blacky wandered away from roady, this made the young hen panic and she started squawking. Over head some seagulls were also squawking later roady again started squawking but just like a gull.
A few days later i was on the decking tutting to get their attention when roads tried to copy me i picked her up and looked in her mouth her tongue was making the same motion a humans does when tutting.

Any ideas on why she is doing this would be very handy, she has never really had a mother since we had to hand raise her until blacky adopted her so any ideas are welcome...

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

The sound you heard when the seagull flew up ahead was probably a purring/squawking sound. This means "I spy something that might be dangerous." Sometimes all the chickens freeze and stare up at the sky.

The other sound you described sounds like "Tibitting." This is when a rooster or hen is trying to call other chickens/chicks to a spot where there is food.

Nothing to worry about in your flock!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

The sound you heard when the seagull flew up ahead was probably a purring/squawking sound. This means "I spy something that might be dangerous." Sometimes all the chickens freeze and stare up at the sky.

The other sound you described sounds like "Tibitting." This is when a rooster or hen is trying to call other chickens/chicks to a spot where there is food.

Nothing to worry about in your flock!

X 2
There is an amazing array of communication sounds used by chickens, spend some time observing the noise and the response each elicits from the flock and you'll start to be able to piece together what they are saying.

 

[mortie]

I would say that the majority of chickens never have a mother. It is pretty amazing how they are born k owing how to speak chicken. All the hatchery chicks people order and chicks that were hatched in incubators never had mothers and many of those were never exposed to other chickens at all. Mine hatched in an incubator and they are my first chickens so they have never seen other chickens in their lives yet they speak chicken and make all the sounds a normal person would.



I love all the different sounds they make from the purring to the loud cackling when they lay an egg. Enjoy them!

 

[TwoCrows]

I agree. This was no doubt an alarm call when the seagull flew over. They will make a purr like call to let the rest of the flock know to get ready to take cover.

Welcome to BYC!

 

[rc4u]

you should get a favourall and listen to them make noises...no other chickens are like e'm in there talk or grumbling...