Why is my hen barking?

[dandelion lane]

I'm fairly new to chickens.  Got some day old Buff Orpington's last July.  The other night one of them started making a noise that sounds like a cross between a bark and a frog croaking.  Yesterday she was doing it again.  It's fairly often and pretty loud.  Now when she does it she lifts her head and opens her beak and leaves it open a few seconds. 


She's foraging and eating chicken food and other than this she seems ok.  I did go ahead and give them all Ivermectin yesterday as they had never been wormed.  I guess I wanted to do something and it was the only thing I could think of. 


Anyone have any idea what could be the matter with her?


Thanks in advance

Elizabeth in Va.

I have Buff Orpington's as well and several of mine growl...

 

[Freia]

I have a 9-week-old Americauna pullet who quacks like a duck. She normally chirps, and has recently barely started clucking. But once a day, she goes exploring on her own. She ends up way out int he back 40 before she realizes she's lost and can't find the flock. Then she quacks like a duck in desperation.

She has us trained now. When we're out and about and hear a duck, the kids go running around to save her.

 

[maricybele]

Did worming help with the bark? I have a new barker and I see her stretching her neck so worming medicine will be my first action in case it's gape worm.

 

[Localheronow]

I have been raising chickens a long time the old hens will crow. That is the only time I have seen a hen crow

 

[GrammyKati]

I too am new at raising chickens. We bought 3 New Hampshire reds as pullets and they are all laying now. One of our girls makes a barking sound on a regular basis. They free range and she try's to herd her coop mates. We don't know what to make of the barking. Has anyone else had this happen to a healthy egg laying hen?

 

[TexasChick1836]

I have Americauna hens and they definitely bark sometimes. It's usually when I let them out of the coop and they start foraging or when I put them back in and have thrown out some scratch grains. I kind of think it's an excited cluck.

 

[DaisyBuff]

I have a Buff Orp that Barks! She acts just like a dog!

 

[KingD]

A bit late to the party

 

[DaisyBuff]

A bit late to the party

Right! This was posted in 2009! Over a decade ago.