Saturday, April 19, 2008

the sound of one hen crowing

Here's the sound that comes from our backyard each day (usually sometime after 9am, but happens in the afternoon, too).



Anyone else have hens that make the same crowing sound? (I can confirm she's a hen, btw, and not a rooster)

11 comments:

AmericanoDad said...
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AmericanoDad said...

Re: hen "crowing" -- that sound brings back memories of my Grandmother's chickens.

Notice how the hen is pacing and "crowing", she wants out for some tasty bugs and greens. Hens will also make sounds like this when they lay an egg.

(deleted original post to "edit" it)

Unknown said...

That's not crowing, that's complaining.

Linda said...

My Betty makes noises like that occasionally. There doesn't seem to be much of a pattern to it that I can detect, but it always brings me hustling out to the yard to see if they are being threatened in some way. The top hen, Maisy, makes a much more grating noise, too. Have you ever heard them growl or purr?

Once I heard Betty making a sound that I can only describe as a growl. There apparently was something threatening up in the sky (a hawk?), which caused them to carefully edge back into the Eglu run (they had been out roaming the yard) where they all stood stock still and made this growling noise for several minutes.

I heard the purr one evening when I was closing up the Eglu a bit later than normal. I always open up the egg door hatch for a quick peek to make sure they're all present, and this time I saw them snuggled up together sleepily, purring away.

Granny Annie said...

Alisha is so right -- that is complaining not crowing. You have a cackling hen. A rooster has much greater volume, uses more sylables and dramatically holds still to crow after pumping up his chest before he lets go. I wish I could send you a sound video of my roosters.

KT@urbanchickens.org said...

My hens do that daily- generally when egg laying just happened. I don't think it means they are complaining. I love that noise. Makes me smile every time.

Emily Cole said...

I think that's her expressing her irritation or impatience... she's pacing too... looks like she doesn't like being in that pen.

Unknown said...

Thanks for weighing in with your interpretations on the sound she's making.

I'm certainly concerned to see if she's complaining, but after a little more detective work, we've been able to figure out that she makes the sound when the other hen is laying an egg in the Eglu.

(They never make this sound when both are in the run together)

Can't quite figure out why the noise when the other's laying... can't be some kind of decoy, can it?

In any case, we've now got our "fresh egg" alarm, and wow, nothing feels more precious than picking a still-warm egg from the nesting box.

Unknown said...

One of our chickens crows like that every morning as soon as it gets light and we don't know what to do about it...it must wake up the entire neighbourhood (luckily no one has complained yet).

Is there a way to stop it?

We currently don't lock them in at night - their house opens onto the enclosed run and they let themselves out. Should we lock the house door until we get up to let them out?

We have three chickens and it's only Dolly, the Light Sussex who makes such a noise.

We would appreciate any help!

Kit said...

That sounds like the egg song. My hens sing like that whenever they've just laid an egg or when another one of the chickens has laid an egg.

Unknown said...

My 5 month old barred roc has started "crowing" the last few days. Right after I lost her "sisters" to a raccoon. I introduced to younger pullets and she doesn't seem to be taking well to them. Please HELP!!! I don't want to have to get rid of her but if she continues to crow my neighbors will force me too

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