What are your chickens trying to tell you?

If you’re a proud owner of backyard chickens, you’ve probably realized that they can be extremely chatty. But, do you know what your chickens are trying to tell you? It’s true—different sounds have different meanings. Researchers have even shown that there may be as many as 30 different sounds! Keep reading to learn how to better understand what your chicken are trying to tell you.

Cluck! or Baak-Bak-Bak-Bak
If your chicken gives a sudden, single, short-clipped, loud cluck, this usually means that your chicken feels that they are in danger by a nearby predator. If you hear a cluck-cluck-cluck-BWAK, this is an alert to go check on them.

Kuk-Kuk-Kuk
This is a common sound that hens will make to notify their baby chicks that a proper food source has been found. It’s usually rapid as the mother hen is also busy feeding herself.

Gog-Gog-Gog-Gog-Gog
Like the phrase above, this is the sound a rooster gives to a hen to let her know about a nearby food source.

Buck-Buck-Buck
If your hen makes this noise, it typically means they just laid an egg, about to, or wanting to.

Happy Murmuring
You’ll hear this noise when your flock is content. This is usually when they’re adventuring the yard or looking for food.

Gakel, Whine or Moan
This is how a chicken expresses frustration.

Purr
That’s right! Chickens also purr. This usually means that they are happy and content. They may also do this if you’re providing some affection through touch.

Crowing
Although roosters are typically known for crowing at sunrise, they also do this throughout the day when trying to alert the hens of something or if they feel threatened.

Chickens are always trying to tell us something, we just need to listen.

However, the best way to keep your chickens happy is to provide them with nutritious non-GMO chicken feed. Shop our backyard chicken layer feed and grower feed today!

If you’re still learning about what it takes to take care of and nurture your chickens, learn more about flock management on our website.

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