[Tessa]

I would like to know why hens (not roosters) make that horrible noise when they're obviously either not happy with something or they've just laid an egg.  Sometimes, they make the noise for no apparent reason at all.  It seems louder than the rooster's crow.  It goes like this - chook, chook, chook, CHOOOK. and so on.  Still love them to bits, though.

[richyrich7]

Hiya Tessa, Welcome to the forum    No idea why they do they just do    mine are always yaking for no apparent reason  :roll:

[DD.]

 mine are always yaking for no apparent reason  :roll:

I know forum members like that!

Welcome to the house of fun, Tessa.

[dawninspain]

Someone asked the same question a while ago and the answer given (I forget by whom) was that in the wild they would roam about looking for food and that if one stopped to lay an egg they would then call out to the others saying the chicken equivalent of 'where have you lot gone - let me catch up'. Not sure if this is correct or not. Would not make sense if the chicken wanted to hatch the egg - the others would either be miles away by the time it hatched or would they all wait. This raises more questions than it answers .......... sorry

[milliebecks]

I would like to know why hens (not roosters) make that horrible noise when they're obviously either not happy with something or they've just laid an egg.  .

I don't think it's a horrible noise - it always makes me smile!

[Shazzer]

one of my hens goes on all day, its quite annoying, the other just go about their business but not her, she stands at the gate end and yaks nearly all day!  sometimes I can hear her over  Jeremy Vines' Martin Lewis!

[Foxy]

Thats what I heard too Dawn, and if you have a cockerel he generally joins in too!!!. It quite sweet watching my little pekin cockerel he often follows the hens in and stands guard over them

[Selkie]

I would like to know why hens (not roosters) make that horrible noise when they're obviously not happy with something

It can be to let the other hens know about a 'threat' (even if it's just one of the cats walking past) or to let the 'threat' know that the hen has seen it.

[chicken soup]

I have 7 chickens at the moment and my noisiest are 2 silkies that take great pleasure at shouting full volume at each other that then sets the other 5 off.  I have always gone out to them when they make a noise (probably made matters worse) but they then quieten down.

Unfortunately for me I have a miserable neighbour who reported me to the council (3 months ago) but as luck has it nothing has been done about it and the council seem to be on my side  

[mercury]

Maybe its an alarm call, sounds like one anyway  

[ChickenAnn]

Mine are noiseiest when they stand and tell me off if I don't give them what they want - letting them out the run, or something edible...they have the perfect tone of "cackle" to make me hang my head in shame if I haven't done what they "told" me to.

[Lost in France]

My silkies are very noisy and have a range of different cries! This is my interpretation of these calls!

They have excited soft noises when they find food and the cockerels growl when they're cross! The cocks also call the girls when they find a tasty morsel...sometimes they pretend and it's just a leaf but the girls clearly understand this call and come running anyway! The girls make a racket after laying, to let us all know! They do also have an alarm call and you can tell this as they all stand erect and still when one of them makes it! I've noticed they do it if there is a raptor above but also for no obvious reason, maybe just a loud noise or something they think is dangerous! Then, the worst is just, I think..."I'm fed up and going to rant and I won't stop till I'm ready, even if you come out and feed me!!"

I'm no expert but this is how I understand my girls and boys language!!

Judi