[yellowooleybear]

New to chickens.  Have one 2 mo. old Arucana and one Barred Rock, both  girls.  Rock is a bit nervous.  I would like to know how to learn what their sounds mean and what is the best way to get them to trust you. I realize they are not like puppies but I want them not to worry when I put my hand near them. The Rock is the concerned one.  The Arucana is much more relaxed.  They make some beautiful sweet talk and cherps and I don't know what they are feeling.  It relaxes me to hear them.  Any help would be very appreciated.  Thank you

[richyrich7]

Hi yellowooleybear welcome to the forums  

I've no idea what all there different noises mean, but they certainly produce plenty of different ones.

Taming them is a matter of patience and treats.

[orfy]

I can tell happy noises and non happy noises.

But dot try to make be repeat them!

[Chookaholic]

Mine all have their own little calls & contented noises.I can definately recognise Bella,my amber star.She sort of says hello,in a little quiet gentle voice.I tend to just mimick the way they talk to me :roll: Am I mad?

[poultrygeist]

Welcome yellowooleybear.

As said, I think taming is done through their stomachs. If you drop small amounts of corn from your hand, they'll associate you with food, then you can gradually get them to eat from your hand and before long, they run up to you every time you appear.  

Ours make quiet trilling noises when they are digging together and squawk loudly when they want our attention. If they're upset or startled by something, they make a warning shout similar when they lay an egg.
May not be the same for every hen though so the best way is to observe and pick up their noises.

Good luck with it and please post photos if you can on the Chicken Chat forum.

Rob

[chickenlady]

We were sitting watching our girls last night and they were making noises that sounded like the 1st few notes of the flumps theme tune (old kiddies program!!!!tune is also used in an advert on tv at moment!) and then we were carrying on the tune back to them!!!!! if the neighbours had been listening they really would think we were mad!!!
 

[raeburg]

I'm sure mine snore.  It was that funny I even recorded it!  For those old enough to remember, they sounded like a trimphone.

[Vickie & Richard]

Mine love worms and will happily ripe your fingers off for them!!  it is very entertaining watching them'go mad' for them. I just can't find them quite enough for them.  Might have to go to the fishing shop and get them some meal worms!

[Lemon]

Vickie, you can get tubs of dried mealworms in petshops in the bird section.

I fed our 2 clukkers some 'spaghetti worms' - well we were having seafood spag, so saved some pasta for them.  It was fun dangling them in and feeding them!  Bokky is receptive to food bribes!!    As they don't have a good relationship with humans (well farmer caught them with a net!  :shock:  ) it's been tough to tame them.  (& catch them to put 'em to bed  :oops:  )
We spent time stroking, trying to sooth them and talking to them when we took them out of hen house or out of my veg bed pen to put them to bed - we even tried to feed them some corn.  Only Bokky would catch the drift and eat corn.  Korma is stubborn.  Ignores food bribes and the spaghetti worms.  She would snatch them from Bokky soon enough though!   Cheeky Chooky!

* I correct myself NOT food bribes!!  TREATS!!