What Sounds Do Chickens Make? A Complete Guide to Chicken Noises

Ever wondered what all those clucks, bawks, and crows actually mean when your chickens are chattering away in the backyard? Turns out, chickens are quite the conversationalists! These feathered friends can make around 25 different deliberate sounds to communicate with each other and with you

As a chicken keeper for several years, I’ve learned that understanding these different sounds can help you build a stronger connection with your flock and even alert you to potential problems. Let’s dive into the fascinating world of chicken communication and decode what your chickens are really saying.

Common Chicken Sounds and Their Meanings

1. Low Murmuring and Contentment Sounds

When your chickens are happily foraging or exploring their enclosure, you’ll often hear a soft, continuous murmuring sound. This is basically chicken small talk – it means they’re:

• Feeling safe and content
• Going about their normal daily activities
• Staying within earshot of each other

Some chickens even make a purring sound similar to cats when they’re especially content! These happy sounds typically occur during normal activities like scratching around for bugs or taking dust baths,

Hens usually stay close enough to hear each other’s murmurs. If one suddenly stops and makes an alarming sound instead, the others will immediately hear it.

2. Clucking – The Mother Hen Language

Contrary to what many people think, clucking isn’t just a random chicken noise. It’s primarily a sound that mother hens use to communicate with their chicks – sometimes even before they hatch!

When a hen sits on her eggs, she’ll often:

• Cluck softly to comfort them
• Coo or purr to the developing chicks
• Make a specific “tuk, tuk, tuk” sound to encourage chicks to eat

By talking to her eggs, a mother hen helps the chicks feel safer. The low-pitched clucking sound alerts chicks to stay close to mom for protection. Once they recognize her unique sound pattern, chicks will start responding with their own little chirps.

3. The Famous “Egg Song”

One of the most recognizable chicken sounds is what chicken keepers affectionately call “the egg song.” After laying an egg, a hen will often let out a happy cackling sound that some describe as “buk, buk, buk, ba-gawk!”

What makes this particularly interesting is that:

• The first hen starts making these sounds after laying
• Other nearby hens will often join in the celebration
• The “song” gets louder with more hens participating

This chicken version of a celebration can sometimes trigger quite the commotion in the coop. If you hear this noise, you know there’s a fresh egg waiting for collection!

4. Warning and Alarm Calls

Chickens have an impressive system of alarm calls that help protect the flock:

For aerial predators (like hawks):

• High-pitched screams or shrieks
• Triggers other chickens to find cover or freeze
• Very urgent sounding

For ground predators:

• Repetitive clucking that speeds up as the threat gets closer
• Less urgent than aerial warnings
• Allows chickens to retreat slowly

When a hen is in serious trouble (captured by a predator or receiving unwanted attention from a rooster), she’ll let out loud squawks as a distress call. This chicken crying sound is their version of calling for help.

As a chicken keeper, I’ve rushed outside many times hearing these alarm calls only to find a hawk circling overhead. Your chickens are literally calling you to come help!

5. Chattering Among the Flock

Chickens are social creatures and will often chatter amongst themselves throughout the day. This is basic chicken communication – their way of saying:

• “Good morning”
• “Hello”
• “This is my space”
• General scoldingd

If you spend enough time with your flock, you’ll notice they even start to chatter in response to your actions. My hens always have something to “say” when I enter the coop with fresh treats!

6. Growling and Broody Hen Sounds

Yes, chickens can growl! This sound typically comes from broody hens who are sitting on eggs and feeling particularly protective. A broody hen might:

• Growl when approached
• Hiss at intruders
• Scream if disturbed
• Cluck urgently when protecting eggs

These broody hens can be quite grumpy and hormonal while waiting for their chicks to hatch. They’re basically saying “leave me alone!” If a broody hen growls at you, it’s best to give her some space until the chicks arrive.

7. Chirping – The Language of Chicks

Baby chicks communicate through chirps and peeps, which express different needs:

• Soft peeps = contentment
• High-pitched chirps = distress (hungry or cold)
• Rapid chirping = fear or surprise
• Rising trills = excitement

As a chicken keeper, learning to distinguish between happy chirps and distress calls is important for caring for your baby chicks. A cold or hungry chick will chirp loudly and persistently until their needs are met.

8. Crowing – Not Just for Roosters!

When we think about crowing, roosters immediately come to mind. They typically crow:

• Early in the morning (like a natural alarm clock)
• To announce territory
• To establish dominance

Interestingly, in flocks with multiple roosters, the “head rooster” always crows first. No other rooster dares to crow before him!

But here’s something fascinating – sometimes hens crow too! This is more common in flocks without a rooster, where a hen might take on the dominant “rooster role” and start crowing. I’ve had this happen in my flock and it’s quite a surprise the first time you hear it!

9. Food Calls and Mating Sounds

Roosters make specific low-pitched calls in two situations:

When finding food:

• Makes a “tuk, tuk, tuk” sound to call hens over
• Similar to the sound hens make when feeding chicks
• Shows the rooster’s role in caring for the flock

When interested in mating:

• Low, frequent “gog, gog, gog” sound
• Part of the rooster’s mating dance
• Usually accompanied by circling the hen

Understanding Your Flock’s Unique “Dialect”

Just like people, individual chickens and flocks develop their own unique communication styles. I’ve noticed that my Rhode Island Reds are much more talkative than my Buff Orpingtons. Some chicken breeds are known for being chattier than others:

Quieter breeds:

• Buff Orpingtons
• Ameraucanas
• Rhode Island Reds

Noisier breeds:

• Easter Eggers
• Welsummers
• Araucanas

If you’re concerned about noise levels (especially for neighbors), consider the quieter breeds for your backyard flock.

When to Worry About Chicken Noises

While chickens are naturally talkative birds, there are some sounds that should raise concern:

• Complete silence from a typically vocal chicken
• Persistent distress calls
• Unusual wheezing or respiratory sounds
• Repeated alarm calls when no predator is visible

A quiet chicken might be ill or injured, so always check on birds that stop making their normal sounds. I once had a hen who stopped joining the morning chatter – turned out she had developed a respiratory infection that needed treatment.

Can You Train Chickens to Be Quieter?

Unfortunately, you can’t train chickens not to make noise. It’s their natural way of communicating. However, there are ways to reduce the overall noise level:

• Keep a smaller flock
• Skip the rooster if noise is a concern
• Ensure adequate space to reduce squabbles
• Provide enough nest boxes (1 per 3-4 hens)
• Keep the coop clean and secure

Remember, chickens need to communicate, and eliminating all noise isn’t possible or healthy for them.

The Joy of Chicken Communication

After keeping chickens for years, I’ve grown to love their various sounds and calls. There’s something wonderful about walking outside in the morning and being greeted by your flock’s excited chatter. Those little conversations between hens, the proud egg song, and even the warning calls all show just how complex and social these birds really are.

Learning to understand what your chickens are saying helps you become a better keeper and builds a stronger connection with your flock. Next time your chickens are clucking away, take a moment to listen – they might be telling you something important!

So, what sounds do your chickens make? Have you noticed any unique calls or communications in your flock? The more time you spend with them, the better you’ll understand their language. Who knows, you might just become the next chicken whisperer!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do chickens really purr like cats?

Yes! Contented chickens sometimes make a soft purring sound when they’re happy or being petted. It’s adorable and shows they’re comfortable.

Why do chickens make a honking noise sometimes?

Some chickens make a honking sound similar to a goose if they’ve hurt themselves or are startled. Not all chickens do this, but if you hear it, check to make sure your bird is okay.

How loud can a rooster’s crow get?

Roosters can reach over 140 decibels when crowing – that’s similar to standing 15 meters from a jet taking off! Hens typically max out around 70 decibels with their loudest calls.

Can you tell if a chicken is happy by the sounds it makes?

Absolutely! Content chickens make soft murmuring, gentle clucks, and sometimes purring sounds. When they’re happy, their vocalizations are generally lower in volume and more melodic.

Why do all the chickens join in when one starts the egg song?

It’s a social behavior that helps strengthen flock bonds. Some experts believe it might also be a celebratory response or a way to distract predators from the location of freshly laid eggs.