Talking Chickens

I read an article the other day that mentioned that some chicken owners firmly believe that their chickens talk to them, and that they understand what the chickens want! I wouldn't go as far as to say I talk to the chickens, unless I am threatening to curry them for low egg production! However, these dumb animals are in fact very vocal, and do make different noises at different times of the day, and for different events.

Here is my chicken speak outline:

I'm happy- this is the one we hear the most as they wander through the trees, pondering what to do next, you can imagine them thinking do I lay an egg, or scratch some dirt, decisions decisions....this noise is a gentle cluck.

I'm hungry- this is the highlight of the chickens day, so as you can imagine, there is a huge amount of excitement. The clucking is louder, faster and more purposeful, the scratching becomes quicker, just in case they find that rogue piece of corn.

I'm thirsty- the heat here can become intense, therefore, this noise we hear often, as they stand very still making a panting sound, very much like a dog.

Ta-daaa!- this is the excited noise that the chickens make when they lay eggs, very proud of themselves, showing off to the other chickens. This noise is very similar to "Buk, buk, buk, buuuuuuuuuuuuk and can go on for some time, and when you have as many hens as me can go on for most of the day which is great.

OMG the sky is falling- this is the Chicken Little moment when they believe that the sky is falling and the world is ending. The noises they make include intense squawking, shrieking, cackling and generally making a huge amount of noise over very little. This can include real danger such as a dog or cat, or something not as harmful as a twig or a leaf.

These are the most common noises that we hear throughout the day, and having read this back, I have decided that I need to get out more and get a life!