Chicken clucking VERY LOUDLY, walking around doing nothing

[lases77]

Chicken vocals are interesting. They all mean something.

The one we always keep our ears tuned for is the alarm that means a predator. This is one vocal, even if you have no idea what any of their noises mean, that speaks very clearly that you'd better run out with a gun or can of bear spray. It's not just one chicken "going off". It's total bedlam - screeching, squawking, flapping and general sounds of universal panic. There is no defined vocalization, just chaos.

There is a vocal consisting of five notes rapidly executed by the first chicken to see an intruder, and if you happen to be right there, you will be forewarned that something is about to happen. It's a sinister sound. I've heard this and looked up to see a bear approaching the run. Good times. Then chaos ensues. Some of the screeching is even coming from the chickens.

When you hear a laying hen clucking steadily and fretfully when she's normally laid back and quiet, she's feeling the need to lay an egg but she hasn't really connected the sensation yet with a decision to head for a nest. This is a loud, repetitive and annoying sound. I usually encourage the hen to find a nice nest, and she quiets right down.

Many novice chicken keepers mistake clucking that precedes going to a nest to lay for a sign the chicken isn't feeling well. Chickens that don't feel well are mute. They don't make any noise at all when sick or in pain. They do tip you off by standing around on the perimeter with their tail held low and flat, and often their feathers are all puffed up.

A hen that is going broody begins up to a week before actually going broody by making occasional "popping" noises punctuated with a "growl". At this early stage, most people miss the change that's coming over their hen. Each day, the "popping" gets more frequent, and so does the growling, and this is often accompanied by puffing up and shaking out of her feathers, but she's still mostly behaving in her normal fashion, not at all interested in nesting. She's also beginning to annoy the other chickens and they will show their annoyance by pecking at her. The popping sounds, which remind me of an old child's toy that sounded like a pop corn popper when pushed along, get more and more frequent and insistent until she finally lays her final egg and glues herself to a nest.

We all have heard the "egg song", a rapid bawk-bawk-bawk-BAWK! over and over, either preceding the egg or following the egg or both. My Welsummers even stand by as a friend is in the nest laying, "bawking" the entire time as if serenading her efforts. Charming and very noisy. Glad I have no neighbors.

Those are but a few of the vocalizations. Chickens actually have a language we can understand if we listen. They string notes together in definite patterns that mean the same thing as our words when we form a sentence. It's called syntax. I can understand "Chicken" but I can't speak or write it. But knowing what " here comes a bear" means when my chickens belt out the phrase is plenty, believe me.

I have a orpington hen that has been walking around the run consistently clucking non-stop in the past day or two. It's not loud, or obnoxious, just moderate noise level. When she gets close to the other hens they peck at her as if to say, "go away". My rooster won't stop trying to chase her and she keeps running from him, and jumps up high to get away from him until he walks away, then she will jump down and cluck and forage with her feathers fluffed until he chases her again.

This is all brand new behavior for this hen, the rooster, and the other hens towards her, so i have no idea what is going on. This flock will be 1 year old in April.

Given that it's not even the end of January, I wouldn't imagine that she is going broody (but I'm a first time chicken keeper so what do I know). She hasn't started plucking breast feathers. Her keel bone does feel more boney than the others, her face does look more pale than the others, but her waddle and comb are red (outside of the areas that got frost bitten). Her poops are normal.

We just fished a 2 wk, below normal, cold snap of single and negative digits and now the weather is in the 40's and low 50's. Not sure if the unusual warm stint is faking out her system to think spring is around the corner?? But we have much more cold weather coming before true spring arrives.

In your experience, do you think it likely that she could be going broody, or are there other possibilities that I might look into? Any insight will be much appreciated!!

Ps: they don't free range, but are in a very large run that is cleaned daily. Fed grain as main diet, with treats of veggie scraps, live crickets, freeze dried grubs and an occasional mouse that gets in. Oyster shells and crushed egg shells are always available.

Thanks again!

 

[azygous]

If she's been laying eggs, she could be going broody.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sounds like she's thinking about going broody. This time of year because of the increasing light hormones are starting to surge. She may eventually go totally broody. I have had some that I called walking broodies. They act broody but never set anywhere.

 

[lases77]

If she's been laying eggs, she could be going broody.

Wow, Ok - I just didn't think that they went broody in the winter. Is that unusual?

 

[azygous]

The days begin getting longer after the end of December. That increasing daylight is what triggers the pineal gland which triggers hormones. For a hen to go broody after only a single round of laying indicates a possible serial broody. Hold onto your pants. She's going to give you a run for your money.

 

[lases77]

The days begin getting longer after the end of December. That increasing daylight is what triggers the pineal gland which triggers hormones. For a hen to go broody after only a single round of laying indicates a possible serial broody. Hold onto your pants. She's going to give you a run for your money.

Well that's lovely, lol! I've read how others break broodies, but the techniques that work the best in ya'll's experience would be most helpful!!
Many thanks!

 

[Jenbirdee]

maybe she is bored give her something to do like hang ahead of cabbage in there for her

 

[azygous]

The broody cage, open mesh bottom without nesting material, does the job quickest, sometimes over night, usually within three days.

But trying to break a broody before they begin to sit on the nest won't really work. The hen should have started to sit a nest before you try to break her.

 

[Tahai]

She could also be getting ready for a molt.

 

[lases77]

The broody cage, open mesh bottom without nesting material, does the job quickest, sometimes over night, usually within three days.

But trying to break a broody before they begin to sit on the nest won't really work. The hen should have started to sit a nest before you try to break her.

Thank you so much!!