Chicken description words

[SBFChickenGirl]

Hi everyone! I like to write, and being a chicken lover, chickens naturally show up in my books. And like any writer, I am at a loss for words at times (ironically).

So, I'm asking for a little help. I would like to compile a list of words describing chicken behaviors and sounds. If you have a story to go along with it, go ahead and share!

TIA, SBFChickenGirl

 

[PioneerChicks]

I am a writer of sorts too! I want to write a book about chickens but need to think of a good plot first...

I'll get back to you as soon as possible with some of my observations. I think that it's great that you are doing this!

 

[PioneerChicks]

Okay, I'm back. Because we are two different people our writing styles will be different, so you might like my suggestions or you might not.

Here is some behavior ideas:
-Dust bathing
-Scratching for bugs and treats in dirt
-Flying or digging out of the coop
-Jumping at a high leaf
-A small squabble in the pecking order
-Roosters try to herd the hens (they drop one wing and shuffle in a rough circle around the hen or pullet. Used to show dominance or move/guide the hen, though the guiding almost never works)
-Cocking their head at the human as if to say "you got any treats?"
-A cat or something drops into the middle of the flock and the chickens scatter and fuss
-For long term a hen could go broody
-Hens preen their feathers (I don't know if roos do this)

And some sound ideas:
-Air raid alarm call (It's hard to describe, but it sounds like a low and raspy breath drawn inward)
-Land predator alarm call (a series of low but loud "broks" repeated quickly)
-Mother hen clucks gently to her chicks or eggs
-Egg song
-Soft, random clucks as the chickens go about their day
-A loud, startled squawk as a pullet gets pecked by a hen
-The sound of chickens scratching leaves around or pecking at something hard

I hope you find some of these useful! If you ever publish a book I would love to read it!

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

Thanks @SoftSilkie for the help! I love your list!

 

[CatWhisperer]

Rooster dance, roosters fluffing their ruffs and lowering the tie heads when facing off each other like little bullfighters.

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

A description of nesting.

Sometimes a rooster will join in on the effort of making a nest, picking out multiple sites and scratching around making a small hollow in the ground. The hen will pick one of these sites and decide to nest there. She'll find little bits of leaves and bedding to line the nest, even pulling out some of the feathers on her stomach if she's planning on going broody. She'll sit down rearranging the material just so. When she's ready she'll lay her egg.

 

[WallyBirdie]

I call it 'fencing' when chickens try to fight each other with a fence between them. (I have one girl that likes to do that. She jumps and kicks, like a chicken martial artist.)
Chickens, despite their namesake, can be incredibly brave, and their flock dynamics are incredible.

I like to refer to their wattles as 'hangy-dews'.

An interesting behavior to note is when a pullet squats and splays her wings out, usually as a sign of respect and/or submission (or so I've been told).

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

Thanks so much for the reply @WallyBirdie ! When hens squats, it is a sign of submission. If you had roosters, they would do it for the roosters before the rooster mounted them.