Chickens making purring sounds?

[15shenyl]

Well, I am new to having chickens and have two questions. First, my chickens make purring sounds like a cat. Can anyone tell me what that means. Second, every night when my chickens go to bed, they struggle to find a spot to roost. They step, walk, and lay on each other, they fall off and jump back on and disrupt the rest of the chickens, it looks and sounds like it hurts. Is this normal and is there some way to stop this?

 

[Judy]

Mine make a purring sound, sometimes, when laying, and when they want me to give them that treat in my hand. But I'm no expert on chicken noises, at all.

The nightly roost battle is pretty well universal. It's part of their pecking order process. It's like, everyone has to keep everyone else in line. It's unusual for anyone to get hurt. Just enjoy the show, it's part of chicken TV! Silly chickens....

 

[galanie]

Many people have posted here that the purring noise means they are really happy. Mine make a noise that's more like a whirrr to indicate happiness, I've never heard them purr like a cat.

And yes, the confusion and such on the roost is universal, they all do it. Eventually each will know it's "place" and it won't be quite as much a riot in the evening.

 

[15shenyl]

Well the purring is strange because sometimes when they do that the roosters round up all the hens and pile up into the apple bin we have. Other times they will lay there and make the sound and they all come and pile up one each other. Its strange. And the roost fighting at night is just sad and funny to watch. I just hope it won't end up injuring one of them.

 

[galanie]

Chicks do make a whirr that means "don't eat me" when dangestr is close. That could be what you're hearing when the rooster gathers them up. The two sounds are almost identical to me, both the "pleasure" and the "don't eat me" ones. Kind of like how the " I JUST LAID AN EGG" song sounds almost the same as "DANGER DANGER"

 

[lizanne]

Mine make a purring noise when they are happy. If I give them treats, or if they are rolling around in cold dirt when it's really hot outside. It is sooo funny!

 

[off-grid hen]

If I understand you correctly, my roosters (and a few hens when I didn't have roo) make the same sort of cooing/purring noise. Usually, they all run for cover. Look up when they do that, mine always do it when they see a hawk or other wild bird, even if it's just a chickadee.

 

[15shenyl]

I think they do that both when there happy and if they think something going to hurt them.

 

[cute chicks here]

I just heard mine make the purring noise this morning and they seemed real happy, one was on the roost and I had just cleaned the coop and gave them a new feeder and also some special food

 

[DLV58]

My Welsummer makes that sound and every night at bedtime the girls fuss with each other, they all want the same spot