merlina Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 My 3 new girls include an araucana Well! she's very different to any hen I've met before (Ok, I have fairly limited experience in more unusual varieties). Right now, she's just gone to bed. She's cuddled up under Edna (no1 grumpy lady) and making the most strange noise. It's quite loud, and it's like, (hmmm, very hard to describe), a laser gun noise in a video game might be. A really long trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Definitely not any kind of cluck, bok or squawk. It could almost be a purr sound if it wasn't this really long 'note'.It doesn't undulate and just goes on for a long time, then there's a new trrrrr (without apparently pausing for breath) and off we go again Is this normal? Is she ok? (she seems ok) She's been bottom of the pecking order since they were all introduced (she's slightly smaller than the others), but seems to be coming into her own now - she just faced down a large bluebell (is this a victory roll?!) She was very anxious at first - ran around manically in a kind of horizonal way (exactly like roadrunner!) but has seemed to be calming down any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueandwhite Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Sorry no idea but great description of the noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 It sounds like a contented bed time purr to me. One of mine makes a noise that I can only describe as the same as our water tank finishing filling up... We have our computer in the loft (with the water tank), and I often think of our Ethel when it's having a gurgle .... A kind of brrrrrrrrweeeooowwweeeeooowwweeeeeee.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Yes its a bedtime purr, very common, I think they make these noises to reassure themselves and the others as they get comfortable. It starts when they are chicks, some do it more than others Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlina Posted March 15, 2013 Author Share Posted March 15, 2013 thank you so much I thought it just sounded far too hyper to be a 'contented hen' noise They really are a learning curve! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 It doesn't sound like anything to worry about. I have an Araucana bantam (Lola) and she sings whilst sitting on the nest box, a sort of high pitched lalalalalalalala. Sounds like someone doing their scales She also makes a really horridly loud squawking noise, the loudest of all my hens, despite being the smallest. Seems Araucanas like making strange noises Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheekymonkey68 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 one of my hens purrs when she's in the nesting box, so a kind of normal for me Just love all the different noises they make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Yep...contented purr for sure One of our Ex-Batts does it when I'm in the WIR and she's stood next to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auntielizzie Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 One of my girls makes a noise like a pteradactyl if you disturb her in the house at bedtime and one of the other girls makes a noise like one of those little bicycle horns - hoot hoot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlina Posted March 16, 2013 Author Share Posted March 16, 2013 I was wracking my brain to work out what the noise she was making reminded me of - now it's come to me. It was like the warning noise of some creature I saw on a wildlife programme recently - no wonder I didn't associate it with a happy hen sound! The other hens do little mumbley purry noises at bedtime (well, I think, some of them sound more like grumbles ) I'm just coming to the conclusion that araucanas make very different (and much louder!) sounds than the hybrids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saronne Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 One of my Araucanas makes a noise like a creaky gate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeloo Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Mine do that when they are out free ranging and a hawk flies over. They freeze and give a low purring, trilling sound! It was really odd the first time I saw it! I figured it was some type of "danger above" signal. I didn't know some of them do something similar at bed time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlina Posted March 18, 2013 Author Share Posted March 18, 2013 Mine do that when they are out free ranging and a hawk flies over. They freeze and give a low purring, trilling sound! It was really odd the first time I saw it! I figured it was some type of "danger above" signal. I didn't know some of them do something similar at bed time! hmm, the sound was much more apt for 'danger above' - perhaps the danger above was me! (opening the coop to see if they were all there) But I'm deciding araucanas (or at least mine) is a different species. Today they all went for a dust bath in the compost heap - two new chooks and Edna the oldie. The Araucana tried it for about 5 seconds then clearly decided this was a dangerous activity and perched on the edge of the bin squawking loud enough to alert her avian ancestors in Chile! After listening to her do this for ten minutes I came inside for some quiet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I'd say contented purr... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Prilly my SL Wynadotte makes a weird sqwaking sound that seems to have a bit of seagull in it Its quite bizarre !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlina Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 Heh, she continues to amaze me with the odd noises. Yesterday I was sure I must have been sold a boy by mistake - but it seems this is her special 'shouting at snow' sound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaHen Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My araucana laughs at me. At least, that's what it sounded like when I was down in the mud on hands and knees trying to retrieve one of her eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 What would we do without all of this wonderful entertainment Our girls have us in stitches every day ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
