newbie with chickens

[vjm63]

Hi All, 

I have finally realised a long held wish - and got myself some chickens! Four Bresse, who are just 7 weeks old. I have been reading up about chickens (of course) but I cannot find out the answer to when they change from their baby peep noises to proper chicken noises. Can anyone tell me, please? Daft question, I know, but I'm curious, and do want to find out as much as I can about them.

[vjm63]

[goodlife]

I don't think there is proper 'time' for the noise change...they just grow out of it. And even when they are already more mature size...sometimes when they get excited over something what does remind them from their 'childhood', they will still try to make  noises in similar manner.
I can remember hearing mine trying to do it, but it sounded odd ..and it probably did so even for themselves...so they switched doing the 'mother hens' noises to each other... encouraging each other to eat some treaty bits, just like their broody did when they were under 'training'.

[Melbourne12]

Are you keeping them for meat as well as for eggs?  Even commercial Bresse chickens are quite delicious (and expensive!) so home-grown ones should be fabulous. 

We keep Ixworths, which are a similar utility breed.  I'd expect them to mature at around 13 weeks, but the hens probably won't make much noise at all.  The cockerel(s) will, though!  We've found that the cockerels often go through a phase rather like humans, in that their voice breaks and for a week or so they make a sort of strangulated crowing noise which is quite funny.

[vjm63]

They are just for eggs at the moment - whilst we get the hang of having chickens, frankly! We are planning to get a cockerel and breed for meat later, but not for a couple of years I think.

I have noticed already their 'peeps' are getting intermingled with a lower note sometimes, so I guess the voices are changing a little. but only quiet noises apart from when one of them walks on another, or they complain at us for trying to catch them. Still odd flapping and facing up to each other, so I guess they are still getting their order established, as well as being teenagers! They still huddle up together in a sunny patch, so no real bullying, I guess.