Development of responsiveness to the individual maternal "clucking" by domestic chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus).

Sixty-nine chicks, brooded by hens, were given the choice of approaching the clucking sound of the familiar hen or another clucking source. The effects of age and prenatal experience of clucking on the responsiveness to their hen's clucking were also investigated. Eighty-three percent of all chicks tested chose the familiar hen clucking after a certain age. By 4 days of age, 29% of artificially incubated chicks approached the clucking of a familiar hen. Seventy-four percent of naturally incubated chicks and 89% of chicks artificially incubated until pipping and then naturally incubated, showed this discrimination. This corresponds well to the natural situation, in which the hen remains in the nest with the chicks for up to 3 days after hatching. The results also indicate that late prenatal experience of the maternal call is of importance for the later responsiveness to this call.