Cackling hens show there has been a disaster involving someone in your sphere of influence, possibly a death.
A sound of cackling also presages illness and loss.
[1]To hear the cackling of hens denotes a sudden shock produced by the news of an unexpected death in your neighborhood, Sickness will cause poverty.
[2]A sign whose meaning varies very much in different localities.
It is best to treat it as a warning that care is needed.
[3]