Encyclopedia of Dreams

by Michael and Elizabeth Thiessen
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.

Ten Thousand Dream Interpretation

by Gustavus Hindman Miller
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.

Mystic Dream Book

by Internet Archive - Anonymous
A sign whose meaning varies very much in different localities.

It is best to treat it as a warning that care is needed.