Merriam Webster

Of chickens, geese, etc. : to make loud, unpleasant sounds; to laugh noisily

Oxford English Dictionary

Stupid loquacity, silly chatter. Colloq. phr. cut the cackle (and come to the horses) : stop talking (and get to the heart of the matter, the real business); hence cackle-cutting vbl. n. and ppl. a. ; A short spasmodic laugh, a chuckle ;

Cambridge dictionary

A short spasmodic laugh, a chuckle.

“The Cackle of Hens” W. A. K. Science Vol. 22, No. 554 (Sep. 15, 1893), p. 152

It is claimed that the cackling of hens “is very liable to attract the attention of any ovivorous bird or beast to the probable presence of an egg” It is quite probable that ovivorous birds or beasts may understand that the hen’s cackle is the announcement of the presence of an egg, but the hen is wise even in her apparent imprudence.