Locking Bar Eglu Classic

[SharonX]

I am having a problem with noise from my 3.

My hubby opens the door at around 4.30 am before he leaves for work and then at about 6 all hell lets loose. They sound awful Not the Bok bok if they are alarmed or just laid, I could live with that for a short time, but this is continuous until you go out there & let them out of the run. They are all pushing themselves up against the bars desperate to get out and I have to give in and give them their freedom just for some peace. You wouldn't know they were there all the time they are freeranging.

 

I'm now walking round like a zombie from lack of sleep and I'm worried about the neighbours. One has a toddler and she's heavily pregnant and probably not sleeping too great at the moment as it is.

 

At the weekend I get up at 7 to let them out and then they start, which is still too early for the neighbourhood so I let them out into the garden and then can't go back to bed for a lie in.

 

I lock them up when I go out, but as soon as I pull up on the drive I can hear them so it doesn't matter what time of day it is they are going for it! I'm really not going to be popular around here if this continues, and I wouldn't blame them I wouldn't want to listen to that all day either! The house will be empty from early morning until late afternoon tomorrow & Sunday and I'm dreading leaving them in all day. Lovely hot week-end and the whole neighbourhood will have to listen to that.

 

Any suggestions apart from elastic bands around the beak??? I thought they were supposed to be quiet

[Faye&Ant]

Hi Sharon, I really sympathise with you, mine do exactly the same thing until they are let out, although at the most it is for an hour.

 

Because they are not let out until the afternoon, we even built ours an extended run to stop it but once they have a taste of freedom thats it! I was so worried about the noise because at the time it seems like the noisiest sound in the world and so I went to speak to the neighbours. One of them didnt even know we kept chickens and then told us how her daughter does and now gives us food s"Ooops, word censored!"s and the other neighbours say they never hear them and when they have its a lovely sound

 

Im sure your neighbours havent heard as much as you think. Why not having a chat with them and give them some eggs, that im sure will win them over

 

Try not to worry so much and have a read of the other threads on here, you are not alone and there are lot of other noises out there that are worse than the sound of chickens clucking

 

Hope that helps

 

Faye x

[theherd123]

Oh dear your chooks seem to have you wrapped around their little feet!

 

Firstly i wouldnt let them out at 4.30, maybe around 7ish or whenever you get up. I would cover the front of the eglu at night just to reduce the morning sunlight so the chooks may stay a little quieter for longer.

 

I think it would be good for the chooks to learn to stay in the eglu run without making such a noise as if they ever had to stay in, they shouldnt be a nuisance. You could try and squirt them with a water pistol when they are making a loud noise - they will make the connection between the water gun and the noise soon enough and may then quieten down.

[Paola]

Oh dear your chooks seem to have you wrapped around their little feet!

 

Firstly i wouldnt let them out at 4.30, maybe around 7ish or whenever you get up. I would cover the front of the eglu at night just to reduce the morning sunlight so the chooks may stay a little quieter for longer.

 

I think it would be good for the chooks to learn to stay in the eglu run without making such a noise as if they ever had to stay in, they shouldnt be a nuisance. You could try and squirt them with a water pistol when they are making a loud noise - they will make the connection between the water gun and the noise soon enough and may then quieten down.

 

That is exactly what I was going to suggest Emma

[SharonX]

Thanks for that, I will have a word with them. admittedly they are right below my bedroom window so I'm going to get the worst of it but it really is very loud, I can hear them from my drive when I get home so everyone couldn't fail to hear. They sound like they're crying certainly not a nice sound. I seriously think they know it's irritating and they will get their own way.

I love to see them out in the garden and when i'm home all day (which is alot) it's not a problem letting them free range, but sometimes it's not convenient to have them out, like when you're eating because they will jump on you & snatch what ever you have I was trying to read my magazine this morning & even that wasn't safe

 

When the weather was bad they were quite happy in their run & just had a couple of hours out. I don't even think it's down to boredom because they start basically as soon as they've opened their eyes!

 

I wish I had the room for a walk in run, but I don't so that's not an option either.

[theherd123]

That is exactly what I was going to suggest Emma

 

Great minds Paola, great minds!

[Faye&Ant]

Some more experianced omleteers have given some great advice above and I hope that helps you so you can worry less. In fact im thinking of trying the water pistol thing myself if they are noisy at the weekend

 

Proper little divas aren't they

 

Good luck x

[SharonX]

I think your right they do have me wrapped around their little feet!

Who said chooks were stupid

 

I'm going to go & put them in their pen now and try the water pistol thing, it certainly can't hurt trying. Thinking about it I think your right about covering the pen. Up until the change in the weather we had a dark tarpauline covering the entire pen which closed in alot of light & they were quieter for longer, maybe I will roll that over until morning. Still doesn't solve the day time problem but I will give the water pistol thing a go and see what happens. Thanks everone. x

[GinaDC]

Thank god I'm not the only one suffering from this. I swear that if my ladies weren't already supplying me with wonderful eggs every morning, I would say they were blokes.

 

The noise kicks off at around 6am where I bleary eyed make it to their cube and open their bedroom door. That subdues them for an hour or so (if I'm lucky) and then the noise really kicks off. The cube is also situated practically under our bedroom window and I'm worried that the neighbours will complain. I already have a s"Ooops, word censored!"s for manure/eggs situation going on and that's still continuing so hopefully they don't mind or can't hear the chicken dawn chorus.

 

Things is, I'm pregnant and not sleeping well as it is and have to put up with kids wandering in to my room at 4am telling me its morning followed by the chickens at 6am.

 

I'm off to the toy shop to get a water pistol (if I can't find one up in the kids rooms!!)

 

I'm so pleased I'm not alone.

 

Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to rant.

[surferdog]

I sympathise Sharon - Mine make a constant racket when they know we are in. If they're in the run they're yelling to come out, put them in the Omlet netting and they shout to come out, put them in the garden and they moan to come in the house - and there's no way that's happening!

 

At home today and reduced to creeping round below window level because if they see me they start off again. Forgot earlier - went to make a cup of tea and off they went again Am now going to crawl in on all fours to get lunch....

[Guest]

it's started happening to us now! we have always shut the coop door when they go to bed and let them out at 7.30am and it's all run like clockwork since October!

 

Now they started (I say 'they', it could just be 1 little troublemaker) has started to make an unholy racket any time btwn 6am and 7am. DH has to go and let them out because everyone has their windows open in this weather and we don't want to get into trouble

 

6.30am this morning they were doing it! It doesn't happen every day. I'm wondering if they're too hot in there as they didn't make that racket until the warm weather came along.

 

we're going to trial leaving the food out (we normally put it away at night) and leave the coop open. The run is as secure as we can make it so we'll see how it goes!

[Egluntyne]

Mine make a fuss if the catch sight of me....but if I spy on them from an upstairs window, they abandon the pacing.

 

They are trying it on. I'd confine them to their run for a week to break the habit ....and then just let them out when it suits you.

[Guest]

do they things to distract them in their run? bits of hanging food etc? do they have adequate shade, perhaps in this weather they might be getting too hot?

 

just a cple of things that struck me as to why they might not be happy in the run at the moment.

[Hen Watch]

Sharon,

 

I echo what everyone else has said too and perhaps a bit of a routine a bit like training toddlers.

 

I close the eglu door at night, and open it to let them into their run at about 7.15am. Even when I am around all day (which is most days as I only work 2 mornings a week), I keep them shut in their run until 10am. They are allowed to free range after that. They seem quite happy as this is a routine now so even when they see me at the window after the schook run they don't make noises to be let out.

 

I did have one who was a bit noisy for a few weeks last year and I did resort to squirting her with the hosepipe. It did shut her up and she soon stopped.

 

I would dearly love to leave the eglu door open all night (as I do when I am on holiday). But last Summer we had three really noisy 4am wake up calls in the space of 2 weeks when they were alarmed by something. So for the neighbours sake they got shut in after that.

[FruitandNutCake]

I'm having exactly the same problem. they woke me at 5:20 this morning - and just didn't stop. First I thought it was because they were laying, but when I went to collect the eggs, they carried on, so i thought they were hungry - but there was still food (though they went mad when I topped it up as if it was empty ) I think they just wanted to go in the garden as they were trying to get out of the run door.

 

I also thought that they would be happier if I left the shed door open so that they could access the walk in run - but they are getting worse!

 

So, tonight they are not coming out (I'm going to the beach and then out for dinner so they have to stay in) and I'm going to shut them in the shed, and black out the windows tonight. Maybe it is just too light for them.

 

I don't think mine are too hot at 5:20 in the morning (the shed is 8ft x 6ft and shady) - they are just being little madams!

[ali-s]

My Pekin is driving me crazy with her constant shrieking when ever I am about and probably when I am out as well She shrieks to be let out of the Eglu and can be heard inside the house through double glazing. This morning she started at 5am and by 5.30am she was cockadoodledooing I know she is female as she has been laying for 3 years. the only peace from her is when she goes broody for a couple of weeks.... bliss

 

Neighbours haven't complained yet . She is not my favourite hen at the moment

[SharonX]

My goodness there was me thinking it was just me having problems and I had got unlucky. Sorry to say I'm glad I'm not the only one though I was begining to feel a bit sorry for myself!

 

Just got back from the shops & they have been locked in for about 2 hours, everything seemed quiet to start with but as soon as they knew I was in (they can see me through the conservatory) they started.... Thought I'd make myself a cuppa & go & sit outside for a bit with my book. Couldn't concentrate on reading as the noise levels were so high so I let them out. Sat back down to enjoy some piece & quiet & one jumped on my lap leaving a nice pooey footprint on my lovely linen trousers I give up

 

Somebody asked if they have things to do in there. They do have a hanging cd and a large mirror. I don't normally hang any food in there though as they normally get there treats late afternoon. Might be a good idea for when I'm out though just to give the neighbours a break. The shade is on and they are downn the side os my conservatory and along side the garden wall so they are pretty much sheltered from sun & wind so I don't think it's that.

 

If the water pistol doesn't work I'm going for the week lock up! Couldn't do the water pistol today, I will need to buy one as my sons is a super soaker so thought I'd better not. Or should I x

[Laura & CTB]

Have you got a peckabloc you could hang up for them? - Takes ages to get through and might just keep them occupied for a while!

 

 

Like this one:

 

http://www.countryfayre-countrystore.co.uk/shop.php/health-and-husbandry/peck-a-block-anti-feather-pecking-device/p_282.html

[Abbey Road Girl]

I learnt a lesson from having Jack Russells which might be helpful in preventing chickens becoming noisy in the first place: don't make a fuss over them or reward them every time you appear.

 

After an afternoon or evening out, my husband and I used to greet our Jacks as effusively as they greeted us. We realised how over-excited they got when one raced round and round the house, out the back door and flung herself into the pond!

 

I've found with the hens that if I go out frequently (several times a day) and do nothing more than nose around a bit, speaking (if at all) in a low key way, that they seem to accept that there's not much point in them getting into a flap whenever they see me.

 

If every time I showed up I was offering them treats or freedom, it might be a different story.

 

[Guest]

After an afternoon or evening out, my husband and I used to greet our Jacks as effusively as they greeted us. We realised how over-excited they got when one raced round and round the house, out the back door and flung herself into the pond!

 

 

 

I've found with the hens that if I go out frequently (several times a day) and do nothing more than nose around a bit, speaking (if at all) in a low key way, that they seem to accept that there's not much point in them getting into a flap whenever they see me.

 

 

same here but our problem was first thing in the morning, it was really quite loud. I moan about the neighbours' dogs but at least they don't start at 6.30am

[Abbey Road Girl]

same here but our problem was first thing in the morning, it was really quite loud. I moan about the neighbours' dogs but at least they don't start at 6.30am

 

Where is Heath Robinson when you need him?

 

Invent a contraption which automatically opens the coop at first light, scatters some pellets and points a water pistol at the first hen who boks and the world will be your lobster...

 

Seriously now, tis a real problem but probably far more uncomfortable to the hen keepers than to (most) neighbours. For real agro at any time of night or day, car alarms take the biscuit!

[henmuffin]

One of my chickens has been exactly the same. As soon as it is light she starts squwaking ?! really loud. I traipse down the garden to let them out of the cube. I then try to go back to bed but feel on tenterhooks incase they tart again. I live in close proximity to my neighbours and don't want to upset them. No one has complained but I am conscious of the noise. I think I have indulged them a bit too much. I was thinking of putting the cube in the garage to see if that would dim the noise. I have even thought of rehoming the culprit as I feel so tired. It sems a ridiculous routine for a few chickens who are supposed to be quiet.

[kiwichick]

I learnt a lesson from having Jack Russells which might be helpful in preventing chickens becoming noisy in the first place: don't make a fuss over them or reward them every time you appear.

 

I agree. I've stopped giving mine treats because when I do they squawk all day long wanting more. Now that I no longer feed them extra's they are generally as quiet as lambs and you would never know we had them. Except when they are separated from each other, as in one is on the nest and the other wants her to come out and play. But they also hold us hostage to let them free-range all day long and when we go on holiday thats going to be problem. I need our neighbours to go away so I can re-introduce the chooks to confinement without fear of a council complaint.

[SeasideChick]

I'm very happy to read all your posts. I left my Eglu Cube door open the other night ... in readiness for going away on holiday ... thinking my neighbour could then just come over once a day ... and all of a sudden I was woken up at 5.15 with this "bok bok bok squawking" ... so LOUD! I couldn't believe it ... so I rushed down and shoved them all back in their Cube ( they were not happy) and lay there in bed completely stressed about it all! I mean, you can't have chickens making that racket at 5.15 a.m.!!! I avoided all neighbours during the day and went back to leaving them in their cube until 7am as usuall ....

 

Although they are still clucking and squawking it's not till after 6 and it is at least muffled a bit by the walls of the Eglu ....

 

Whoever said they were quiet was sooooo wrong!!

 

Now I am wondering what I am going to do when I go away on hols as I feel to ask someone to come over at 7ish to let them out and then again at 9ish to lock them up, is a bit much!!!!

 

Any ideas?????

[Janty]

My big girls have started taking it in turns to poke their bums or heads out of the cube at night so that I can't close the door. Then they start shouting for breakfast in the morning. I am going to open up the cube and hoist them in tonight whether they like it or not.