Chicken picking at feet

[daisymay]

Hi

 

I've had my 5 girls for the past 6 or 7 weeks. I got 2 hens on friday (that are in a terrible state and needed rehoming due to not getting on with the others they lived with). They are settling in well and laying huge eggs.

 

They are SOOOO noisy from about 6am though that they are waking us and I assume, our neighbours up. I am not too concerned about our neighbours at present as they were as excited as we were when we got chickens. I am just wondering whether some breeds are noisier than others.

 

My 5 other girls (who are between 18 and 22/23 weeks) are very chatty when you go near them but otherwise are quiet. They don't seem to announce the morning as loud as a cockerel. My husband keeps saying that he thinks we're in for a shock and that our others will get noisier as they get older.......do you think this might be right, or do you think we'd know by now. 2 of our original girls are laying so I don't know what noise the others will make when they start laying.

 

Please be honest!!!!!

[my fat hen]

Hello daisymay,

 

I can only speak from my own experience, and mine tend to be noisier on a morning than the rest of the day.

 

I found that the most important thing was to stick to a routine, I let them out at 7 am so now they tend to start making a noise on the dot - they are like little alarm clocks! It does seem to stop them making a racket at 5 in the morning though!

 

The other important factor was controlling the light levels. Initially I left their shed door open (they have a coop inside that) but as soon as they saw the morning sun they were off! I now shut that and make sure no chinks of light are coming in and it does keep them much quieter.

 

Once they are out they have food readily available, otherwise they bok on for that too

 

They are much quieter now that they seem more settled though, we've had them for a few months now, although there is the odd day that they seem noisy for no apparent reason There is one in particular who announces egg laying - but I actually quite like to hear that!

[Snowy]

It does tend to vary Mine are noisier this time of year when they like to announce an egg laid. OK if only one announces, but it has been known for all 10 to join in One morning something startled them and they were all going berserk at 5am! But it isn't every day, and very rarely so early as to seriously disturb anyone. I often apologise unnecessarily to the neighbours who haven't heard a thing (and their run is right by their back door). Mine are able to get out for food and water when they want as well.

 

It might be worth having a word with your neighbours if they are approachable and telling them of your concerns and to let you know if they are bothered by it. That takes the pressure off both sides

[Egluntyne]

Maybe a dark blanket over the Eglu (making sure that the ventilation holes still work) will trick them into thinking that it isn't time to get up yet.

[Hen Watch]

I wonder if the 2 new girls are still settling in??? Have you seen Urbanchick's post. She has sucesfully quietened her hens down in the morning by covering the eglu up.

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26339

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I have one girl who can be quite loud when she's announcing eggs (not her own ). The other two are usually quiet as mice (although one joins in very occasionally).

 

If she does start squarking, it doesn't last more than 5 minutes or so.

 

I've taken to chucking a conker (I keep a supply on the bedroom window sill!) onto the run - bit mean, but it shuts her up . No use if I'm not there of course, but if I'm not there it means it's later in the morning and hopefully other noises will drown her out .

[chelsea]

Maybe a dark blanket over the Eglu (making sure that the ventilation holes still work) will trick them into thinking that it isn't time to get up yet.

 

spot on eglutine.

 

My lot are noisy hens. By day I have to accept that I have noisy hens and I try to ignore it. We shut our hens in every night as otherwise they would be up at 5am waking everyone up . We cover the eglu in a dark cover and let them out every morning about 6.45-7am. This works and keeps them quiet. Like someone else said - routine is key.

[BarbaraJ]

Mine are in a good routine and i dont hear any noise from mine till they hear me coming up the path or opening their run at 7. at weekends it can be 7-7.30 but they are fine, i have a wooden coop which though ventilated under the sloping roof has no light so that may help!

[moomin]

I'm the same as BarbaraJ. I keep them shut in the Eglu and they are as quite as mice until I let them out at around 7am. I do this same routine every day without fail. Then they carry on being fairly quite, a bit of bokking whilst I'm in their run 'cos they think they are going to get treats but when I go out of the run (and back to bed if it's the weekend ) they are fine.

 

They get on really well, having read on here about introducing new chooks and the upset it can cause I'm thinking of sticking with just the two of them they are best mates

[Janty]

Mine are noisy too. My cochins are little monsters for making noise when they lay and my brahmas are permanently pre-menstrual!

 

I have to cover the cubes and eglu up every night or mine start announcing the day to everybody at 4-5am. I forgot to lock up the doors on one of the cubes last night as I fell asleep on the settee and they were the last ones to bed. Scary and Ginger got up at just past four this morning. I got up, fed them and shut up the cube up before any of the others emerged. The rest were ready to get up at the usual 6am.