Single hen

[Sarah M]

Hi Everyone

 

I've been letting my hens free range in the garden whilst I'm at work for about 2 weeks now, the problem is they are getting up at about 5.30am every morning and my gingernut is making a fair bit of noise (well, it wakes me up) because she wants to get out of the run and into the garden She's been doing this for a couple of days now and it's getting a bit embarrassing ! As soon as I let her out which is about 6.30am she's fine (would be nice to lay in a bit longer at weekends though). I leave their Eglu door open in the night as it's warm, they have their food, water, cat litter tray full of dust, dirt and all things chickens like and I've put a perch in their for them too. What else can I do to keep them quiet and stop them waking me up at stupid o'clock in the morning !!!

[clare*]

Mine started to this recently. I have started to shut the door at night again to cure it. They get let out into the run around 7 at the moment. Then into the garden a couple of hours later.

 

It's stopped the early noise for me.

[AnnieP]

She's trying to train you Sarah! Don't give in to her whatever you do! She'll just do it more so if it works for her! Lots of people had problems once the lighter mornings started with their little darlings demanding to be let out of the Eglu. Some of the threads were very amusing, but of course, not for the owners who had to do the early morning wake up routine to avoid upsetting the neighbours etc.

Will try to find some to show you what I mean:

here's one.

Just use the search button at the very top and type in "noisy"! You'll find many more!

[Sarah M]

I think your right. To be honest I've only had them 2 and a half weeks and I've spoilt them already but I need to get tough !!! I was thinking of only letting them out of the run every other day, neighbours are on holiday at the moment so it would be a good time to trial it as if they made too much noise it probably wouldn't upset anyone too much. the thing is they are goign to have to get used to being in the run in the winter coz I wont be around as dark falls to let them out so I know I need to nip this in the bud NOW ! I'm going to try the water too. They know they've got me where they want me at the moment, squawking for sweetcorn and making a noise to get out of the run, 2 weeks ago I couldn't get them to set a foot outside the run ! I do need to get tough !!!!! I'm going to try the water too

[AnnieP]

Good on ya!

Do let us know how the battle of the wills goes!

[The Dogmother]

Squirting with water certainly works when one of mine gets noisy.

[Sarah M]

I shut them in the Eglu last night, well, they could of got out if they'd tried! The noise was better this morning, they held off till about 6am !!! They were flapping about a fair bit in the Eglu then I had an awful thought What if they paniked that they couldn't get out of the Eglu and got claustrophobic and started attacking each other ! Is that me being silly or is it a possiblity

[Lesley-Jean]

They were flapping about a fair bit in the Eglu then I had an awful thought What if they paniked that they couldn't get out of the Eglu and got claustrophobic and started attacking each other ! Is that me being silly or is it a possiblity

Yes I'm sure it's you being silly . I shut mine in at night as they made too much noise early in the morning in their run. Whe I go to let them out at about 7:30 each morning, they are moaning, thumping and banging on the door and come tumbling out when I open it with no harm done and happy neighbours

[Sarah M]

Tee, hee that's how mine came out this morning

 

I was sure it was just me coz that's how I'd feel if i was in there I shall stop worrying and keep them close in, at least for a while anyway

[Guest]

Glad it's not just me with noisy hens!

Unfortunately I can's shut the door at the mo. because there are also 5 8 week olds sharing with their two mummies and things can get a bit heated, let's call it an uneasy truce. I would hate to shut the door and trap any babies in with their aunty if she was in a funny mood.

So i still have to get out and do the 5.30 am run!

[Jane and Martin]

I too am suffering with a noisy hen, however it's not to be let out. She seems to do it at any time, after laying an egg, if a helicopter flies over, when she looks at the new chickens. It's the same very loud 4 part bawark, it's like she builds up to it. Not sure how long the neighbours will put up with it for. Am adding water mister to shopping list

[Sarah M]

Oh dear ! Mine have calmed down. I only had a problem first thing in the morning when they want to be let out. I started closing the Eglu door behind them at night but in a way that they could open it if they really wanted to but only Babs figured out how to do this and she'd go mad coz she wanted to get near Ginger who hadn't figured out that you only have ot push it ! Now I've started closing the Eglu and locking it. I let them into the run when I get up at 6.30am and then I let them out of the run into the garden at 7.30am. So far so good, touch wood !!!!!!! The trouble is, and I've had this conversation with my other half, there's not much you can do about it. We've agreed that if the neighbours ever complained, we'd have a word with the chickens What else can you do unless you let them go ! I suggest you get as much on your neighbours as possible so if they complain you can come back with something

[Guest]

You may well find that your neighbours don't bother about the noise. Mine are quite used to the girlies egg laying proclamations now, and all seem to be of the opinion that some (loud) clucking from the chickens is far preferable to the constant barking of a dog, the screeching of those annoying mini-motorbikes racing along the lanes or the permanant beat of some nippy teenagers music, played at full blast all day everyday!

[Sarah M]

I agree. I went and spoke to my neighbour the other day, just to check that they weren't causing her a problem. She said that she does hear them and she loves it ! She said it makes her realise she lives in the country and she even offered to baby sit them when we're away

[Jane and Martin]

Thanks, I guess when you think about all the other distubances, mine include neighbours hedge clipping at 7.30 on a Sat morning, boy racers thinking the village is a race track etc etc, then in the big scheme of things one iddy biddy chicken protesting every now and then isn't really a problem. I just worry a lot. No-one has ever refused eggs though!!

[mslaura]

How funny... I just came to look for info on this very subject and here there are a zillion recent posts on it. Love these forums!

 

My Gingernuts have lately taken to acting like wild jungle fowl when the sun comes up..."Bawk bawk bawk BAWK BAWK BAWK BAWK!"

 

Repeat constantly for about 4-5 minutes, just long enough to completely wake everyone up! Then they magically stop.

 

I am really quite shocked at how loud they can be. It's close to rooster levels when they get going. Luckily it does only last for about 4-5 minutes, then back to quiet clucking and/or silence.

 

It seems to coincide with sunrise, but of course that's when they are laying their eggs too.

 

When I go out there I usually see that one hen is in the Eglu laying eggs, and the other is outside squawking her brains out. So maybe it's a "You've gone away and left me!" cry, since that's the only time all day or night that they are ever out of one another's sight.

 

I was going out to give some corn to shut them up, but then I realized that I was rewarding the behavior. If they keep it up I may shut them inside the Eglu until it's a proper time to wake up. That was a good suggestion.

[The Dogmother]

Have you tried squirting them with water Laura? A face full of water from a plant spray works wonders

[Eyren]

I've tried that with Migsy, but she tends to go quiet when I emerge from the house, on the assumption that I'm about to let her out