chelsea Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 My cochins are so noisy in the Spring and Summer when they lay. They could seriously wake the dead and they never get fed up with the sound of their own voices. its always the quiet ones eh? I got cochins as they are supposed to be quiet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 One tip. Don't get into the habit of giving them mash, or any other treats, first thing in the morning. Cos if I am 5 mins late, they let me know, and yell from the run... And at 7.30am it is a bit early... A habit I have to break! I never used to be noisy and they were fine on the whole, but since Christmas I started doing Mash (made with mash and hot water, garlic, bran etc) each morning. And now they can be little so and so's first thing! I will have to be an evil chicken mum for a few days, put up with their complaints, untill they forget about early morning mash again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 One the whole mine are not noisy. In winter they do egg announce by "bok boking" loudly for a few mins but when the doors and windows are shut no one really hears. Also in winter with shorter days the chooks go to bed early when it's dark and get up late so less chance to make noise. In summer with longer days and neighbours with open windows it is different. I have to shut the door of their eglu at night and only open it at 7am and no earlier so they don't have chance to wake the neighbours by wandering around at 4am daybreak at the weekend. So it's a routine that works for me. Mine are very rarely noisy but when they do all "go for it" together to noise is defening and embarrasing as the whole neighbourhood can hear it. If they don't shut up on their own, then I trot out with the hosepipe and give them a squirt. I do sometimes worry what noise they make in Summer when I'm at work, but no neighbours have complained in 2 years so I guess it must be OK. It does depend on the breed and also the individual hen's personality, but don't forget more chooks = potential more noise. Having said all that, my chickens are the BEST pets I have ever had. Funny, easy to look after and rewarding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Hi Puddleduck, just a quick note. Before I got my ex batts I "consulted" with my neighbours to ensure they had no objections in principle to us keeping hens. We are lucky. Our ladies are quiet and peaceful. Sure they make a bit of noise but they're not loud and they don't disturb anyone. HOWEVER a friend of mine is not so lucky. She lives next to someone who has several hens who are extremely noisy and waken the neighbours in the early hours in the summer, not good if you are a shift worker or a light sleeper. Things are really bad - the hen keeping neighbour has shown my friend no consideration at all and I believe that matters are unresolved. It is perhaps sometimes tempting to adopt rose tinted specs but the reality is that some birds are really quite noisy as my friend knows to her cost. We do enjoy our chicks, they are fun and you very quickly become attached to them but I'm all too aware that in an urban environment relationships with neighbours are just as important Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 My cochins are so noisy in the Spring and Summer when they lay. They could seriously wake the dead and they never get fed up with the sound of their own voices. its always the quiet ones eh? I got cochins as they are supposed to be quiet! Me too. Of course, the gorgeous fluffy bums and feathery legs were also part of the attraction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 My Cochin's quiet!! She makes a sort of low honking noise and a quiet clucky chatty sound, but I've never heard her do a sqawking bokbokbokkkk! Not like Bobbie, she'll bokk and sqawk loudly and she shouts for treats, and when I go in there to sort them out in the morning!! Maybe it's cos you've both got more than one cochin each and they want to make themselves heard over the others - a bit of competition!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 The thing is....they lay so very little (cos they are broody most of the time ) so we dont have to endure the loud egg annoucements for very long! Seriously considering getting some more cochins.......I love 'em really you see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I would Chelsea! You've got loads of room! I would like another one but no room in the Elgu My hubby also thinks they are not a very robust breed as she got ill I tried to explain that it could happen it any chicken but he's not listening I'm allowed 2 more, so on my wish list is - and I keep changing my mind Cream Legbar and Buff Sussex OR 2 little Pekin Bantams (tho I know the intros would be iffy) OR 2 hybrids - perhaps a little brown hen and an Amber Star/Link Decisions decisions...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I love the buff sussex , was also looking at legbars the other day but I would worry they would be noisy?? Wheaten marans are very pretty, have you seen them? You need something pretty to match Skye & Bobbie......no ordinary hen will do!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I think legbars can go either way, some are flighty and a bit mad, some are OK (but that's only from reading on here). Buff Sussex is a definite But I had my haircut today and my hairdresser keeps a flock of hybrids and a flock of mille-fleur pekin bantams. He said he would give me some eggs and a lend of his incy! Not to be taken lightly I know, but I am now researching it to see if it's possible (plus the husband says 'yes'!!) Mick (the HD) says that he will also have any cockerels back. He said he will send them on their Chicken Holidays I didn't ask Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I was worried at first, but mine don't make much noise. They do whinge occasionally and only BOK loudly when something is scarey like the sparrowhawk. I rarely hear the girls when I am indoors unless they are right at the window, although I can hear next doors dog barking loud and clear. They have honked (when the dirt bath cover got caught by the wind and it landed on top of them for example), but if anyone asks I will say it was a flock of those Canada geese flying over and hope I get away with it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 My tuppence-worth (although mine haven't come into lay yet - any day now, judging by Chive's behaviour)..... Our cream legbar, Cori, loves a good whinge. They get pelletporrige in the morning and she'll give a high pitched booooooboooooboooo if she's hungry, if there's a bird nearby, if you come out into the garden, if you look like you might come out into the garden, if someone's in the dustbath...... Chive was silent until the last week or so (she's just started crouching so is a big grown-up girl) and has a deep baaaarbaaaarbaaaaark if she's excited about something. I worry that they make a racket, but OH was chatting to one of the nearby neighbours yesterday and he didn't even realise we had chickens! I think we omleteers are generally paranoid about the noise and often our worries are unfounded! T x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
