Single hen

[Suzeb]

Hi everyone,

I am new to the board and have been browsing to get some hints and tips. I am intending to order an eglu v soon (as soon as hubby as build big run!)

 

I am starting to panic a bit with all the posts relating to the noisy chickens thread. Please tell me that they are not all noisy! Obviously I expect some noise, especially when laying but I had hoped that 'shouters' first thing are the exception rather than the rule - am I being a bit naive?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions about breeds - my local supplier has Goldline, Amber Lee, Bluebelle, Sussex, Black Rock - I am planning on having three. Are any known for noisiness or is it a personality thing?!

 

I have a 100ft garden to hopefully they won't disturb the neighbours but I want to go ahead fully aware.

 

Thanks in advance & apologies if this is a duplication of another historic thread.

 

Suze

[Chickvic]

I think the noise is down to the particular hen, it's a personality thing I think! I live in a terraced house and I've never had any complaints. Although one neighbour has a dog and the other side has small children so they must make as much noise

[Redwing]

My chickens are pretty noisy I am building a run for them tucked behine the neighbours fence so that the noise is buffered!

 

Before I added a fourth hen my original three were very quiet - I guess its the luck of the draw and just something you can't predict, the fouth hen 'eggs' (sorry about the pun) the others on till they are all yelling

 

Mind you its still quieter than the two dogs up the road that squabble in their garden

[BeckyBoo]

Hi and welcome, I agree, it seems to be the luck of the draw. I have a Gingernut Ranger who shouts her mouth off whenever she lays and whenever there's something overhead, but she didn't used to! To be honest it's no worse in my opinion than dogs or children and most neighbours can be appeased by the odd box of eggs!

Good luck choosing your hens, it's going to be nice this weekend, give your OH a nudge out to the garden, get that run built!!

 

BeckyBoo

[thewhitehouse]

I hope I'm not tempting fate here but mine are lovely and quiet - just the odd session when something spooks them. Around us we've got noisy dogs (not all the time but at early morning/late nights) and the chooks are not as bad as them. So far so good (fingers crossed)

[Hen Watch]

Mine are mostly quiet. Sometimes the odd egg announcement. Probably once every few weeks we get an "alarm call" where they bok, bok at something they don't like, eg. cats etc.

 

Depends on yours (and your neighbours) threshold of what is acceptable noise? My neighbours are great and love the gentle clucking and don't seem to mind when they are ocassionally louder.

 

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[4Clucks-minusOne]

I think my shouter was Daisy our Daisybelle. She is in with a Bluebelle and a Blackrock. She isn't noisy very often so its quite a scare for us......thinking they have an unwanted visitor trying to join them in the run! I think their noise is nowhere near as bad as dogs barking.

 

The ducks on the mill pond across the road were noisy yesterday morning so maybe Daisy was just shouting back.

 

Don't let this put off having chickens. I wouldn't trade mine for the world. I just wish I had started keeping chickens sooner and wish I could have a few more. I would love an Amber Lee. They are supposed to be very friendly.

[Woodcat]

i've never had any complaints about noise at all and i live ina cul de sak and i also have other gardens backing on to mine. Most of my chickens are very quiet and never make a racket and one who does somtimes shout and when she does it noisy but its fairly rare and only during the day. They can be noisy but no more so than somones dog barking. I really wouldn't worry and i wouldn't be suprised if after a week half your neighbours hadn't noticed you have chickens

 

Don't forget that people tend to post on here asking for advice so you are going to get posts from a minority who have problems and nothing from the majority who have no probs what so ever

[chelsea]

Again, I agree - luck of the draw. Some people's are as quiet as mice and others (like mine) like to shout their beaks off. I can hear my lot out there now bokking to come out of the run....but I am holding firm!

 

I think my lot are loud but my husband insists I am paranoid and worrying about nothing - he said he cannot hear them on the outside of our garden fence (although they sound loud to me).

 

I live in a cul-de-sac and in 3 years have had no complaints (thank goodness) I suppose when you weigh up other noises around - birdsong, dogs, children, lawn mowers, cars, the noise really isnt that bad.

[redsky]

I was worried about the noise before I had my chooks - I have had them nearly two weeks now and it was only this morning that my neighbour noticed them , and that was only because I was carrying a big bale of wood shavings through the garden.....

 

.... and the henhouse is less than 20ft from my neighbours bedroom window!

[Guest]

with warmer weather more people are going to start opening their windows at night...would rather hear chickens than drunken yobs..dogs can be noisier too...some people are so moany!

 

last week i told my neighbour we were getting chickens as she had wanted some before and she suggested I got a cockerel(not doing that) then her husband told me they were not allowed..so i told him he wouldnt be getting any eggs then!!!

 

We have a nice big garden backing onto farmland and my neighbours horse often kicks its stable door repeatedly in the early hours ...so perhaps its a control thing!

I cant wait roll on

& spending more time in my garden which is something we dont really do....

indie

[Old Speckled Hen]

I have a Black Rock who announces her eggs. The other three a quiet apart from when we are having a chat.

You'll love having chickens.

[koo2cat]

Hi there and welcome. I hope I haven't put you off getting chickens with my thread about the noise. It is only one of my 6 hens that is vocal (Margot a Miss Pepperpot) the others are pretty quiet mostly.

 

I think during the day a bit of chicken noise is acceptable. As most people say, there is plenty of noise from all sorts of things, lawnmowers, dogs, trains and planes (where I live) and children!!! I really worry abut the racket mine make first thing in the morning before most people are up.

 

I have to say it never used to be a problem for us either, it is really only in the last 2 months that I have notice a big increase in Margot's noise and we have had her for a year now.

 

My husband (like yours Chelsea) thinks I am paranoid but it would really upset me if I thought people were being disturbed by them. No-one has complained to me yet so for the time being I am trying not to worry about it and if someone does have a moan then we will deal with the problem then!

[PurpleTree]

My 3 block rocks can be quite noisy, but it's not all the time. Mostly if they've laid, or want to lay and someone's hogging the nest box. When they are out roaming the garden I hardly hear anything from them unless a cat appears, then they all pelt down the garden and tap on the kitchen window to let me know.

[Mazzarina]

I have an Amber Lee, a Black Star and a Bluebelle. The Amber Lee is a lovely, placid, friendly bird - she's a real sweety. The Bluebelle is the head of the flock and can occasionally make quite loud noises - I suspect she's trying to be a cockerel or something - but never for more than about 10 minutes, and only once a day or so. The Black Star makes some noise when she lays, but only a little. In general my flock are pretty quiet, and only tend to make a fuss when they're really agitated about something (the neighbour's dog, for instance). Your breeder may be able to give you an idea about their typical behaviour.

[Suzeb]

Thanks to everyone for replying - what a friendly board! I am feeling much happier again and OH is making progress with the run so all is good!

[TAJ]

My blackrock & bluebelle are as quite as anything, but the light sussex goes through periods of telling me if any egg gets laid - not just hers!

 

Tracy

[Saronne]

My hybrids are mainly quiet. Very occasionally they will chunter on, but only briefly. We live in a terraced house and the neighbours say they don't notice them. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

saronne