4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[chick1]

Well as you all know ive not got the ok yet with th OH but quite a few posts on here have got me thinking about how much noise they really make.

 

This is:

 

A. because of the neighbours

 

And B.because of the OH,i think he would go Daft(ie: sell the chickens) if he heard Bokking for no reason or the like at silly hour in the morning many days on the trot.

 

So realistically what can i do to:

 

A.Prevent them shouting just for the sake of it

 

B and knock it on the head if it does.

 

To be fair if he knew that they had been scared by something he would be ok but if they say got into the habit of making a noise so i let them out that would be a different matter and he wouldnt be impressed.

[quickcluck]

Mine only make loud noise when they are scared by something, as an alarm call... otherwise they just chatter fairy loudly when they see me coming into the garden. They are very social creatures and enjoy a natter!

[Yolky]

I have three girls and they hardly make a noise. That doesn't mean they don't sometimes have a 10min bocking session but this is very few and far between (I think I have heard them about 4 or 5 times since we got them and never early in the morning)

 

We keep the eglu door open all the time and we have a walk in run which is big enough that they don't need to free range on a daily basis (it is 2m x 4m). I have got no habits or routine with them as far as going to see them. For example I know some people had an issue with bocking when they let them out at the same time every day, the chooks soon knew the time and would bok if late. My girls do go out but not every day and also when they do go out it is at all different times of the day and for all different lengths of time.

 

With treats, again it is the same as with free ranging, some days they get none and on days they get treats is is at all different times of the day.

 

I also make sure I go up to them alot, smooth them and spend time around them without letting them out or giving them treats so they don't bok because they are expecting something every time they see me.

 

I think that these things (and some luck) has helped me have quiet girlies.

[Hen Watch]

99% of the time my lot are quiet. The odd gentle cluck and that's all. I get the odd alarm call and very ocassionally an egg announcement. But not a lot.

 

But I have had 2 noise issues I have dealt with and resolved. In Summer '07 I used to leave the eglu door open all the time, they woke up at dawn, and for a few nights running got spooked and all 4 alarm called at 4.30am. I had to start locking the eglu door at night and I open it 7-7.30am. Since then, no early morning problems.

 

2nd issue last Summer '08 for a few days I had noise from 1 hen at lunchtime. Turned out their body clocks had all aligned and they all wanted to lay at the same time and it was a noisy queue for the nestbox. I added a temporary extra nestbox (which was an oven dish..... ) and noise stopped. Then a few weeks later I removed dish and all was ok again.

 

You can't really describe to someone the "alarm call or egg announcement" noise that a chicken makes. But I kept a note of this post with a good YouTube clip on it. Word of warning DO NOT play it whilst your OH is around ......

 

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=38710