Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[Porkypie]

I've had my two hens (a Goldline and an Amber) for 3months now and have been loving being a chicken owner until just after they started laying... My Amber tends to lay between 6.30-7.00am and whilst she in the nest box (which can be for quite a while) the Goldline crows (very loudly!) It is plenty loud enough to wake my neighbours and I live in a cul-de-sac so plenty of people to annoy, especially as windows will be open in the summertime. If I go out to her she stops and she'll often end up going into the 'house' with the other chicken which also halts the noise. I was hoping that after a couple of weeks she'd stop but it's just been getting earlier. Could this be bcos she's on her own in the run? This morning the Amber had already laid before I let them out their house (at 7.10am) and there was no crowing. I'm building an extension to my existing run and will have the room to get another chicken. Could introducing a new hen help, which from what I've read will be stressful itself? I'm really worried that I'll very soon be getting complaints from the neighbours and don't want to think what that may lead to

[C&T]

Snap.

 

We now don't let them out until later (between 7.30 / 8am). By that time Ginger has usually laid, and Fred isn't so vocal about it all as she is still with Ginger. And if Ginger hasn't already laid, I figure it is late enough that if Fred does start Bokking most people will be awake already...

 

(How Ginger feels about having a spectator I am not too sure...!)

 

Touch wood, this is working to a degree. That and trying to stuff her with corn (which they have just decided that they do like after 4 months of refusing to eat it) or pasta or porridge oats (soaked) just before she goes to bed also seems to help as she sleeps in a bit...

 

Next thing to try is blacking out the eglu - covering with a blanket or something, to make it darker, so they get up later... People on here seem to have a lot of success with that one.

 

Told my OH and he reckoned it was cruel!! I have no idea why - but he is rediculously soft with the feathered fiends!

[Valkyrie]

We have that problem - Apache doesn't like being alone. Today we had a very loud session on the back doorstep as a hint. So muggins goes out and walks round the garden with her - then she's happy as Larry. I just never get any work done - not that I'm too worried about that - who wants to do cleaning anyway.

I hasten to add that one is with the chicks, now 3 weeks old, so Apache doesn't count them. Hopefully the additions will not all be fighting for the nest box at the same time and Apache will have some company, or I might just have to get another couple of hens.

[Budgies]

I always had the same problem - Mango hated being alone. If I was in the garden with her she'd shut up (as long as she could free range). But if Chutney was on the pot (and like all things in Chut's life, she took her T-I-M-E about laying an egg ) Mango would squawk and call relentlessly.

 

I used to cover them overnight to make it dark, which meant I could at least control the hour at which the noise started! Then, if she was really noisy, I too would go out and keep her company!

 

I know it's rewarding bad behaviour, but I didn't want more hens so what do you do?! (the answer I hope is getting three hens next time round, not that I have three on order or anything!! )

[Porkypie]

Thanks for your replies - at least I'm not alone I have a wooden house not an Eglu and have tried blocking out the light with an old duvet cover but it's difficult to cover all of the cracks well. I might look into the Taupaulin option suggested by someone. I'm going away at the weekend and will have to leave their pop hole open so I dread to imagine the noise whilst I'm not their to intervene. I'm considering buying an automatic pop hole opener. Does anyone use one? And then I might go for more hen(s) option - what are the chances that would solve the 'problem'? I don't want to make things worse