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

[AndyH1981]

Hello lovely people...

 

Absolutely new to this, so doing lots and lots of research fist to prevent myself from making a really silly mistake!

 

I'm currently investigating the possibility of getting some hens as pets - for their eggs not to eat (and even then egg laying isn't too important as I don't eat a huge amount of eggs). I was thinking of getting maybe 2/3 hens for the back-garden.

 

I don't have a huge garden, and I live in a residental area so I'm looking for some ideas for "quiet", well behaved, and friendly chicks and wanted to know if you guys have any ideas.

Don't get me wrong: I'm aware that bar gagging the poor things (which I'm fairly sure the RSPCA would frown upon) I'm not going to get them completely muted, and I know that they make a bit of noise when laying, but if anyone has any suggestions for quiter breeds, then please let me know!

 

Depending on how many chicks I decide to get I'll probably guy either an Eglu Cube (assuming I have a win on the lottery), or just a regular Eglu.

 

Also, if anyone has any suggestions for first time keepers, please let me know!

 

Cheers,

Andy

[wooky]

Hi Andy, I've only had my chooks for three weeks so I'm a newbie too and I'm sure there will be some more expert advice along soon but from what I've gathered so far it's fairly pot luck as to whether you get a noisy chook or not rather than there being 'quieter breeds' as such - although I've heard that Australorps are quite docile.

 

I got my two chooks from Omlet and the both have their moments at being *very* noisy although the gingernut ranger is worse. At their worst they sound like honking geese - it was a shock to me when I first heard them but they've calmed down a lot and only do it when they're super-alarmed.

 

Their other squarking noises aren't so neighbour-disturbing but I am aware that they are both noisier than I'd imagined.

 

As for friendliness - they are both amazingly friendly. They follow me and my OH around the garden, enjoy cuddles and are beautiful birds.

[daj198]

Hi Andy

 

I'd love to be able to tell you that ex-bats are extremely quiet as they really need good homes. BUT, I've found them to be a noisy bunch myself... it does vary from hen to hen though (however strange it sounds!).

[AndyH1981]

^^ Thanks... well, I wasn't sure, I'd read a few things suggesting that some breeds were more chilled out and quieter than others - they just didn't say which ones...

 

Hmmm, maybe I could just run into the garden if they're being too noisy and ask them to chillax!

 

I just don't wanna upset the neighbours (ironic considering the noise that their kids make...)

 

Also, does anyone know: I've read that chickens can be really noisy really early in the morning - is that true? Can anything be done to keep them quiet so they dont wake up the neighbourhood at the crack of dawn? Unfortunately if this occoured I would have to get rid of them... I love all my animals (really I do), but I love my bed more...

[daj198]

Hmmm, maybe I could just run into the garden if they're being too noisy and ask them to chillax!

 

That's what I do... and it works!

 

With regard to it bothering the neighbours, one of ours said that she enjoyed hearing the girls over the winter (that was when we were introducing new ones so the established ones got a bit upset!) and said that she missed hearing them! I can quite understand why you're concerned though.

 

I love my bed too , I get up to let the chooks out and then go back to bed. Chicken's don't tend to be noisy specifically in the morning, it's just then that you might notice it.

 

I think you should go for it. Endure the first few days when they're noisy and remember that the wild birds/children/sirens/dogs etc are much more irritating.

[Guest]

I have no idea what is a quiet one?? am sure they must exist?? but got to agree my are really exactly chickeney and do cluck but its a nice cluck..a dog would be worse(oooh I have one of those too ...it is worse).

 

I have a bluebelle who is really nice and she is too busy being bossy to make any noise. The speckledy is timid and quiet. But mine are all different personalities. I let them out at 7 when I am working and on weekends it has been 9.30 or I may nip out due to hot weather if you remember that and go back to bed.

 

But mine are not that noisey my neighbour knew I was getting them and hadnt realised for 2 weeks they were already here(they are near her bedroom window)!

 

 

good luck indie

[Egluntyne]

I think in the main Pekin Bantams tend to be quietish, and are very friendly.

[Porkypie]

I have two hens: an Amber and a Goldline (both hybrids). The Amber makes hardly any noise and only very gentle squeaking noise when she does - a dream chicken! My Goldline squarks loudly to be let out in the morning (although the keeping the 'house' covered advice has helped a bit with this) and squarks loudly when the Amber goes in to lay an egg (which can be early). I would definitely recommend Ambers but I think hens have different 'personalities' so it's a bit of luck of the draw even with a placid breed. My friend has 6 Goldlines (ex-bats) and he tells me they very rarely make loud noises. I think I spoil mine which probably doesn't help

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Welcome to the forum . My 3 girls are very quiet for about 98% of the time but they will squark very loudly for 2 or 3 minutes when an egg comes. Not every day, though, strangely . They don't make any noise before we let them out so it's always at an acceptable time (and I reckon the neighbours' kids cancel them out!)

[Janty]

Two of my pekins are really quiet but my lavender pekin shouts constantly at the other girls. She shouts if the nest box is occupied, if she's laid an egg, if she wants to lay an egg, if she's just thinking that she might lay an egg, etc.

 

My RIR minis are extremely quiet...don't think I've ever heard them being noisy.

 

[jomaxsmith]

My hens are fairly quiet. In the nearly 2 years we've had them I've only been woken once in the anti-social hours by an egg announcement (I leave the Eglu door open in the summer). They do get spooked by blackbird alarm calls and magpies sometimes and squawk for a short time but it's no big deal in the usual rural background noise of trains, planes, birds, mowers, tractors and road noise!

 

From reading posts on here I think that personality is more of an issue than breed in their noisiness.

 

Jo

[AndyH1981]

Thanks everyone for their advice!!

 

I'll have to save up for an Eglu and see if I can't find some quiet girls...

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Sometimes Omlet have reconditioned eglus/cubes which are a bit cheaper. Call and ask if they have any in . (I could hardly tell mine wasn't brand new - all the extras were new.)

[Samuel Morse]

I have two Light Sussex hens and are about 24 weeks old, have yet to start laying, but are extremely quiet.

[AndyH1981]

Sometimes Omlet have reconditioned eglus/cubes which are a bit cheaper. Call and ask if they have any in . (I could hardly tell mine wasn't brand new - all the extras were new.)

 

Oooh! What a great idea, it never even occoured to me that they'd do reconditioned ones!!! I'll have to phone and ask... thanks for the tip!!

 

I'm going to try and go round some of the local sellers and see if I can find some quiter birds that take my fancy... I gotta see about fencing off a n area in the garden to lay down some woodchips too!

[indigopurple]

My ex batts have been really quiet so far!

 

They cluck when i go over to them but other than that they have been very quiet apart from in a morning when they hear me go out to let them out and then you would think there were three hundred in the eglu having a riot. They tumble out when the door is open.

[littlehenny]

I have 3 chooks in a residential garden and they are fairly quiet for most of the time, unless they get freaked by something. Martha and Tulip are Omlet Gingernuts and Lily is an Omlet Miss Pepperpot and they are very well behaved and good girls (for most of the time!) They occasionally shout to be let out, but my children usually come into my bedroomn to tell me this before heading back to their own beds and leaving me to let them out in the early hours!! Who'd be a mum/chicken owner heh?!!

 

Martha

Tulip

Lily

[AndyH1981]

Thanks everyone for replying...

 

I'll have to "ummm" and "ahhhh" over it some more... one suggestion for the mornings seems to be throw a taupalin over them to keep them thinking its night... does this work? Anyone know!?!?

[daj198]

Thanks everyone for replying...

 

I'll have to "ummm" and "ahhhh" over it some more... one suggestion for the mornings seems to be throw a taupalin over them to keep them thinking its night... does this work? Anyone know!?!?

 

It works! Go for it

[Porkypie]

The tarpaulin has worked for me too! I got to 8.10 before the demand to be let out and it was a bright sunny morning - previously the demands were starting before 7...

[Bondinho]

Thanks everyone for replying...

 

I'll have to "ummm" and "ahhhh" over it some more... one suggestion for the mornings seems to be throw a taupalin over them to keep them thinking its night... does this work? Anyone know!?!?

 

It works! Go for it

 

Didn't work for me. Chooks were up at 630 with a tarpaulin and dark blanket over the cube with the door shut.

 

They were also very noisey throughout the day - both when free ranging and when left in the cube run. Had to re-home them on here in the end due to the noise.

 

I live in a mid terrace with houses opposite as well and it was just too much. It will be pot luck if you get quiet ones, but I personally will not get chickens again when living in a house like this - I will wait until I move into a house with a 100+ft garden.

[BocBoc]

It must differ from hen to hen - our girls are so quiet that when I took eggs around to our neighbours they were surprised to know we'd got chickens. They had seen the "funny purple thing" in the garden but hadn't seen or heard the chickens at all. We live in a row of terraced houses so this really surprised me!!

 

Let us know which breed you go for.

 

Oooh - there are always Eglus for sale on E-bay - usually about half price....

[Oh Carolina]

I am a total newbie, too but if it helps, my Orpingtons are very quiet and are my Silkies and Legbar.

My friends though it was a bit weird how quiet they were!

[chelsea]

Don't get cochins! Even though in breed guides they are stated as "quiet" - mine are the loudest of my flock.

 

Darkening the cube and closing the cube door overnight definitely works for us.

[Cyber Chook]

Hi Andy, have you tried ebay as well for eglu's? They seem to come up regularly there.

 

I live in the city, and have lots of neighbours around. Noise is an issue for me, I must say, and i've found it hard to relax about it. No one has complained, but it's taken my five chooks a good year to settle down into a more matronly, quieter state.

They used to BOK-BOK loads, but it's improved since we got a cat of our own - they're now fairly chilled when Molly's nearby, and we don't hear them half as much in the early morn when they see other cats, so I think her presence has helped them get used to other cats at last.

 

Covering the Cube or Eglu with a light-blocking tarpaulin and shutting them in overnight does help in the you getting a lie-in department (none of us are larks in our household). In fact I've now uncovered them for the time being and am leaving the door open, as they've been quieter now for a couple of weeks, AT LAST (touchwood..).

 

Also, what's helped as well is that on weekends I put things in their run which will keep them amused when they get up, like a cabbage and sweetcorn hanging on a wire.

 

I have to work at relaxing about the noise. Neighbours' dogs make far more noise, I remind myself, but anyway it's good that you're thinking ahead about these things.

 

All the best with your chicken venture Andy

 

Caroline