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

[simon_blackwell1]

Onion is now waking up about 5:30-6:00am and greeting the world with increasing loud squarking. It's enough to wake both my wife and I through double glazing and is incredibly irritating.

 

I came this close to murdering her this morning.

 

I'm minded to shut them in their eglu overnight and let them out about 6:30 when I get up. Will this keep Onion quieter? Any ideas for things to get her to shut up?

[Redwing]

Yes it will keep her a lot quieter if you shut them in, if that doesnt muffle the noise a cover might help or I have seen someone on here use bags of compost as a muffler! just be sure not to block the ventilation

[simon_blackwell1]

I'm curious as to why she's doing it. It really is noisy and seems to be timed to coincide with Sage laying. Do you think she's uncomfortable waiting to lay herself? Didn't seem to be the case as she didn't go straight in after Sage had finished laying. Very puzzling.

[Redwing]

Do you take the food in overnight? it could be the anticipation of you waking up and going outside to feed them

 

Failing that some hens do 'egg' their comrades on when they are laying and grizzle if they dont get the nestbox when they want it

 

Failing that some hens are just shouters, I have two like that!

 

Shutting them in will certainly help, the light is a trigger so darkening the house helps

[Falkor]

I had a similar problem a few months ago when i was leaving the cube open as Snowball always lays early in the morning...she would be singing her egg song at 6am and the other three would chip in and make a right racket!

 

Now they are shut in the cube and the cube has a black taro over it (not blocking ventilation).......I let them out at 7.40 this morning and they were still snoozing...Snowball had had already laid her egg and had gone back for a little rest. Not a peep out of them

[Chucky Mama]

I used to leave the cube open so that the girls could let themselves out into the run in the morning for breakfast. They used to make quite a din and also pace up and down like caged lions waiting to be let out to free range. The earlier I got up, the earlier they started (l was effectively training them like 'Pavlov's Chickens ). I now shut them in and they are quiet 99% of the time in the morning.

[Mutrix Farmers]

If you do source chicken gags, can I have one for Jess? She "grumbles" all day long like a moany little old lady!

[Chucky Mama]

I had wondered about the hood things that they use to keep raptors calm

[simon_blackwell1]

Heh, nice idea but don'[t they work by effectively covering the raptor's eyes so it think it's night. If I did that to the chickens they would think it was night all the time and never eat (and more importantly stop laying)!

 

Think I'm going to have start closing them in. Thanks for all the comments. I'm clearly in good company with my noisy hens!

[K-F-C]

Could you use egg boxes as soundproofing?!

[simon_blackwell1]

Yeah, strap one to either side of Onion's head!

 

In all seriousness, if I need to put a tarpaulin over the eglu, I presume the part I need to avoid covering in order to ensure airflow is the arch over the front door? Is that right?

[simon_blackwell1]

I closed the door on the coop yesterday night once the chickens had gone to bed, topped up the food and water then and then closed the run up for the night. Cue the wife and I getting a blissful night's sleep with no 5am alarm call!

 

The chickens didn't seem bothered by it, albeit they did dash straight out the door at half six and start gobbling down pellets. One of them had even laid. So it would appear everyone's happy. Thanks for all the advice.

[Falkor]

Well that is good news!

[chelsea]

Good news! I have very noisy girls here and shutting them in is the ideal solution. Giving them a handful of mixed corn an hour or so before bed ensures they are full up for the night also which means they shouldnt bok bok so early!