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

[McGraw]

Hi all,

 

I was wondering if anyone else has come across the noisy chicken issue. I have 2 lovely ex bats living in an egglu. They used to be quite happy totally closed in at night and let out into the run in the morning. Then they started clucking to get out into the run early in the morning so I began leaving the internal door open so they could get out into the run when they wanted. Now if I'm not down by 7.15am (swear they have a watch) they start clucking the place down.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions or am I destined never to sleep past 7.15am again.

 

McGraw

 

[Patricia W]

Shut them in by closing the door overnight, darken the eglu with blackout material to extend night. That way you control when they come out.

 

Actually, in my house 7.15 is quite good!

 

Tricia

[scrambledhead]

I too have just started closing the Eglu door now its getting a bit cooler.

So far my girls have been quite quiet but I usually let them out about 7am anyway.

Others on the Forum have suggested covers to block out as much light as possible (but don't block the ventilation).

 

Perhaps they just need to get back into a routine and the mornings will be getting darker!

[Porkypie]

One of mine was like this and is now, I expect, temporarliy behaving. Now they are laying later bcos of the lessening daylight hours i can get away until gone 8am (before she was making a racket as early as 6.15am ). I did also go on holiday and for two weeks squarking = no human response (before I ran down as soon as the squarking started and likely reinforced squark = get a reaction). I tried a tarpaulin cover and it did help a bit

[Plum]

What's wrong with you laying in bed at 7.15 when there are chickens to play with

[chelsea]

Close the door at night and show them who is boss!!

 

My noisy chickens have me wrapped around my little finger with everything else - but they are shut up at night and let out when I say so....

[McGraw]

Thanks to all for your responses.

 

I think I will give the taurp ago and hopefully get them sleeping in. I don't know what the neighbours find worse the clucking or the sight of me running into the garden in my dog pj's arguing with 2 chickens about the time they get up.

 

McGraw

[Porkypie]

I don't know what the neighbours find worse the clucking or the sight of me running into the garden in my dog pj's arguing with 2 chickens about the time they get up.

 

 

I was dashing out in bright pink pj's over the summer and I think I heard (imagined ) hearing a neighbour laughing about it

[TheChookKeeper]

It could be fluke... but this is what worked with mine (usually!)...

 

Someone on here suggested you try shutting them up earlier in the evening. I have them roaming in a bit of "chicken garden" - and I found by rounding them up about 30-60 minutes before they wanted to go to bed for a week or so, seemed to fix their dawn chorus.

 

I can only assume it's because they go to bed being "confined" in their eglu run, rather than getting used to having free roam whenever they want.

 

 

I still get the odd morning when they sqwark the place down... but then, I sleep though it... it's my poor sister who has to go and let them out

[chickiepiggies]

yay....mine do that to.

we've had them 6 months and they still do it. in the summer i was in the garden with them at 5:30am some mornings!!!

 

we tried everything nothing worked. but now i just think its funny

 

thank god for darker mornings, i can now have lie in

 

 

[Lake Superior Chicks]

Chickens are just too endearing....................

 

I have 5 Buff Orpy girls. Every morning just at dawn, one of the girls LuLu will start squawking up a storm.

 

I finally figured the problem.

 

LuLu wants everybody OUT of the coop. She is an early a.m. egg layer. As soon as I get out there and open the door, she literally scoots the rest of the girls out, even the ones who are not really ready to get up, and then marches right back in and goes directly to HER nest. Less than an hour later I have a beautiful brown egg and out she comes ready for the day. With a flap of her wings I can almost hear her saying "o.k. now, carpe diem!"

 

Yes, chickens are so very endearing.................

 

Just sharing

 

Cheers,

Ma