3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[chickenNutter]

Mable my Frizzle bantam has taken to crowing at around 10 O'clock in the morning. It really is loud, and while it is not a 'cock a doodle doo' it is a very loud and persistantly repetative 'bok booooookkkkkkkkk' that you can hear all over the house, and that goes on indefinitely until you go out to quieten her. Although my immediate neighbours on either side are fine about the chickens, I am really worried that I am going to get noise complaints from other neighbours roundabouts. I thought at first that it was an egg announcement, but it never is, she is out in the run, and just seems to do it for no reason.

 

I have to go out now each day to try to shut her up. I was throwing in some mixed corn to shut her up until my OH pointed out that it would probably encourage her. I am working at home more more until June so I can go out to quieten her, but once I am back in work I am worried that it may cause a problem. Why do hens do this?

 

Additional bad behaviour - the three of them have found a way to protest at being cooped up in the eglu run. I line the poo tray of the eglu with a sheet of newspaper to make cleaning easier, making sure it is well flattened down under the roost bars. On the days they are shut in, they have now taken to pulling the paper out, dragging it into their run and then shredding it and spreading it all over the run on an almost daily basis! They are about 11 months old now, is that age the ASBO teenage time in chicken years?

 

Help!

[chelsea]

I feel your pain I have noisy old girls here (not teenagers like yours!)

 

Firstly - don't give in. Show them who is boss and try not to indulge them by letting them out to get their own way

 

Can they see you or hear you? My girls always make a racket if they can see me in the kitchen or can hear me, but OH says when he is home when I am at work he does not hear a peep out of them.

 

I think it's maybe a gobby phase, I do squirt the hosepipe (gently) in the direction of the noise (and not actually at the chickens) when it gets out of hand.

[chickenNutter]

No they can't see me, and the other two just make quiet chattering boks, it is just Mabel that shouts. It is strange that it is roughly the same time every day. There is nothing particularly happening at that time that I can make out. It is a mystery.

 

I will perhaps try a small squirt with a plant misting spray, and see if that puts her off.

[Egluntyne]

Is ahe announcing that she has laid an egg?

[chickenNutter]

No she is not laying - that is what I thought it was at first, but there is never any egg, she just starts for no reason.

[coco]

One of mine does this Coco the silkie cross. She jumps onto the perch in the run and will shout for about ten mins for no reason that I can work out. the first time she did it I thought the girls were being attacked by something. She was about 5 months when she started doing it. i just leave her to it and hope no one complains. the neighbours all say they like the sound of the chooks as it makes them feel like they are living in the country.