Chicken bald back

[helen5848]

Can anybody assist? I got three hens approx a year ago - i was cautious about the noise that they may make before I got them (due to a complaining neighbour) but after much thought got them and haven't looked back!

 

The last two days however, they have been a nightmare, they used to make excited chatter when they saw me venture into the garden, but for the last two days this has turned into high pitched screaching which continues for the entire time i'm in the garden and a few minutes after they hear me go back into the house and shut the door! The noise they make is really bad - so much so that I am actually considering having to rehome them (a) before my neighbour complains and (b) so that I can actually enter my garden and enjoy my summer!

 

The only thing that I can think of, is that over the weekend, whilst me made a few adjustments to the garden, the hens (which have free range of more than 3/4's of the garden) were allowed to venture into our very small section (where we keep our nice plants that we don't want eating) and since then I think that their noise is their way of getting me to let them through again. This is not an option!

 

Any suggestions - i am desperate - if the noise continues much longer I will have to rehome them (due to previous pre hen noise problems with the neighbour!)

 

Please help

[Redwing]

hens are very good at making us feel guilty, they should settle down once they forget the fact that they were ever allowed more of a run, they always make more noise when they know you are watching too, you'll probably find they dont make the noise while you are out

[Egluntyne]

Don't waver and they'll soon forget.

[suebee]

Absolutely. They really do forget. I did a similar thing, restricting them to a smaller area after they'd been used to the whole garden. They paced up and down, rushing between the two areas that used to be their way through, examining the new barriers with disbelief, and complaining loudly. After a couple of days they settled down and are right as rain now, only complaining when I'm late with their afternoon wheat

[chelsea]

Don't waver and they'll soon forget.

 

 

I agree. Don't give in and show them you are the boss!

 

My lot do it to me all the time and at I was running around after them like a looney..pampering to their every whim. I did worry about the noise constantly so much that it really got me down. Try not to worry - my husband always used to say that I was worrying for nothing and that the noise really was not as bad as I was making out. We've never had any complaints from my neighbours so I tend to think he was right.

 

Try to relax and not let it bother you too much, I am sure it's just a phase and they will get fed up with it soon.

[Kittycat]

I agree with all of the comments above and would suggest, if anything, that you go out in the garden more frequently - and completely ignore them. The more often you go out and the chickens realise that you being out doesn't mean that they get what they want, the quicker they will learn that there's no point in making a fuss.

[Daisyhen]

I have another issue with noisy chickens, and have had a letter from the council to say they had recieved a complaint

I leave the pop door open over night as the weather warms up as we found that the girls started shouting to be let out early in the morning (in the summer this could be as early as 4:45 am). Sometimes the girls still start shouting very early in the morning as they get up and leave the cube to feed - does anyone have any ideas of how to stop this behaviour.

Do you think they would be better shut up until say 6am...I think when we used to do this they know its daylight outside the cube and shout to access their pellets

 

Not sure how to get the girls to stay quiet in the early morning

 

Has anyone have the same issue or are my chickens unusually noisy

[Patricia W]

Shut them up and then you could try extending their night. Make sure they go to bed with a full crop - give them mixed wheat as a treat last thing. Then cover the coop to make it as dark as you can. When we had this problem I had an old rug, and some blackout material over it. It worked and meant they didn't shout till after the " magic" hour of 7.30.

 

If you explain to the neighbours you are " training " them it may help.

 

Tricia