Part 0800.0005

[rachael_farnsworth]

Was in the garden just now and could hear next door having a conversation - couldn't hear exactly what they were saying until one said 'well just wait til they're squawking at 3 o'clock in the morning...'

 

I'm freaking out now - they're not going to, are they? I didn't hear a peep out of them last night and at the moment I can only hear birdsong which is certainly not chicken noise...

 

Please reassure me that I haven't done completely the wrong thing by having two chickens in a mid-terrace garden...

[Space Chick]

In June when the days are at their longest, there is a chance of them making a noise (egg announcements most likely) at 5am. However, wild birds will also be singing away at that time too

 

I would not worry, lots of people have hens in suburban gardens. I live in a Cul de sac in a large housing estate (although my cul de sac does back onto woodland and farmland) and I have 15 girls with no issues

[sadietoo]

Your chickens are only likely to make a noise in the middle of the night if they are being attacked by something....don't worry....In the morning they will start making a bit of a noise when it gets light, but you can use something to add a blackout to your eglu if it's a real problem. Most days I do let mine out at around 6.00 ish...but I make a real effort not to let them out at the same time every morning or they will come to expect it.

 

Don't worry about your chickens making some noise...we once had a man who kept budgies in an aviary next to our mid terrace garden...they didn't stop making an awful racket from 5.00 am in the morning to 9.00 pm, and we did complain to the council about that (he had over 90 at one stage)...the council weren't prepared to do anything about that at all...(fortunately for us they moved in the end!).

 

dogs bark, people use angle grinders in sheds, mow lawns, have bbq's and fill your garden with smoke when you are trying to have a cuppa on the patio But that's normal living and we all just have to get on with it..

[coco]

I shut my girls in at night and let them out about 6.30. We've never had any complaints about noise and I've had them 9 months with neigbours either side. Don't worry to much about it. We get more noise from the Jack Russell across the road.

[Alis girls]

We have a dog somewhere at the back who barks constantly in the evenings - my kids shout "shadddddup" to it - and he doesnt I am sure i can hear a peacock - the sound they make is so distinctive. we are near a 6 lane dual carriage way so noise is of the norm. just ignore them , kids, dogs, lawn mowers etc - 3 little hens won't make a lot of noise. I make more noise bok boking at mine

[poachedegg]

Perhaps they're thinking of the noise that cockerels make? To the uninitiated chickens are chickens and some cockle doodle doo and some don't - obviously we know different!

[jennydavies]

Ours put themselves to bed every night at 8.30pm, I shut all the hen-house up and we don't get a peep out of them all night. When I go and let them out and open everything up at 7.30am there is no noise from them until I say "mornin' girls" and then they just chat to me. I let Charlie have a lie in and he has never heard them. I would not worry at all - won't it just be such a good feeling when your Girls prove your ignorant neighbours wrong

[patsylabrador]

I took the advice on here and got some blackout curtains. I got mine from amazon, it's made so much difference. I let them out at 7am but I could leave them longer. I took the decision to let them out before they call so that hopefully they think they don't have to. First light seems to be when I open the curtains!

Our neighbour has got two new dogs who he lets out into the garden at various times during the night to growl and bark, it can be 11pm or 2am or 4am, he just doesn't seem to care. Chickens are remarkably quiet on the whole.

[poppers77]

We've had 3 girls in our semi garden now for 2 months & they go to bed at 8pm with a little lovely chuckling, & get up 9.30 ish with a little more chuckling, so noise at all in between & they will only make noise i understand if they are being attacked or laying which is only a few minutes. We live in a very quiet cul de sac but i certainly never hear our girls as they are out performed by the wild birds including a breeding pair of periguine falcons!!

Good luck & please feel reassured all will be well. Ignore them they are just grumpy!

P

[Gelbel]

And I suspect the sentence said before was, "Ah, it's lovely, they've got chickens next door." There is always a doom and gloom merchant who can NEVER say anything positive about anything (and don't I just know that from my own mother ) and that is what you heard.

 

Don't worry - I sometimes think, "Oh no", if I hear a morning testing of the voice from mine before 7am. But no one has said anything and TBH the bus idling at the bus stop or the man on his back-firing pop-pop much earlier in the morning make far more noise than a chook doing what comes naturally.

[rachael_farnsworth]

Thanks so much, everyone - I just needed a virtual hug I woke up to the dawn chorus this morning and went out to let Artemis and Athene into the run: it was only as I was about a foot away from the Eglu that I could hear very muffled shuffling and two little ladies wondering if they might get their breakfast soon. No excessive noises at all.

 

And as I was spreading bark along the paths of my vegetable patch the lovely man diagonally across the hedge at the bottom popped his head over and was really taken with them and the Eglu - he will definitely be getting some eggs. I think next door's daughter just didn't realise that they can't crow because they're ladies.

 

My husband also pointed out that Elphie our fox-fighting rescue cat makes more noise than anyone else, and she's been around for ages with no complaints... it'll all be okay.

[patsylabrador]

Artemis and Athene

Love the names. I have Persephone, Ariadne and Hermione.

[Gelbel]

I think next door's daughter just didn't realise that they can't crow because they're ladies.

If I had a £1 for every cockerel/crowing question I had, I'd have enough for a and loads of extensions and Tony would be making a WIR.

[Seagazer]

When I've apologised to neighbours if the girls have been a bit vocal in their egg announcements all of them say that they don't mind it at all and actually like it. Makes them think they live in the country.

 

They've been particularly noisy as I've just got two newbies and the oldies were complaining a lot. I said sorry to a new neighbour from a couple of doors down and he said it was fine as his grandad always kept chickens.

 

As others have said I think there is more noise from dogs barking (theres some particularly noisy ones round here - not mine I hasten to add) so I wouldn't worry too much.

[Plum]

They were probably talking about someones baby. You shouldn't evesdrop

[ISCA]

There is always a doom and gloom merchant who can NEVER say anything positive about anything

Just what I was going to say Gelbel!

 

Hope the others have reassured you Rachael. There are some miserable old wotsits out there and you just need to ignore them Enjoy your hens and don't worry!

Edited May 8, 2010 by Guest

[rachael_farnsworth]

My husband, as usual, was right - my neighbour loves them and wishes she could see them from her window! Phew!

[Roobaloo]

I live mid-terrace and have had my girls for a month now...Suki can get quite noisy, she appears to be top hen but slightly unsure so if Toph isn't with her, she makes a lot of noise!! This morning Toph was in the Eglu laying....normally they lay one after the other and stay in until they're both done but this morning Suki had come out and was shouting at Toph to follow suit. She does the same if she's decided it's bed time and Toph isn't following.

 

Both side of us have kids (well, one side it's the grandchildren but they visit frequently and they're VERY loud...the other side has a baby and a young daughter who has been learning the piano for the past 3 years, started on an old untuned one at that....ouch!!) and a few doors down has two very big, loud dogs...so our chooks go pretty much unnoticed!!