Luvachicken Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I usually wake my girls up at 7am every day, but this last week, they have been waking me up just after 6am - which is too early for me. Once I have let them out they are quiet. I think they want to come out to enjoy the slightly cooler temperature, and who can blame them ? Has anyone else's chickens changed their sleeping habits in all this hot weather ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlina Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I usually wake my girls up at 7am every day, but this last week, they have been waking me up just after 6am - which is too early for me.Once I have let them out they are quiet. I think they want to come out to enjoy the slightly cooler temperature, and who can blame them ? Has anyone else's chickens changed their sleeping habits in all this hot weather ? Yes! mine were squawking to get let out at 5.30 today. I noticed that the neighbours had their windows all open, so fear they must have been disturbed by them. I don't usually see that time of day, but it was too hot to sleep. When I've been out very early before they make little tiny shuffly sounds and beep - today it was full-blown swaaaawk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 I've been leaving the cube door open so they can get up earlier by themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreakinPekin Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Yep me too - 5am seems to be the new time and all of my neighbours have had their windows open! I leave my eglu door open at night too inside my WIR (fox proof!) so I have no idea why they are kicking off!! xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Yup, mine have been waking early too . I rush down to shut them up and they're usually quiet till a more acceptable time (ie egg laying time, when the squawking starts again ). One morning it was a fox, so can't blame them for that . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreakinPekin Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 How do you shut them up?! I need tips! Its ridiculous - I swear Lavender knows if she makes a fuss then I'll let them FR! She is like a spoilt child so I have been harsh the last few days and refused to let her FR until she is quiet for at least half an hour lol!! I don't want to have to tend to her everytime she squawks in case she then starts making a racket for corn/mealworms etc.....clever little chooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 They usually quieten down as soon as they see me. Sometimes I throw a bit of corn down to distract them (they don't seem to have learnt that squawking = corn - yet!) or if it's late enough, say 6.30am onwards, I'll let them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreakinPekin Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I got a lie in today although it was only til 7.15am haha! I have run out of corn and its on my list today to buy when I go and get my chicken stocks back up together! The squawk I had this morning was a warning one so no idea what she was getting on her high horse about haha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlisonH Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I'm leaving the Eglu open this time of year and they are up at 4.30am. But they are in bed by 7pm as the early morning is obviously tiring them out, poor loves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 I'm leaving the Eglu open this time of year and they are up at 4.30am. But they are in bed by 7pm as the early morning is obviously tiring them out, poor loves! I decided that if I left the door open they would be up earlier and be making a racket earlier if something frightens them - so I am now trying to wake them up at 6am and going back to bed. I would be mortified if they made lots of noise at 4.30am esp as my neighbours have their windows open at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 The best hint I got from this forum was to drape blackout curtains over their coop so they are confused in the early light mornings. It works a treat and I don't hear anything from them at all. At night when they go to bed I always put water, food and a corncob in their coop with them. Then if they wake up hungry or thirsty everything is at hand. I've made this the putting to bed ritual for everyone to do. It seems daft but it means we're all happy and when I'm away and the family oversleep or forget, the chickens don't suffer and I have a real thing about anything being thirsty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreakinPekin Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 It is LITERALLY BREAKING ME at the moment - I could have throttled the little madam at 5.30am - yes 5.30!!!!! Tonight I am locking them in the eglu and was considering putting a towel over the front to hide the sunlight from the holes - but I am worried about ventilation and getting too hot? I am up at 7 anyway so can let them out of the eglu into the run - rather than out of the run into the garden...then later on when I feel like it, I will then let them out into the garden! Anyone else got tips?! xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Yes stick to your guns!! Pekins are noisy madams and really very smart!!! I let mine out at 7 am all the time, year round.....pretty much without fail as they soon start screaming earlier and earlier if you let them train you!!!! You could try a cover over the roof, but yes don't block any ventiliation holes. I have done this with my cube, as it's surprising how much sunslight shines through the plastic!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 26, 2013 Author Share Posted July 26, 2013 Oh dear I think mine have brainwashed me into getting up earlier Fortunately we have changed some of our ancient curtains but they will do as a blackout cover and I'm going to try that tonight. I don't really want to be getting up at 6am every day of my Summer holidays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreakinPekin Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 It worked!!! I just locked the girls up in the Eglu last night and let them out at 7am AND they were still asleep lol! Perfect! I just hope they keep it up! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 26, 2013 Author Share Posted July 26, 2013 It worked!!! I just locked the girls up in the Eglu last night and let them out at 7am AND they were still asleep lol! Perfect! I just hope they keep it up! x Lucky you I shut mine up every night but something sets them off in the morning.(Usually someones blasted cat - called Midnight) I have been making some cardboard screens and some coils to make like a slanted blind over the the air vents. I'm hoping they will stop the light coming in but because they are slanted will still let the air in. If these don't work, probably because they won't stick all night, I will use the curtains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Luvachicken, try just letting them out at the same time everyday......I know, I know it's a pain, but I get anything I need to ready the night before, then just out of bed (6.30 workdays anyway! ) ........dressing gown on & let them out at 7.........weekends and days off, straight back to bed!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 27, 2013 Author Share Posted July 27, 2013 Luvachicken, try just letting them out at the same time everyday......I know, I know it's a pain, but I get anything I need to ready the night before, then just out of bed (6.30 workdays anyway! ) ........dressing gown on & let them out at 7.........weekends and days off, straight back to bed!!!! Oh mimi5, that's what I was doing until the hot weather came Then they all started making a racket really early, so I started letting them out early so as not to disturb the neighbours and then they would be dead quiet. Anyway, last night I covered them up with the old curtains and they didn't wake up until 6.50 which is almost the time I wanted, but someone else's chickens woke me up at 6 instead. I'm hoping the curtains will get them back into their normal routine. I really want them back to normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Mine have also been squawking earlier than normal (whilst I love the cube its not good at keeping the noise contained or the light out), I'm a cow and don't let mine out till 8:30 but I tool have had to dash out to them, once out they seem ok its a worry as we usually spend Saturdays away so they are left to their own devices thankfully my hubby was home this weekend to deal with them ! Somewhere I have got a blackout curtain lining so I shall be locating that and trying it out ... My girls are little madams and I have been known to be up early lobbing cake at them just to shut them up usually muttering all sorts under my breath on one occasion it was shut the bleep up you little bleeps or you will be finding out what the Colonels secret recipe is in his KFC !!! and one of my early squawking incidents last week was caused by Connie not going to bed so she was out at dawn parading round the cube teasing the others I do think they can be worse than kids at times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 Charly1979, hurry and find your black out curtains I have managed to get an extra hour out of them and am back to waking them up at 7am. Mind you, they did also have tarapaulin over the top to keep the curtains dry but it definitely works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 hmmmmmm Blackout curtain is NOT where it should be on a scale of 1 -10 (10 being really really really bad) how wrong would it be to nick one from the kiddlings curtains ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopingforchickens Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Mine are up early too, normally I leave mine out all year as they prefer to roost on the WIR perch. But lately they have been squawking at ridiculous o'clock. I resulted in putting them to bed every night (which sometimes means stopping up later than I want to and then having to get up before 7 to let them out again, or they make lots of noise. However last night I crept into the run after 10pm and scattered corn and hung the usual veg up for the morning, they didn't wake up and they were quiet this morning. Happy to do that through the summer if it continues to work. Is it bad that I'm wishing the summer away to get back to dark mornings?!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adams Egg Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Similar problem with mine but have cured it before I go on holiday ( and then they can squawk as much as they want ) About 2 weeks ago the 2nd in charge had to be despatched and the top chook decided to become a cockerel at 4.30 am for two mornings. As they are in a cube against a wall I cant shut the cube door so have a top hung door in the wall of the WIR which I now close at night. It works a treat and after 2 weeks I can now leave them open all night again. I think the very bright warm mornings didn' t help matters but the habit was broken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 Mine are up earlier aswell. We lwave open the coop doors as they are in a secure run but we cover the run the other 3 get up and are fine but Miss Mocha calls and calls for me to go out once she sees me i can gi back to bed but then an hour later at 6 the alarm goes off we have tried leaving her hoping she would shut up!! But have to down dont want tbe neighbours moaning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 I have been getting up at 7am for a few days now. The blackout curtain lining and the tarpaulin certainly work. They were still fast asleep when I woke them up this morning Why should they get a lie in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
