LittleLau Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Thank you everyone on helping me decide which chickens to get as my first. I finally decided on Wyandotte bantams, which I purchaced this morning. I will post more pics and info, but need your help again. One of my three is VERY noisy, a lot noisier than the other two. Obviously they will take a while to settle in, but two are very calm compared to the third. If she were to carry on like this, my neighbours would definitely complain. I'm sure I know the answer, but just want to check that she is definitely a she and not a he? (The blue laced) Many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 All chickens are different and some are more vocal than others. I got three sisters from the same hatch, same parents, but I've got one smart one, one clearly not as smart and one just plain daft. Ginger will call out quite often and can have her "I'm announcing to the world that I can chicken" moments. So far had no complaints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 What pretty chickens I have silver laced Wyandotte bantams and she looks like a girl to me. How old are they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLau Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 I was told 22 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill2b Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 LittleLau Any complaints just give us the address we will send the boys round Ours can be quite noisy when they announce an egg arrival but we consider it a lot less annoying than the local yapping dogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLau Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 It's only day one, so we shall have to see how she goes from here on, but today the noise has been almost constant. No egg laying, no fear from anything, no one has been out in the garden, I left them to settle in, but she still she is at it. The other two are quietly looking at each other as if to say, what's her problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 When I got mine back from boarding they would wake up at 6:30 and starting calling immediately... Couldn't figure out why either... In the end I discovered they were fed corn very early in the morning and expected their breakfast! So now I get out every morning to feed them corn and cut up endive (in weekend without glasses and crawling back in bed afterwards... ) She might be used to a different routine/environment and the only way chickens know to complain is by actually complaining. Very loudly... Just give it a few more days. She'll get used to you and your garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Hi she's deffo a she and my dottes are my quietest birds I have Columbian,blue,gold and silver laced and silver pencilled I'm sure she will settle down they are good hardy birds and for a small bird lay a good sized egg leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I agree with Miller30; definitely a girl LittleLau. Cat Tails has a good point about noise. They usually become vocal when they are trying to tell you, or the other hens, something. Laying is the obvious one, both before and after, but at 22 weeks perhaps too young. Food is another, when they want something that's not there. Getting out of the run or wanting more space is another. Guess you will need to work out what she is saying. We have just bought two young Buff Orpingtons. They were quiet when they arrived, but once let out of the run to range they now make an awful racket to be let out and only become quiet when they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Funny enough fauna has become very vocal for no obvious reason, I have had her nearly six months and she has only just started. She announces her presence usually quite early in the morning, about 8-30 which is acceptable during the week but not on Sunday's as I live in a terraced house with flts behind and to the side of me!!! I have covered the cube and are not letting them out till 7-30 and have hung a corn cob on Sunday's to give her something to do but I understand your worries. One thing not to do, if they are making noise don't go out and give them treats to try to keep them quiet as they will very quickly associate making noise with getting treats, they really are sneaky little creatures The first few days of getting my first lot of ex batts I was seriously thinking I would have to get rid as one of them seemed very loud and I thought my neighbours would go crazy, I was really worried and virtual made myself I'll with worry but the noise settled down and my neighbours were fine once they started receiving gifts of fresh eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I gave in this morning... Let them out of the garden and into the hallway between gardens. That's the only failsafe thing to shut them up, because they are busy digging up the councels bushes... I sometimes do let them out of the gate, when I get home with my bicycle, change of scene etc. But I have to be very careful with noise. I actually have upstairs neighbours and houses directly behind mine. Everything is very close. More urban than this, would be keeping hens on a balcony in a flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 It occurred to me, a few moments ago, that she has a rather bright and large red comb. This would say to me that she is closer to laying than I would have expected. I would have thought 26-30 weeks to lay for a Wyandotte (based on ours), but perhaps she is going to be around 23-24 weeks? Our Wyandottes are generally quiet, but when they have something to say they can be really loud indeed. Probably louder than any of our other breeds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orangediva Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Interesting topic - noise and annoying my neighbours is my only real concern about getting chickens. I was on my chicken course yesterday and was really happy to find how quiet the hens were on the whole. Most of the time the only noise you could hear ( from hundreds of chickens) was crowing from cockerels. The hens mostly seemed to just make a gentle cooing noise - the neighbourhood pigeons are far noisier. Just occasionally isolated hens would make a bit of a racket, usually when we clumsy newbies were doing something wrong. Has anyone actually had any complaints about noise? Ps they are absolutely gorgeous girls - wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I agree with Beantree, she looks like she is in lay or an the verge of lay, a slightly more mature bird. So you might be about to get an egg very soon. I love wyandottes, mine are generally quiet, unless they have been upset or have laid an egg, then you know about it!!!! Try feeding her a few mealworms, that might calm her down and she will start to see you as someone who does nice things. The move has been traumatic and she might need a day or two to adjust, she is on high alert. Regarding noise, you want to hear mine when a couple of hens have laid and are announcing it to the world, it gets our spaniels going and they join in with long howls too woooooooooooo, shocking noise! Fortunately a quick bang on the window sort the spaniel backing group out, it is enough to waken the dead!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 From a second look I agree with Beantree and Chuckmum. Her face does look like mine when they're in lay. They're much less red when they're not laying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLau Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Thank you everyone. Today has so far been a little better. All three made quite a bit of noise for the first hour of being up, announcing to everyone that they were out again. But have been much quieter from then on, so good news there. Even better news, one of them (I think the smaller of the Buff laced) laid an egg this morning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 An egg already I reckon they may be a bit older than you were told. They look pretty grown up to me. I expect they'll quieten down as they get used to their new home and routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLau Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 An egg already I reckon they may be a bit older than you were told. I'm beginning to think that too. I hope they're not too much older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Good news on the egg and yes I would say older I have some 5 month old Columbian pullets here no sign of redness wattles or comb leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLau Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Ok, just been out to check on the girls, and give them some carrot, and found two more eggs in the egg box. ??? Seems all three are laying, which of course is great, but making me think they could be a lot older than the 22 weeks I was told. Is there anyway I can tell if they are say 22 weeks, 30 weeks, or 18 months? Once they have hit maturity, can you tell their age? And apologies for all the questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I'm sure that I've been told porkies in the past about the age of hens but hey ho you have eggs! I now only take on hens that need homes or from ex commercial farms so they are all makes! My noisiest girls are two small bantams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I have two, but am no expert. I would say that they look fully mature to me though (mine were 18 mths when I got them an they looked the same as yours except for their colour), but I don't know what age that happens at. I would contact the seller if you want to confirm the age. When I got mine I was told my Pekins were POL, but when I got them home and did som research I realised they were nowhere near. I emailed the breeder who admitted that they were actually 10 weeks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Oooh they are very pretty aren't they I wouldn't worry about the noise too much. There are plenty of other things that make far more noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLau Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Thank you everyone. I'm hoping if today is anything to go by, she may settle down, and hopefully the neighbours won't mind too much. Think they are going to be little cheeky characters, but they are all very pretty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 They are certainly very pretty! Very colourful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
