Poorly chicken

[Dolly]

I took in a friend's last hen a few months ago, as she didn't want to get any more and I didn't want to see the poor thing left on her own. Well they do say "no good deed goes unpunished" and boy are they right ! I think the problem is my friend left her hens to free range day and night without being shut in at all, but when she came to me, she lives in a 14x7ft run.

 

The problem starts at dawn, when she lets rip with the SCREAMING at full volume, I've never known anything like it . I assume its because shes confined and isn't used to it. We've tried literally everything including shutting the cube door, blackout covers etc etc and now Ive resorted to her sleeping in the garage in her own eglu each night. Shes put back outside at 7am, which has helped the early wake up call but means we can't go away for a weekend and leave them to it as we normally do She still makes the noise for a while when back in the run but at least it's not early.

 

I'm now down to 2 hens but OH is concerned if I get more while I still have the noisy one, will she 'teach' the newbies to do the same? I don't think he or the neighbours could cope with any more racket!

[sjp]

gobby hens can teach other hens to be gobby

but she could also quieten down one the shorter darker winter days hit but the trouble with hens is they don't get board with making a noise like cockerels. do they can also stop gobing off if they stop laying to moult as well. but you need to think about what your going to do if she doesn't stop will someone else be prepared to take a really gobby hen of you

for all I've got to really gobby cockerels they only crow for a short time each time all be it 9 or 10 times in a 5 - 10 mins slot but if the girls kick off they will scream for 20 or 30 mins or until they get a sore throat i.e. go horse and then you'll get some of the others join in then one of the boys will think he needs to do an alarm call because he's to stupid to know the difference

[Beantree]

Problem is when you give in to them they learn what works. Try a blast with a water pistol to keep her quiet. It works with ours to the extent that as soon as they see the pistol you can hear a pin drop.

[gavclojak]

Problem is when you give in to them they learn what works. Try a blast with a water pistol to keep her quiet. It works with ours to the extent that as soon as they see the pistol you can hear a pin drop.

 

Yep too right beantree, when my oldies were picking on the newbies I gave it a Few weeks to settle but when it continued out came the water pistol....I felt mean but my newbie deserved a break and it worked..I was worried she would get picked on when I was out of eye sight but all's well ATM...