Cat tails Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 I’m seriously considering giving up on Pickwick. Although she is a very pretty bird and even a relative good layer, the noise she’s making is driving me insane. She doesn’t bok, or pok or however you want describe average chicken sounds, she screeches. A high pitched raspy screech. And she will screech about everything. From thinking she is owed food to needing to lay and finding it difficult to get setteld. On days I’m stressed, I have considered locking her in a cat box in the dark shed, to even thinking about culling her there and then. She is a rescue hen and I’m pretty sure she was dumped for the intense screeching... Soooo... I’m thinking of asking my boarding place, where I got her the first place, the take her back and hopefully swapping her for a quieter model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 It’s worth a try - I imagine it must cause you stress worrying about the neighbours being angry too... Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarkymite Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Oh dear! I have a screecher - so you have my every sympathy. It's an awful noise! Thankfully mine doesn't do it continuously, otherwide she'd have to go. Mostly she does it when she's cross at a wood pigeon in her line of sight (though it's variable whether she gets cross with them or not) or when she's laid. She's older now and doesn't lay all the time, maybe only once or twice a week. Never thought I'd be grateful for less eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 10, 2018 Author Share Posted July 10, 2018 Hahahaha! Mine actually does the normal egg song, that sounds like the rest, so she can do chicken sounds. But I actually have flung items to her head to make her stop. They will go for boarding in the near future, so that would be a swapping moment if any. Will ask the guy what he thinks of my idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Cat tails you are not the only one with a gobby girl. My Lily has turned into a goose. It is driving us all mad. She honks all day long and then the others all start joining in with some other racket. She has even started honking just before they all go to bed, which she never used to do. We have resorted to buying a pump water plant sprayer thing and whenever the honking starts she gets a squirt. In fact if any of them make a noise that is too loud they get a squirt. It seems to be working but I don't like doing it. I'm hoping it will calm down next week, when the summer holidays start and I will be here most days, trigger at the ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 Pickwick is literally incapable of making normal chicken sounds it seems. But she is also a stressy layer. Half of the time she will nervously run around screeching. It’s almost like she is trying to find a spot and the coop isn’t it. On days I’m home, I lock her in the coop for half an hour and that normally sorts it, but the noise... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Well, when I read your post yesterday I thought there was a new swap going on that I hadn't spotted Peace reigns at the moment as Lily is back in the broody cage - she doesn't make any noise in there for some reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 One of those super soaker pistols can work, but you have to be around all the time to be consistent. Personally, I'd rehome her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 22, 2018 Author Share Posted July 22, 2018 Ok so the swap is done! I brought the chickens to the boarding place and swapped Pickwick for, well... Pickwicktwo! He had a similar Partridge Dutch Bantam, but this one is definitely bigger. Stuck the other three in with Pickwick the second and stuck Pickwick the first in the pen with his other hens. Bit of fighting, but mostly a lot of ignoring. Will see when I pick em up again if it worked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Fingers crossed it works out for you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 31, 2018 Author Share Posted July 31, 2018 Picked up the chickens again and Pickwick2 was pottering with the others. So clearly it worked! Just got them home and Pickwick2 is calmly investigating everything. She is a big chook for technically being a bantam. But so far so good. She is currently investigating the coop and seems rather pleased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Hope that they settle down now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 31, 2018 Author Share Posted July 31, 2018 Same here! Although Pickwick2 is currently in the process of kicking every last bit of wood chip out of the nesting box... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 Pickwick2 has laid an egg! And it’s big too! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Clever Pickwick2 Have the others even noticed that she is a different chicken ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 2, 2018 Author Share Posted August 2, 2018 Well Merel did. She had a good go at her, when they were first put together. She must have seen her chance to climb, being the lowest in rang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 8, 2018 Author Share Posted August 8, 2018 Not sure what Pickwick2 wants out of a nesting box, but the one in the Go isn’t really it and woodchips are definitely not the right bedding. They need to be kicked out. Then once you have done that, you go and lay your egg in the dust bath... I have just given her a little wad of hay in the nesting box as she was pacing around and scratching all over the Go, but don’t think that qualified either... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...