robskyd Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 We've had our 3 girls since July and they have been brilliant - until now ! In the morning when they are laying they all make a racket. The hen laying balks and then the other 2 join in, they then switch places and it starts again. This goes on for about 2 hours and I'm concerned about the neighbors, though we all get on great I can see it starting to annoy them soon. We haven't changed anything, infact we extended the run so they'd have more space, and I've tried squirting them which sends them all in the eglu. Which works until I go back in the house and they start again! If we let them free range then they don't make a sound but due to work we can't do this for the majority of days.... I'm not sure there is an answer here but I felt I had to get this off my chest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Oh no, I hope mine don't start to do what yours are doing! Sorry, can't help you but will be watching replies with interest - I hope there's a solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Quite a few people on here have the same issue, when chooks who had been quiet for a while suddenly decide vocalising is a great way to pass time... Mine do so too, and when they go through a phase of doing it early in the morning, I make sure I close the eglu door in the evening as it contains the noise enough that hopefully the neighbours won't hear it, or at least be woken up by it (my next door neighbour on the eglu side is both very tolerant and partially deaf so thankfully he doesn't get easily disturbed). Later on in the day, I don't let it worry me too much, to be honest there are always some noises around, with works going on and drilling and tree work and all that in various places, kids playing (including my four, who are way noisier than any chickens), dogs barking and so on, and listening to the chooks I find that their noise is not something I expect people would or should really complain about after a certain time when people are generally up and awake... It is puzzling though to find them doing it suddenly... I wonder if they just try it once and just enjoy it, so make it a habit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Mine make a terrible racket sometimes with 3 or 4 all joining in at once - it tends to be the younger ones that make the most noise, the older hens obviously don't get excited about laying any more . I usually open the back door and shout "Freya, shut up - and you too Wendy, don't make me come over there!" in a threatening voice.......it doesn't work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 We ALWAYS close the eglu door because of noisy chooks. Ella, if she had her own way would be up at the crack of dawn waking up the whole village. so we shut the door and on days of the working week the door is opened about 7am and during weekends about 07.30-7.45 to give our neighbours a lie in. Sometimes we place a dark cover over the eglu aswell to make it darker inside so they dont think its daylight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutechicky Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 If mine started doing that out of the blue I wouldn't be able to sleep! My rooms is right at the back of the house so i'd probably think a fox was attacking them! The neighbours wouldn't mind luckily. I play a lot of instruments so they are used to loud noise contantly coming from my house! I do feel sorry for them! Maybe you should talk to your neighbours and ask them if the chickens are bothering them? They may not mind. When my chickens are free ranging, they can make a lot of noise. "Ooops, word censored!"ody minds though as they say they like the sound of the countryside! Or if they start getting annoyed you could try bribing people with eggs! "If you stop complaining i'll give you a few special eggs!"....Probably wouldn't work though Hope you find a solution! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Hi. Sorry to reply after so long (I haven't logged onto the forum for ages). I noticed this too. I had been leaving the eglu door open every night (which suited me fine as no early waking up to open it) but a few odd nights of 4.30am bawking at cats put paid to that and I started shutting the door each night and opening it in the morning. Mind you that was back in the Summer though with lighter mornings. But now, like you, I have noticed 2 of my girls making a bit of noise (in the run and not when laying) at 9am ish. I've been letting them out of the run to free range a bit later than before as it's a bit duskier in the mornings now and this also fits in with returning from the school run. I've given them the odd squirt with water to stop them bawking (but only on a Sunday when neighbours might be having a lie-in). And yet, just like you said, when mine are free ranging they don't make a peep???? Which is OK (except for when I'm on holiday for a week). Be interested on any thoughts from others if they have noticed this, and how they resolved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaR Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 I've noticed it too and have only one solution...chuck a 'corn on the cob' to them or a handful of Kale and they soon forget what they were bawking at! They have me well trained Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 my next door but one "neighbours" enjoy having out and out effing and jeffing slanging matches at full volume in their garden, wish I could squirt them with a hose! That and the neighbours various dogs barking most of the day...Compared with that, I'm not going to worry about the odd noise from my girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 They have me well trained I do sometimes wonder who's the pet and who's the owner!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 They have me well trained I do sometimes wonder who's the pet and who's the owner!!! I think you're both right. I know deep down that they are just like children and this noise is attention seeking....!!! Going out and talking to them seems to abate the noise, as does letting them free range. But I feel they are in control of me. I don't really mind, I just think I'm getting a little over anxious about leaving them when we go away next month. I know they were fine last time I went on hols, I just can't get it out of my mind that although they will be looked after daily, there won't be anyone around to sort them out if they do start making a noise. On the other hand, what I don't know (or hear) whilst I'm away, shouldn't worry me...........but it does.......!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 I suggest getting a load of yapping dogs to drown out the noise. Luckily for us next door but one have already obliged with that one! And the owner then bellows at them to shut up and they bark more! Yapping dogs is an acceptable noise any time of day, chickens making a unusual noise at a tenth of the volume is unaccaptable as chickens are evil. Another option is to rig up some speakers and play looped tapes of a road drill, again a perfectly acceptable noise at 7am or any other time for that matter. I am getting sick of people telling me how against the law bla, bla, bla chickens are, bla bla. My neighbours actually like the sound our chooks make, when they can hear them over all the 'acceptable' noise. I nearly went on another rant there! Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Couperman, you are soooooo right..... dogs, drills, cars, sirens are all "acceptable" noise and yet I've got it into my head that my lovely chickens having a quick morning "bawk" somehow isn't OK. By the way, my neighbours haven't complained yet and we've had them since April. In fact one neighbour loves them (and the free eggs). But I think I am a natural worry wart and don't like to think that anyone might complain or even be slightly annoyed and put my chicken keeping in jepardy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 We have a loser who plays his drums (badly) all weekend long and on many evenings, with his windows open. So I'm not even remotely interested in what anyone has to say about any noise my girls might make. They do bo boc when the fox is around. My neighbours......pillars of their church ..........scream abuse at each other too. If only their fellow parishioners knew what they say to each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 It's communication, hen style They may make a fuss after they lay, this is natural instinct to communicate with the flock (ok some people only have 2 ) that they are rejoining them. Safety in numbers. They also learn that noise brings mum or dad and perhaps a treat The group alarm is a warning, alarm calling. There is a reason and if it's to get your attention then simply don't respond every time they make a noise to get it Hope this helps BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joojoo Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Couperman, you are soooooo right..... dogs, drills, cars, sirens are all "acceptable" noise and yet I've got it into my head that my lovely chickens having a quick morning "bawk" somehow isn't OK. By the way, my neighbours haven't complained yet and we've had them since April. In fact one neighbour loves them (and the free eggs). But I think I am a natural worry wart and don't like to think that anyone might complain or even be slightly annoyed and put my chicken keeping in jepardy. I'm exactly the same. I've been home for a couple of days and when I went into the garden on a couple of occasions one of the girls was making a heck of a noise. I tried having a quiet word with them - you know the kind of thing "shush", then "shush noisy girls", then "shush naughty chickens", then "shush or the neighbours will all know you are here and have you for sunday dinner" that kind of thing I did, however, go round to both of my neighbours, as I was quite worried that they were doing this on a regular basis when I was at work and wanted to check that they weren't disturbing them during the day. The neighbours said that they have hardly heard a thing from them and on the one or two occasions that they had, they had a peep over the fence just to make sure they were ok . I think, because there have been a few "horror" stories in the press lately where people have ended up losing their pets that we are worrying unnecessarily at the slightest sound. It's so true that there are so many other, far more irritating noises about - car alarms, kids screaming, barking dogs etc but "Ooops, word censored!"ody bats an eyelid at these, so I'm going to try not to worry too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
