Chickens really loud in morning - would remote citronella spray help?

[blbgp]

Our ladies demand to be let out of their coop at sunrise. They do so by calling very, very loud. We have close neighbors and live in an area where chickens are no so much legal, so we do all we can to keep them quiet. In this case, it means jumping out of bed at 5 am.

"Chicken Time Out" and spraying near them with a hose has taught them to be quiet during the day, but we're stumped with how to stop this early morning habit. This may be crazy, but do you think a remote controlled citronella spray attached to the side of the coop would work? It would be so nice to let them out when we want to, not when they want to.

Or a black out tarp of some kind?

 

[Mrs. K]

Mine are quiet, but I have my coop totally enclosed in the run. So unless it is winter and very cold, I do not shut them up at night, I mean they are locked in the totally enclosed run/coop, but I do not shut the pop up door, so when it gets dark, they go in, and when the sun comes up they go out...quietly.

 

[Imp]

My hens can come out to the run as well, but they still make a ruckus early, wanting out into the yard.

I haven't discovered a solution yet, so I just get up and let them out then go back to bed.

Imp- Never sleeps in.

 

[MissJenny]

How about a pop door on a timer? Would that work?

Jenny

 

[speckledhen]

Why citronella? Sprayed where? I'd avoid anything that aromatic. Could cause serious issues if they get a huge whiff of it.

 

[Akane]

They'd probably just be so surprised and upset they'd make even more noise. Why are you punishing an animal for being itself? We don't get mad at humans for talking. The chickens are just holding chicken conversations and really in comparison to a lot of things they are not very loud. No louder than a group of humans and quieter than a barking dog. If you need absolute quiet I think it would be kinder to not keep chickens than to keep spraying them with hoses and stressing them out. Honestly it makes me hope you aren't getting any eggs because of it.

Blacking things out with a tarp would probably get you roasted chickens with summer coming up. Anything that blocks light blocks air and holds heat.

 

[elem]

Wow, my chickens are definitely louder than people talking Akane and I only have 2 hens.

blbgp - I assume you are thinking of something like the dog training/bark collars that spray citronella but I don't think that would work with chickens. The spray wouldn't be right in front of your chickens the way it is with a dog collar and as speckledhen pointed out it would cause problems if it were. Birds have a more sensitive respiratory system and something that aromatic could cause breathing troubles. If you can keep it dark in the morning but still allow adequate ventilation that might keep them quiet until you let them out - after all we put blinds on our windows to block light and heat.

 

[san415]

I live where Chickens are not welcome also. I have 2 hens and five 7week old chicks right now. They are close to my neighbors house, in fact the yards here are narrow and long. I have wood privacy fences and lots of evergreen plants on the side I am worried about people complaining. I am ready to also put a 3 section of more privacy fence close to the coop if it's needed. So far I haven't had to bother with that. Plants and solid fence really makes a difference in sound carrying.

The Solid privacy fence you cant see in the picture, its at the property line.But you can see the bushes. It's just like an empty room sounds are so loud, but with curtains and furniture to absorb some of the sound its quieter. The bushes really help.

 

[teach1rusl]

Insulate your coop...that helps with sound. I agree with the previous poster who mentioned sound barriers such as trees, shrubs, and fencing. My hens are pretty quiet too, with the exception of egg laying time. Yeah, I might rethink chickens if I was resorting to hosing them if they did what chickens do...

 

[blbgp]

Thanks everyone, respiratory issues were exactly what I was worried about. But then I saw someone post about incense and citronella around chickens, so it made me wonder. We won't be trying that. We'll work on more insulation in and around the coop. We live in a very cool climate, and heat is not an issue.

We've never sprayed them with the hose and we are definitely not punishing for normal chicken sounds like the egg song, clucking, talking, etc. It's when they stand at the gate and scream because they want treats...we unfortunately made the mistake early on of spoiling the heck out of them.

They are 99% very good girls. Come running when they see us, sit on laps, very social, lay great...we're just trying to find a way to make them less demanding in the morning, if possible.