Chickens won't stop squawking loudly for no apparent reason

[Chickenkate17]

One of my girls practiced her egg song for weeks before she started laying. The day she lay her first egg she squawked ALLLLL day. Now she sings for a few hours every morning, very loudly, but I get an egg from her every day!

 

[southernmama47]

Is there a time range that hens usually lay by? I'm thinking that if they do their egg song in the morning before I'm even up, then it won't be an issue

 

[fargosmom]

Unfortunately it will vary - they're not usually on a 24 hour clock. Sometimes it will be earlier, sometimes later, and some will skip a day or two.

 

[Gypsi]

They do seem to get quieter as they get older. Fortunately, as long as I never have a roo, I'm legal. I notice they sing a lot less now than they did the first few months. But it sure was loud around here from about last June until maybe November. I get 3 to 6 eggs a day, maybe hear one or 2 egg songs.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Betcha they're doing their job, alarming you to some danger. Watch them carefully, they usually point at the cat, or hawk, or rat they're loudly alarming about. Then if they suddenly go quiet, its a hawk, and they'll keep one eye pointing RIGHT AT IT! Hawks and owls blend in with the scenery very well, but if you follow your chickens' eye, you'll see it.

If you're in a city, you may never have noticed your predators before. Now you have chickens, and you'll have fox, coyote, hawk and other varmints. In our 'hood, there's even people who tresspass. Never noticed until the chickens told us all about it.

Now, the kids can ID the Coopers' hawk vs the SharpShinned, Red Tailed, Harrier and owl. We have a Screech owl pair and a Barred Owl, which is huge. Luckily, the chickens attracted the barred owl, which dines on the skunks. (But the skunks were around looooong before us or our chickens.)

I wish you could post a video of your chickens noise-making parties. I just bet its the alarm noise.

 

[jason_mazzy]

Maybe they see a rat or mink

 

[jaloola]

This sounds like the exact issue I am having with my 8 month old Mottled Java. I will try to catch her on video and post it so we can all listen.

 

[ginormous chicken]

When my BCM first laid an egg, I thought she was confused after coming down from the coop. Maybe she didn't know where the rest of the flock were because they do tend to go off. Now I realize that she is not confused, but exhaulting her great deed! By gosh is she loud about it! The other day she went on about it for about 20 min. before she laid and then came down and went on about it for another 20 mins!


As for the OP problem. Some squwak louder than others. I would see if they calm down when they lay. Otherwise I would try a smaller bird b/c BO and BCM's are larger size hens. I know that is not much help but Good Luck!

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Yes, that's the egg song, exactly. A roo will sound more like "awk awk AWK awk" or "awk awk AWk awk AWK."

 

[GammaPoppyLilyFlutter]

If they are going, "buk-buk-buk-buk-AWK", then it's either an egg song (a chicken's way of saying "I laid an egg and I want to give it to you because I love you") or an alarm call ("Hide, there's a predator!"). It eventually does stop.