Coop turns into an insane asylum at laying time

[plethora]

Hello,

We have five hens and four nest boxes. Everyone is free-ranged and is generally on their best behavior except for laying time in the morning, when the coop turns into a mental institution as soon as more than one of them at a time wants to lay. If one is already in a nest box, 1-2 others will often come in and start complaining (egg song) non-stop for up to an hour. There's even one that doesn't lay too often who will stand there and complain even when she has nothing to lay that day. It's a fair amount of racket to be sure.

Is this common or is there something in our water supply?

 

[eleaserek]

Sigh...it's not uncommon at all. There are 3 boxes here for 5 hens. The other two were empty when I took this picture!

 

[Little Fuzzy]

I have that problem with one of my three Golden Stars. If someone is in HER box she stands there and squawks though there are four other open boxes. She is big complainer about everything.

 

[Shezadandy]

Hello,

We have five hens and four nest boxes. Everyone is free-ranged and is generally on their best behavior except for laying time in the morning, when the coop turns into a mental institution as soon as more than one of them at a time wants to lay. If one is already in a nest box, 1-2 others will often come in and start complaining (egg song) non-stop for up to an hour. There's even one that doesn't lay too often who will stand there and complain even when she has nothing to lay that day. It's a fair amount of racket to be sure.

Is this common or is there something in our water supply?

We've got an EE that will hang out on the roost and do her heckling cackler routine... SO annoying. Sometimes the Buff joins in for grins, but usually it's just the one- the whole time anyone is in any box ... not every day, but often enough. She does lay a good number of eggs-- but she's one of those chickens that will go sit in one nesting box, then another... and then where she really wants to lay her egg. There's usually no reason for it- 11 boxes for 10 chickens currently- I think it's yelling because she likes listening to herself.

 

[azygous]

Is this what your nest boxes look like at laying time? It can get pretty raucous in my coop, with even the rooster getting right in the middle of things.

 

[sourland]

Can't blame it on the water. It's the 'grass is always greener' syndrome.

 

[BruceAZ]

what's the typical time they will start to make noise in the morning?

there's a noise ordinance here.. so.. :/

 

[Shezadandy]

what's the typical time they will start to make noise in the morning?

there's a noise ordinance here.. so.. :/

I don't know whether I'm just lucky at the moment or if because my coop is deeply shaded in the morning it keeps things fairly dark without the lights on- I have no roosters out there right now, that's a whole other can of worms.

Anyways, I set my coop door to open at 9:30am. Earliest I've heard them is 7:30, but I could just be lucky.

 

[eleaserek]

what's the typical time they will start to make noise in the morning?


there's a noise ordinance here.. so.. :/

I could hear my girls up and about this morning at about 5:30. Sometimes they stay quiet till later, but other times (like this morning) they seem to wake up on the wrong side of the roost and bicker and squak as soon as it's light.
I live in town where I don't worry about predators so I don't lock them up. When they've been insufferably loud I've gone out and given them food and locked them in. I can just hear them if I'm really listening for them when they are locked up. During the week my neighbors are up and about early, so I don't really care about any chicken noise. But I don't want to disturb them when they are trying to sleep in on a weekend!

 

[BruceAZ]

I could hear my girls up and about this morning at about 5:30. Sometimes they stay quiet till later, but other times (like this morning) they seem to wake up on the wrong side of the roost and bicker and squak as soon as it's light.
I live in town where I don't worry about predators so I don't lock them up. When they've been insufferably loud I've gone out and given them food and locked them in. I can just hear them if I'm really listening for them when they are locked up. During the week my neighbors are up and about early, so I don't really care about any chicken noise. But I don't want to disturb them when they are trying to sleep in on a weekend!

530 ? that's not good..

i guess my chickens are close to laying age now .. since i'm starting to hear them groaning? sound

but when i'm in side the house i will not hear anything

so not as loud barking sound from a dog.. so it might not be as bad...