Freaking out over chicken noise - Help!

[amy008]

Hello, Yes

blacking out all light and letting her out a lil later in the morning should do the trick

 

[Mike Winters]

my hens bawk at the top of there lungs for an hour after one lays in eggs so three laying hens usually 3 hours of screaming

 

[Laurahere]

I (unfortunately) feel your pain. I'm going through the same thing right now. I ordered an acoustic blanket to cover them with at night which should reduce the light and buffer the noise a little.

I can't think of anything to do about the hollering that goes on when one notices her sister is missing (laying an egg in the nesting box). They tend to have their eggs later in the day for some odd reason.

Today I got a call from the city and my heart sank...luckily it was regarding my local garden plot and had nothing to do with my chickens!

 

[Gargoyle]

I (unfortunately) feel your pain. I'm going through the same thing right now. I ordered an acoustic blanket to cover them with at night which should reduce the light and buffer the noise a little.

I can't think of anything to do about the hollering that goes on when one notices her sister is missing (laying an egg in the nesting box). They tend to have their eggs later in the day for some odd reason.

Today I got a call from the city and my heart sank...luckily it was regarding my local garden plot and had nothing to do with my chickens!

Welcome to BYC, hope everything works out. The acoustic blanket should help.

 

[wish2farm]

I know your situation is at least 4 years behind you, but I'm investigating the possibilities of having backyard chickens and have really enjoyed reading about this journey you had living in a residential area with noisy chickens and how you remedied your problem.

I am curious to know how things have gone with your chickens in these past 4 years and how keeping them in "darkness" has continued to work.

Our subdivision has restrictions and does not allow chickens, though we live in the county (which does not restrict them). So, I'm researching as to whether or not it would be worth it for us to go to our Homeowners Assoc and ask for them to make exceptions for laying hens. I would love for my kids to be able to participate in 4-H projects raising chicks and us being able to have our own eggs--we have 4 growing kids and we eat a lot of eggs!

My husband is convinced there is no way to keep hens quiet, but your post and story makes me think otherwise...

I'm so excited I found this website on Pinterest! I'm going to really learn a lot!

 

[missnu01]

Hi guys, I am so anxious and upset at the moment, I really need a bit of advice.

I have only two hens, but I live in a fairly dense residential area. Ever since my Ameraucana started laying about 3 months ago, she has been ba-KAWing every fourth day or so at about 6AM. she only goes off for about 20 seconds or so, but I think she is waking up many of my neighbors. I was hoping that she would quiet down as she got used to laying, but she is still keeping up this same pattern.

I think I just overheard two neighbors discussing how the chicken was waking them up and they were going to talk to me (I heard them from over the fence).

I really didn't think it was that bothersome (20 seconds every 4 days isn't really that much in my mind) but I think some neighbors are being disturbed.

I love my chickens so much that I am just totally distraught. I would like to not have to give them away.

My chickens currently live in a tractor with an enclosed run - do you think if I bought a solid wooden coop that blocked the morning light a bit better, that this would help? Or maybe at least contain the noise a bit better?

Ugh, I just want to cry.

Thank you so much for responding.

You could also insulate their coop area so that less sound escapes. I wouldn't want to live next to people that got upset over a little chicken noise...Do any of them have dogs that bark incessantly?

 

[Going Quackers]

I know your situation is at least 4 years behind you, but I'm investigating the possibilities of having backyard chickens and have really enjoyed reading about this journey you had living in a residential area with noisy chickens and how you remedied your problem.

I am curious to know how things have gone with your chickens in these past 4 years and how keeping them in "darkness" has continued to work.

Our subdivision has restrictions and does not allow chickens, though we live in the county (which does not restrict them). So, I'm researching as to whether or not it would be worth it for us to go to our Homeowners Assoc and ask for them to make exceptions for laying hens. I would love for my kids to be able to participate in 4-H projects raising chicks and us being able to have our own eggs--we have 4 growing kids and we eat a lot of eggs!

My husband is convinced there is no way to keep hens quiet, but your post and story makes me think otherwise...

I'm so excited I found this website on Pinterest! I'm going to really learn a lot!

I would definitely inquire before taking on any birds, nothing worse than growing attached, laying out funds for something you could be forced to remove.

 

[wish2farm]

Thanks for the feedback! I definitely will have to abide by whatever restrictions our HOA lays out, but I'm hoping that I might be able to convince them otherwise. If that's not possible, then I'm just out of luck.

 

[namarks]

Wouldnt running out and feeding them when they are screaming encrouage further noise?

 

[chooks4life]

Agree with namarks... In my experience the smarter ones will indeed make more noise to get more food. That's one of the simplest ways to train even the dumbest of animals... If the animal's able to function normally its brain will have a light go on when it performs a certain behaviour and finds it produces food every time!

I had trained my chooks to shut up when I clap my hands. Then I could whittle it down to a word, a look, a pointed finger. Generally there's a ringleader who initiates, or an extra-silly one who gets too caught up in the ruckus to stop. Some even get hysterical, and can't stop! I eat those. Like tends to breed like, and spacky is a culling offense, if the animal doesn't respond to attempts to tame it.

I moved house and had all my chooks, roosters and all, in suburbia... For a few months... ARGH, the stress! Note: if you deal with them in a stressed manner, you'll only stress them more, and chances are they'll 'bok-bagark' more. Sometimes I'd make like a dominant chook and make little mock-charges at any hen or rooster who wanted to re-start it. I'd stop when they stopped making the noise, and they'd learn. But some just won't learn... Then physical barriers, distances etc become necessary. A water squirter may help...