Freaking out over chicken noise - Help!

[Claudias Coop]

I only have a couple hens too.
All the dogs in the neighborhood bark a lot louder than my girls.
I have an Amerucana, & a Leghorn.
No early morning surprises

 

[Gargoyle]

You can get 4' x 8' panels of 2" foam insulation at Home Depot for under $10; you'll need to encase it in thin plywood or something so that the chicks don't eat the foam. Line the wall (either inside or outside the coop) or build a wall on the back of the run between the coop and the neighbors, that will deaden some of the sound.

I did that once with a large air compressor in my shop, it made a significant reduction in decibels.

 

[tweetysvoice]

It's funny how threads get dug up This one was from 2008! Neighbors are something we are concerned about as well, but I am following all of the laws of the city - and well, I don't think they actually have any say in it.

 

[tinkerbell1980]

Omg im having the same problem , i love my chickens so much and it would kill me to have to give them away , but 6am they are qwacking then with the odd high pitch scream untill ive jumped out of bed and let them out of their run . Tonight im locking them in their bedroom and going to make it as dark as poss untill (please god) 7am then i will let them out. im hoping this will help as im running out of idears and dont think im making many friends lol . Ill let you no how it goes xx

 

[Aschenfire]

I must have the quietest chickens in the world. I never ever hear them in the morning, and they are in my not-GIANT backyard in their runs. even my little Silkie cockerel crowing is quieter than the dogs in the yard behind me. I have 4 Silkies, 6 standard size girls (one of which is now laying eggs and has not sang a loud egg song), and 8 bantams. I have been gifted with amazingly good bird children who apparently know how to use indoor voices, even outside LOL!

 

[brownboi2012]

I usually only hear my roosters.

 

[dreamcatcherarabians]

Thankfully, I'm out in the country and my neighbors are 5 acres away and don't complain. BUT, if they did, I'd be locking some girls in the garage til a decent hour instead of the tractor. Then after 8 a.m. they could 'go out to play'.

 

[SunshineLucy]

Thank you so much for sharing your 'black out' solution with us. I was reading this entire threat as I am facing exactly the same situation as you were! Sprinting out in my undies at crazy hours in the morning trying to catch some VERY noisy chickens that are also very fast runners has been my daily morning routine for the past 3 months since they started laying eggs! (I also live in a residential area). Unlucky for me is, that my 2 beautiful girls start with the sunrise and that is currently at 6am, but will be 4.30am in the summer time! I know that my neighbours - who work in hospitality until late- will have NO MERCY and understanding, not even if I deliver a weekly box of eggs to them. And fair enough, the noise is insane and it is really early.
Also, the noise both of my girls make, lasts for about 20 MINUTES, not seconds, that is if I dont interfer chasing after them in my undies and with some food to distract them. However,when I then go back inside and back to bed, within 2 minutes they start all over again and the ordeal begins again!
I know, it is quite funny to read, especially for all of you who have the "quiet" breed or have the chook pen far away from bedrooms and neighbours, but it is really very stressfull when facing this every morning! I almost have to go to bed when the chooks do to get enough sleep myself.

At the moment my girls sleep in the outside laundry high up on the top shelf (they chose this spot themselves) and it is a nice sheltered spot inbetween the 2 main buildings. So they are seriously free roaming and get up whenever they want to (which is sunrise).
I will definately try to create some kind of box or house which will be totally blackened out so they think it is still night time until I open the box and 'create the sunrise'. If I got a portable plastic dog carrier and put a perch in it, could I cover it with a black blanket for the night or would they suffocate?

Thanks for anyone who will reply!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Yes, I find that even going back there shuts her up very quickly.. I've literally been sprinting out of my back door in my underwear with a handful of tortilla chips. But I can't even get out there fast enough, because it's over so fast. It's such a brief occurance, but it's just SO LOUD. SO SO LOUD.

Does anyone live near Berkeley who wants two beautiful wonderful friendly hens?

wheres Berkeley??? ill will take them in i love rescuing chickens

 

[Gargoyle]

wheres Berkeley??? ill will take them in i love rescuing chickens

It's in the San Francisco Bay area, but the OP was from 4 years ago, so I'd suspect they have come up with a solution in the interim.