Freaking out over chicken noise - Help!

[Professional]

It's unfortunately very sad that this is even an issue. It shows just how foolish, spoiled or whatever other word you want to use to describe the distance we have placed between ourselves and nature and agriculture in this country. There is no way that you can tell me that two hens make enough noise to seriously bother anyone. The situation is unusual to the average American, makes an easy target, and our local governments back up the complainers, unfortunately. It's also fun for petty people to "run the chickens out of town", when the law is on their side. I agree that you are at least lucky that they are considering talking to you first. It probably wasn't a coincidence that you "overheard" that conversation. In many places in Europe, they have a much more sensible outlook, and in neighborhood situations where you wouldn't dream of it here, people there keep all sorts of small, and even not so small livestock. Of course a big difference too, is that most people there are more considerate, and take more pride in their property, and wouldn't think of letting it turn into the dumps that many here think is acceptable with livestock.
With a garage, it wouldn't be that difficult to set up an inside evening area, with an attached outside run. There are automatic opening and closing doors available that can be set to work on a timer. The hens normally will go in for the night to roost. You can set it to close after dark. Then set it to open well after the neighbors wake in the morning. Problem solved, unless the real reason is that they just want the excitement of chasing the chickens out. In that case, nothing you do will matter. Good luck.

 

[d.k]

*Problem is that your'e essentially rewarding her for hollaring with the treats, but shushing her may not do any good either. Mine is indoors at night and with the light off-- she STILL wakes up pretty early and starts hollaring for her breakfast though she could (if she weren't so goofy) get down off her roost and feed herself!!! WEEKENDS ARE THE WORST!! I'm thinking of adding some foam board insulation to any new coop, honestly.

 

[Smoky73]

Why don't you just bring the two of them in at night into a large pet carrier until morning passes and she does her thing, then put them out? Wouldnt be terribly inconvienient to only move two hens and then your neighbors wouldnt be disturbed.

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
I am still cracking up at this! What we do for our chickens.

Can you "black out" their cage with a heavy black cloth (like blackout curtains) so they don't know it's light until you take it off in the morning -- and "create the sun rise". maybe they will just keep sleeping and stay quiet.

 

[fluffhead]

Thanks, everyone.. You've given me some good options to try.

After some thought and discussion, I think I am going to get some foam insulation board and cover the open-mesh portions of the tractor, so that it will block the light and sound. Let's see if that helps!

 

[kayri]

Be careful they will probably peck at and eat the foam. Styrofoam is my chicken's favorite food, and I know that it isn't good for them.

We bought a small wooden coop at our local feed store for about $150. It's not much different than a doghouse, just has an opening in the back so you can sweep it out and the roof lifts so you can collect the eggs.

My DH fitted it with a door, roost, ventilation (and more recently wheels). Would something like that work for you?

My chickens lay at all different times of the day. Maybe yours will start laying later in the day so they don't bawk-gawk so loudly in the morning.

Good luck

 

[fluffhead]

Hi ya'll,

I just wanted to give you an update since so many of you were so kind and concerned.

Yesterday, in lieu of working on my thesis (sigh), i turned my chicken tractor into a solid coop. It used to look like a standard a-frame little tractor, 75% wire mesh with a solid wood portion at the other end for roosting/nesting. I screwed 1/2" plywood to the mesh portions, first lining it with short-nap closed-loop office carpet. I also caulked shut every other gap such as where the handles come through for moving the tractor. I also weather-stripped the doors. So, the coop is essentially light-locked, and if they do make noise, it is muffled.

My girls usually get busy around 6AM; this morning, there was not a peep until I opened the tractor myself at 8:30 (and I think it would have been quiet even longer, I just couldn't bring myself to leave them shut in there longer). It is about 9AM now and it is still very quiet as they are slowly getting warmed up.

I think this may work.

I really hope it does; I have been so distraught over this. Last week, I had to euthanize my beloved house rabbit of 9 years, and I think the stress from that sort of transferred over to this - the thought of losing my other pets just made me feel so terrible.

Thanks again to everyone.

 

[chickenannie]

Hey, great to hear the "black-out" technique is working. This is major and may be good to relay to all the other suburban chicken folks who have a noise problem. Keep us posted...

 

[CritterHill]

Another possibility is giving your neighbors an egg or two. You'd be surprised how much good will that creates.

My neighbor keeps bees and for a while last summer, all his bees wanted to do was hang around my back porch drinking my cats' water. I mentioned it to him even though it didn't particularly bother me just because I figured he should know that they were looking for a water source.

He showed up shortly thereafter with a jar of fresh honey! Now, I wasn't upset, but if I was, it sure would have turned my attitude much friendlier toward those bees!

 

[fluffhead]

I will definitely keep ya'll posted!

I totally agree, sharing the wealth with neighbors is a great way to go. I actually have given all the neighbors with property directly next to mine eggs, and they have all been very sweet and grateful (though only ONE of my hens lays, so I feel a little goofy coming over with just one or two eggs, but I guess it's the thought that counts). The person who I overheard complaining about the noise actually lives TWO doors down - so, my girls can be heard a lot further away than I realized. The conversation that I overheard was actually between that lady (two doors down) and my next-door neighbor (a man who gets eggs from me) and he was the one telling her that he would talk to me if the noise continued.

I am so glad I overheard that conversation.

Another part of this whole saga is that we would up with a rooster about 5 months ago (we got two chicks a year ago and were totally dumb city slickers and didn't realize one was male until the morning it started crowing). So, we already put our neighbors through a month of crowing back then. This was before we had any eggs, so we had to give out chocolate.

Whoever said urban chickens were easy is a LIAR.