How to make them SHUT UP!

[matimeo]

Quote:
I think I already did but if I was unclear the OP can ask for clarification.

Actually, I followed the thread you had that ws similar, and it really didn't seem to me that you had a very specific method. As I recall you shot them when they were loud. Perhaps I missed something?

Then you need to re-read, especially later in the post where I shared some of my conclusions. The gist was that instead of bringing a reward to their noise I brought a squirt from the super soaker which was actual more effective than I could have imagined. I only had to do it for a few days. For the whole previous year they had made an unholy racket UNTIL we let them out of the run to free range and usually to bring the previous days table scra,ps. When those two rewards were removed and a negative stimulus was applied they quickly learned to reserve their rowdiness for a later hour. They still get to be chickens and still get to make noise but us and the neighbors are much happier and the chickens have not suffered one bit. If anything they seem less anxious in the mornings and more settled into a comfortable routine.

 

[RHRanch]

Quote:
Actually, I followed the thread you had that ws similar, and it really didn't seem to me that you had a very specific method. As I recall you shot them when they were loud. Perhaps I missed something?

Then you need to re-read, especially later in the post where I shared some of my conclusions. The gist was that instead of bringing a reward to their noise I brought a squirt from the super soaker which was actual more effective than I could have imagined. I only had to do it for a few days. For the whole previous year they had made an unholy racket UNTIL we let them out of the run to free range and usually to bring the previous days table scra,ps. When those two rewards were removed and a negative stimulus was applied they quickly learned to reserve their rowdiness for a later hour. They still get to be chickens and still get to make noise but us and the neighbors are much happier and the chickens have not suffered one bit. If anything they seem less anxious in the mornings and more settled into a comfortable routine.

I just re-read to make sure I didn't miss anything. From what I gather, it could have been the auto door, or knowing that when they were loud thier owner would come and haze them. Or perhaps none of it actually did anything at all. it oculd be something unaccounted for. I can't imagine how they would know (if you sucessfully trained them to be quiet) when they can be loud. You would think that given thier limited abilities, that an understanding that sophisticated would take a bit more time.

 

[matimeo]

You are correct. I believe I had concluded that there were too many variables and not enough controls to be sure what made the difference. I believe the auto door was a large part of it. What I have learned is that my chickens are not particularly loud in the morning if I can meet all of the needs that before were causing them to be noisy. So it really wasn't a matter of training them to be quiet as it was figuring out which conditions would produce the quietest chicken if that makes sense. My hunch is that the squirt gun helped extinguish the old behavi. or faster but that only a hypothesis.

What I do now know for a fact is that it can reasonably be done (if you consider spending a little over $100 on an auto door to be reasonable).

 

[RHRanch]

Quote:
Perhaps the door made the chickens "excitement/anxiety" go down because it is predictable and just magically is open? If you think about it,then it would be the same as removing the excitement stimuli in the suggestion I made about keeping them locked up all the time. The excitement is tied up with the "anticipation" of going out - remove the stimuli that causes the anticipation - either going out or by having the going out be uneventful. You know, if the door is open as they wake up individually, instead of a bunch of birds working themselves up in a frenzy together you have one bird after another quietly exiting the enclosure. If you ever watch chickens in the morning, they don't all wake up and go out at the same time, but they are early risers.

So here is my conclusion: Keep em' penned or get a auto door, or get up just before sunrise and open the door before they are all awake.

 

[matimeo]

Great hypothesis. Thanks for the helpful and insightful/thoughtful insight.

 

[RHRanch]

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Not a problem, glad we could meet in the middle.

 

[nanawendy]

Wow my head is spinning.... I'm an old lady w/ not as much experience as those before me. But... to the OPer ~ I have noticed that my middle age girls squack a lot more now that my babies are laying. One starts the "egg song" and all join in. I crack up, but I can understand your concern. It's like girls @ a slumber party... one starts laughing and the whole group is rolling on the floor. And the neighbors start calling. I know this is not giving you a solution, but understanding can be a first step. I'm wondering if things will calm down once everyone settles into their "new" roles.

 

[Beekissed]

From what I can gather, some of the posts on this thread describe chickens who get treats and let out of their run each day and scream loudly if this doesn't happen on time or in anticipation of this happening?

Well, there's a simple solution to these problems as well. Stop giving treats....treats are something you give out at Halloween to children, chickens do not require "treats" to remain healthy and well fed. Letting them out to free range? That's a whole other problem and has many solutions, one of which was mentioned, by using an automatic door. Some of us have our birds set up to free range from the time they come off the roost until the time they bed without having to let them out....it took effort and some aforethought to achieve this. I consider this flock management and it takes time and sometimes money, but it yields happy animals.

Yes, I know what it is like to raise chickens in an urban setting....I was still on 1/2 acre of land, though, and my neighbors were all elderly and didn't mind noises they could barely hear inside their homes. I did not, however, keep a roo...this is just beyond the limit when you live in town. I would never have tried to raise birds in town if I had neighbors who would have objected....I went around and asked all my neighbors before I even thought of placing birds on my yard. Preparation, planning and foresight...I find it's rather important when dealing with animals in your care.

Backyards are not just in the city, folks, we have 'em in the country also...my chickens are kept in my backyard wherever I live and I haven't lived on a farm since I was in my teens. No, we do not own farms....we do understand that, if you own farm animals, you need to live where they have a certain amount of liberty to make noise, smell like farm animals, move around freely and just live a half way normal existence.

I'm sorry if we sound smug, offensive or like we don't care about the OPs situation....we are none of those. We wouldn't bother to answer the post if we felt that way. Our way of imparting wisdom, info or just warmth may not mesh with yours and that's okay too...you are free to take it or leave it, as it is given freely and without malice. That's the great thing about advice...it can be used or thrown away without leaving any dirt on your hands if you don't wish it.

The ladies that spoke from years of chicken husbandry are interested in preserving a heritage and way of life that you could never understand until you had been doing it for years....and a lot of folks probably won't be if they cannot learn from those who have gone before. I listened to my mom and my grandmother's advice and learned. If this is really a choice for your life and not just a hobby, then you might want to learn what you can....some of the best things I've learned about animal husbandry was couched in the terse, exasperated tones of old farmers, both female and male.

Not meant to sound rude and I'm sorry if this offends.

 

[Pele]

Quote:
Thank you for posting this, matimeo.

The OP asked for solutions to her problem of what she feels is escalating noise. It may be normal, but it also may be excessive. I can only go by her words and offer any tips I have learned that may help.

As for those who have admonished the OP that chickens are farm animals and that we should put up with everything about them or get rid of them...Respectfully I would like to remind you that this website is called BackyardChickens . com, not FarmChicken . com and if you are unable to offer constructive advice for someone's problems in the spirit of a kind supportive community, it is unhelpful to insinuate that they don't know what they got in to and they should get rid of their pets. Seems contrary to the wonderful advice and community spirit I have experienced on this website.

Hear hear! Thank you I couldn't have said it better myself! Essentially telling someone that they're stupid for trying to keep chickens in the city, when they're on a forum for chickens in the city, is deeply unhelpful and can be easily read as condescending. We're a warm and helpful community, and her request wasn't at all ridiculous or stupid. There ARE ways to quiet down chickens in the morning, and there have been some wonderful suggestions here to that effect! Chickens arn't a mystery and like all animals can be trained to a certain degree (they may not be able to roll over, but they can be trained a tad).

 

[Beekissed]

I don't believe anyone said or implied the OP is stupid. That could be the problem with communication here....what you perceive as people being rude or calling names is just your own perception. Some folks look for trouble and soon find it, some come here to learn and take every opportunity to do so without getting offended every step of the way.