Chickens won't stop squawking loudly for no apparent reason

[obaan1]

I think they're just being chickens and are going to make noise. Some more than others. I'm going to watch the thread to see what you end up doing. Best wishes.

 

[Chickenkate17]

One of my girls practiced her egg song for weeks before she started laying. The day she lay her first egg she squawked ALLLLL day. Now she sings for a few hours every morning, very loudly, but I get an egg from her every day!

 

[fargosmom]

Unfortunately it will vary - they're not usually on a 24 hour clock. Sometimes it will be earlier, sometimes later, and some will skip a day or two.

 

[ginormous chicken]

When my BCM first laid an egg, I thought she was confused after coming down from the coop. Maybe she didn't know where the rest of the flock were because they do tend to go off. Now I realize that she is not confused, but exhaulting her great deed! By gosh is she loud about it! The other day she went on about it for about 20 min. before she laid and then came down and went on about it for another 20 mins!


As for the OP problem. Some squwak louder than others. I would see if they calm down when they lay. Otherwise I would try a smaller bird b/c BO and BCM's are larger size hens. I know that is not much help but Good Luck!

 

[southernmama47]

My first chicken to lay was so loud and would do this squat walk thing that my husband told me he thought she was dying.

Yes! She kept doing the squat walk thing too! Maybe an egg is in the near future

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, the Squat! That's a sure sign of laying to come, probably within a week or two.

It's a sign of submission to a rooster. Also a sign of submission if she does it for you, too.

When any of my hens squat for me, I give 'em a little skritch at the base of the neck, another at the base of the tailfeathers, then a little pat on the back. She'll stand back up and shake her feathers (don't ask what that's about, it ISN'T just to get rid of "bed feathers") before she walks away.

Some of 'em even do a little stamp of the feet whilst in the Squat position.

 

[junebuggena]

The squawking is actually pretty normal for point of lay pullets. Imagine going into labor and not even knowing you were pregnant in the first place. You would be freaking out a bit, too. Remember, they've never laid before. They have no idea what is happening in their bodies. And you can't exactly sit them down and explain puberty and sexual maturity. It's just something they have to go through, and get used to. And that takes time. Eventually, most settle down after they get used to laying.

 

[azygous]

You need to just accept that some egg layers, even older ones, are very vocal before they go into the coop to lay an egg as well as after they finish.

It's actually quite useful since I am made aware of the intent of certain hens to lay, they go on so loudly about their need.

Also, hens may seem very loud to us in proximity to them. However, their voices lack the carrying capacity of roosters over long distances. Your neighbors may not even be hearing much, if any, noise.

 

[Flachickman]

posted to this "loud chickens" discussion before, and as the "girls" get older their outbursts have lessened in intensity and duration. However they still do cause a ruckus occasionally. Especially when one is in the nesting box the other one crows incessantly for 15-20 minutes. I still have to apologize to my neighbors. The one good thing about when the girls go into molt , they are quite quiet.

 

[junebuggena]

Could be that they are just bored out of their minds, or that they have trained you to come out and give them attention. Chickens need space and they need things to do. Otherwise, they can be very obnoxiously loud. It's also molting season, and that can make them more grouchy and vocal than usual.