Chickens won't stop squawking loudly for no apparent reason

[ElizaMay]

Our hens squawk in the morning and in the day sometimes especially if they’re hungry. 6am every morning. It’s different then the egg laying song. Its a more needy sound. Growling that just lingers and gets louder and louder. We have to get up, give them a few grains and show face and they quiet down for an hour or two.

Get yourself an an automatic cat feeder on Amazon, so you can sleep in a bit!!

 

[Hopelives07]

This is day 4 that Filly, our Plymouth Rock has laid and egg. For the first time, that crazy chicken yelled like there was no tomorrow! Good Lord, we're in a residential area that allows chickens but I know my neighbor is a trucker and has odd hours. I'm a first time chicken owner and had no idea the girls could be so loud. I feel so bad!! She's quiet now that she laid her egg but goodness I sure hope we don't have to give her away.
Any advise would be so appreciated.

 

[Hopelives07]

Our city ordinances were revised a couple years ago, allowing up to 7 chickens within the city limits. When we bought our chicks, we had asked for 6 but the guy at Tractor Supply was kind enough to stuff 8 of them into the box and not charge us for the extra 2. I think maybe he thought that we would lose a couple because we were self-admitted first-timers. All 8 grew up healthy and strong and several have started laying perfect brown eggs this past week or so.

Unfortunately one of them as turned into a squawker. For the last 3 weeks (or more really), she's started up around 7:00 am and squawks a single loud squawk at 30 second to 1 minutes intervals, taking a break only to eat, drink, or lay/sing egg song. I'm pretty sure she's the alpha, occasionally pecking at other chickens and bossing everyone around. I've got good neighbors and felt really bad about all the noise we were subjecting them to. As a family, we decided to take care of the situation... so.. I did some reading up on the subject and...

We just got done harvesting our first chicken this afternoon.
She's chilling in a nice seasoned brine in the fridge and we've got some King Ranch Chicken planned for her.
My oldest son and niece were excited to help with the process, plucking feathers after the scalding and peeling the feet and gizzard. We even found an egg, ready to lay, while we were cleaning her. She has less meat on her than I had hoped but we'll boil the bones and giblets and make a nice Leek Soup out of her too. Her feathers and entrails are buried in the center of the compost and we'll be growing some nice garden veggies from the leftovers.

The peace and quiet is great, I can tell she'll be tasty, and we're not in violation of ordinances any more. I feel a little bad but it really had to be done. I'll update if anything changes but for now, all is quiet on the coop front!

Oh my...

 

[ElizaMay]

This is day 4 that Filly, our Plymouth Rock has laid and egg. For the first time, that crazy chicken yelled like there was no tomorrow! Good Lord, we're in a residential area that allows chickens but I know my neighbor is a trucker and has odd hours. I'm a first time chicken owner and had no idea the girls could be so loud. I feel so bad!! She's quiet now that she laid her egg but goodness I sure hope we don't have to give her away.
Any advise would be so appreciated.

We have one hen who *only* squawks when she wants the box another bird is in - but when she does it sounds like an eagle has her in its talons, with the eardrum-splitting racket she makes.

 

[Kyatesw]

In my house we call it the morning scream.

If your neighbors haven't complained I wouldn't worry about it. You are focused on it so it probably sounds louder than it is. Think of how noisy wild birds are and how you just tune it out.

 

[Hopelives07]

We have one hen who *only* squawks when she wants the box another bird is in - but when she does it sounds like an eagle has her in its talons, with the eardrum-splitting racket she makes.

LOL

 

[allameraucana]

I am going to watch this post with interest. I have 2 Black Copper Mirans that will do this. It makes a car alarm sound soothing! I know mine are both hens (about 9 months old) and they are CRAZY. Usually one will start, and the other will soon follow. Eggs, no eggs...morning, afternoon...full moon, no moon (kidding). They just seem to be in love with the sound of their own voice, and bawgak for no reason. Anyway, I think I'm going to have to re-home them. I too am a city dweller and I'm certain if their racket bothers me, it's bothering my neighbors (but their dogs bark...so neener neener). Maybe I can sell them to ADT as a house alarm

I know this is 12 years old.... Not sure if you're still poking around on here. But how did this ever play out? Did you have to rehome them? I am in the same predicament.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I know this is 12 years old.... Not sure if you're still poking around on here. But how did this ever play out? Did you have to rehome them? I am in the same predicament.

You can tap the user name and it will show if that user is still active. I did so and it shows the person you addressed your question to @Where The Wild Things Are , was "last seen April 3, 2015."

 

[Zubiama]

Please tell me You figured something out. I am so DONE with two of my chickens (I am sure my neighbors have considered poison!) . These are super loud grating squawks, different from their typical egg song, no danger, plenty of room/access to food and water, all healthy. Did you end up re-homing? Or is there a magical solution you discovered?

 

[JCC]

Two things, one I am sure about, the other I am currently trying to suss out. My experience is that with morning squawking, this occurred with former chickens I eventually had to get rid of. I had been letting them out of their coop/run every day to enjoy grazing around the yard during the day, and then they would get back into their coop at night and locked in. So when they got up early in the morning, they would squawk like roosters to get let out again into the yard, the run around the coop was insufficient to them after enjoying the yard. Very, very loud squawking early in the morning as the result of this practice. It was so disturbing I had to get rid of them unfortunately. With my latest chickens, I have changed my practice and they never go out. So that problem is solved. But with my new hens, the dominant one sometimes still goes on a loud squawking rampage. It seems to happen when one of my small flock of 3 is laying an egg and has disappeared into the coop where the dominant hen can't see it. I believe this upsets the dominant hen who may be signaling to the "lost" hen. When I open the coop so that the laying hen can be seen, the squawking stops. But then the laying hen gets up which concerns me. They need to feel undisturbed while laying I think. Considering making a transparent door to the coop. They still need sheltering at night as they need to hide, feel safe, and find warmth during cold nights. A little speculative at this point until I do more research. Not sure a transparent door will work either. Now neither of these points may apply with young, non-laying hens or hens that are not let out into a yard. I which case there may have been a "hen perception" that some type of perceived predator was about, could be cat, a dog, large birds overhead, etc. This will also cause them to squawk. Their squawking can have may meanings. https://blog.omlet.us/2020/08/21/chicken-sounds-and-what-they-mean/