HELP!!! Extremely noisy chickens!

[NaperLix]

Put watermelon,large pieces in big unbreakable container.Corn on the cob on ground.They will be busy.
Mine have both everyday.Must pick up any extra before night,don’t attract coons or something else.
They eat the whole rind and cob by days end.Definitely works.Stops feather picking as well.

 

[swimmy44]

I have a small flock of 2 hens in my coop. One is a Black Australorp and the other a RIR. They have plenty of food, water, and the occasional treat. They will squawk like crazy when they are about to lay, and for the rest of the day! This is my coop:View attachment 3014998View attachment 3014999

Looks like the bottom of the coop is just wire? If so nail plywood over that which will deaden the sound heard from outside.

 

[Ila88]

Is there a way to stop it, or is my coop to small, or something?!?!

I think your run is too small. Have you thought of letting them free range? If thats not feasible, I would build a bigger run and add some things to interest them such as a tree, vegetables, toys.

 

[Carolminifarm]

I have a small flock of 2 hens in my coop. One is a Black Australorp and the other a RIR. They have plenty of food, water, and the occasional treat. They will squawk like crazy when they are about to lay, and for the rest of the day! This is my coop:View attachment 3014998View attachment 3014999

Mine are free range on there own acre and still announce there eggs. Pretty far from house so not an issue. More room with grass, bugs and a dust bath spot would be better then lock up at night if predators an issue.

 

[canne50]

Hello! Nice set up you have there!
Your loyalty to you feathered friends and family is commendable. Whether they are first pets and then livestock, the mindset is important to their wellbeing as well as yours. Too many folks have gotten so close to their pets and livestock emotionally and physically it scares me. Sometimes the emotional attachment is too strong or needy causing better judgement to be set aside like allowing children or others to freely handle chickens without concerns for crossover viral or bacterial infections. Kissing and burying the face into the feathers is terribly dangerous.
So…off my soapbox! You sound sane and caring-not substituting critters for people.
The size of you coop is quite adequate for your two girls. In fact, unless it gets terribly hot or sunny in their location, it could be ideal for two more.
As far as the run size…it’s waaaay too small. Adding on additional run is easy, if you have the space. Our home is chain link fenced in and our run is only made of flexible poles like electric fence fiberglass and once in place I weave over and down the posts deer netting. I use 5’ long 3/8” rebar and flexible 1/2” plastic plumbing in 20’ sections to arc from one side to the other and cover with more deer or bird netting or maybe a layer of shade material underneath to keep them cool. With a larger run you may even be able to have a few more girls in your current hen house-just a bigger run is necessary. There may be animal kindness laws which dictate your responsibilities that would be good to check out…

Chickens are well adapted to cooler rather than hot weather. In northern Maine our average winter temp was 0 degrees F. Often we’d have a few weeks not above this but down to -20-30 degrees F. With excellent draft protection, I never, ever needed supplemental heating. The passive solar gain through the heavy clear plastic was more than adequate and often they were out their pop door as soon as it was opened!
The carrying-on the girls do is normal as they tell everyone which nest they want to lay in especially if a sister already occupies the ‘favored’ nest! After laying her egg, the short time of peace is broken by loud, declarations of “I laid an egg!” Repeated for several minutes. laying hens may also feel vulnerable without their male counterpart in the picture. He may crow some, but he also helps them feel secure. He has many things to tell them which varies in intensity depending on the level of threat or whatever. I’ve kept chickens for decades and one of the sweetest talk is when evening comes and he begins to call the girls into roost. The call is like a quietly murmured food call but more subdued and the last notes go down the scale. It’s calming even to me!
The rooster doesn’t waste his breath on just noises, he has the flock to care for. His wing flapping and crowing are stimulations of his reproductive glands.
Hope you continue to enjoy your girls and they- you!
Regards…

 

[canne50]

Also, we have neighbors that don’t like noise.

The neighbors might get some relief if you plant a thick hedge along the open areas, too.
Regards…

 

[queenie_29]

I might take your advice and build them a bigger run. Sorry, these girls are very special to me, I could never let them go. Thanks for the advice!

I had a similar problem with a very noisy RIR, who we couldn't bear to get rid of - she had everything she could possibly want (food, water, snacks, entertainment) and she wouldn't shut up. We eventually figured out that the more we went outside, the more she moaned because she could see us.

We tried everything we could think of to get her to be quiet, but in the end the best solution was just to ignore her when she is moaning, and not to go outside at all. Now she is a lot better, and only makes noise when they have run out of food or water.

We made sure that she had everything she needed, before just leaving her with the other girls, and ignoring her completely. At first she made a huge fuss, but she eventually realised that she would gain nothing out of making noise. We read in a few places to flick water on her when she's being noisy, however we found that that just made her even noisier.

I hope this helps.

 

[Cindy666]

I have a small flock of 2 hens in my coop. One is a Black Australorp and the other a RIR. They have plenty of food, water, and the occasional treat. They will squawk like crazy when they are about to lay, and for the rest of the day! This is my coop:View attachment 3014998View attachment 3014999

You should never require any animal to have to live on screen like that. You mentioned ventilation but ventilation is at the top not the bottom. And if you’re allowed to have chickens where you are and your neighbors don’t like it oh well. Don’t worry about them unless they’re psychotic. And his other said yes they have nothing to do and nowhere to go in that small area.

 

[NatJ]

You should never require any animal to have to live on screen like that.

What screen?

When I look at the photos, I think the raised "coop" part has no floor at all.
The hardware cloth is attached to the panels at the sides of the "run," not the bottom of the "coop."

You mentioned ventilation but ventilation is at the top not the bottom.

Ventilation is any space that lets air move.
Yes, overhead ventilation is often good.
But a completely open bottom (where all the poop can fall to the ground below) is not bad either. That coop certainly has more ventilation with an open bottom than it would if the bottom were closed.

 

[chickiechickiebawkbawk]

That noise is the sound of breakfast! They often carry on more in the spring but definitely after they lay an egg. I had a Buff talk for a couple days last week because the weather got warm.
They love to fly and run in their run so the bigger the better. Mine is 35' long x 14' wide x 7' tall and I have 36 hens. They also get let out into a fenced in garden and woodsy area that has string strung to prevent hawks.
I always suggest a bigger run, and give your neighbor some eggs, and joke about good thing you don't have a rooster. My neighbors took their stock mufflers off their cars, waaay worse than a squawking hen! At least they are feeding us.