Help my neighbor said my chickens are being loud :(

[Ila88]

Thanks guys, yes we do have a noise ordinance, I live on the edge of a small rural city.

We are allowed 6 hens no roosters and they can’t be a “nuisance” (free ranging/or making lots of racket etc). The neighbor doesn’t mind when they cluck. But she hears one of them start screaming (egg song ) and then the others join. I’m hoping to plant some more shrubs as a sound barrier, and maybe put up some wind chimes or something to drown them out.

Give her eggs. That satisfied my neighbor.

 

[DKS]

Hello, we have 6 noisy hens also. I have noticed that ours are primarily noisy when the want out to free range in the yard. It starts just after their coop door opens and would go on all day. I too get worried for the same reason. Since I cannot be out in the yard all the time to supervise against hawk attacks while they free range, my husband built a chicken tractor which allows them to free range in the grass without fear of hawks. We can easily move the tractor around the yard since it has wheels so that our chicks have the chance to scratch around in different parts of our yard. Once they are either free ranging or in the tractor, all noise ceases as they are happily foraging. So, besides the egg cry, it may be that they are noisy out of boredom and trying to get your attention. just Another suggestion to consider.

 

[NatJ]

The egg song lasts one minute.

I've noticed that some hens do it for a lot longer than others. So they can't ALL be one minute.

 

[Miss El]

Hi you all, I have had my 6 hens for about 8 months. I got a call tonight from my neighbor (who up to till the last few months hasn’t minded them) her house is about 70 ft from my coop. The issue is the “egg song”. I have one hen that has a pretty awful egg song, and she is a loud mouth. When she starts to go, they all start to holler.

I can have chickens as long as they aren’t a “nuisance”. So now my anxiety is ramping up! How do I get them to quiet down? Is there a way I can get them to lay at a better time they would be shut in the coop? Idk they have weird egg laying schedules. Sometimes in the AM some times at noon today at 4:00/5 at night when everyone is home trying to enjoy dinner

If your hens are laying inside a coop, perhaps a little insulation would help. You can get sheets of solid stuff so the birds won’t get wound up in it. It is amazing the difference it can make. Giving her a dozen eggs is a great way to have her warm up to them, as well. Then again, some people are just living to create strife. Good luck!

 

[MIgardengal]

Not sure what time you let the hens out of the coop everyday ( I usually wait until about 9am-10 am) but encouraging them to be morning layers Before you open up the coop is not an impossible task. I bought a cheap $5 electrical timer at the local store. Set your timer for the light to come on a few hours before sunrise and turn itself off at sunrise. By the light coming on the chickens are tricked into thinking it’s daylight outside and begin their daily routine inside the coop including making you a delicious egg. This process truly does encourage morning laying....thus the egg song is performed while your coop is still closed up !!

I think that’s a fantastic idea I’m going to try that. I thought chickens laid in the AM but it seems like for the past month they have been laying at dusk. Maybe the lack of sunlight has them messed up? When they laid in the AM back in October I never had this issue because my Barred Rock (should have named her Carlotta from the annoying singer on phantom!) always laid before I opened the hatch for them to go outside. Now that she is laying at dusk she is out in the run yelling her egg song.

 

[Chickenclaude]

I have 4 wind chimes...they don’t sound cover a girl laying. My vote is to share the eggs and let the neighbor know it’s the noise hens make when they are laying eggs and the other girls are joining in commiserating with her.

 

[DKS]

I would say that's a good idea as well if it really is the egg laying song. If it goes on throughout the day, then it may be something else.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

@Brenda Jones thats a sweet set up! I will tell the hubby about that. On occasion I drive through Sualt Ste Marie because the flights from Canada are cheaper!!! I live in between Marquette and Munising so about a 2.5 hr drive from you I think.

Just wondering what the end of the story looks like. I'm in the UP...Republic area. Nice to meet a fellow Yooper!

 

[Brenda Jones]

Just wondering what the end of the story looks like. I'm in the UP...Republic area. Nice to meet a fellow Yooper!

Northwoods Chick,
nice to meet someone from the subarctic U.P. also . My garage coop has changed drastically since page 6 of this post. I am wondering how @MIgardengal has faired with her issue.

@MIgardengal, any updates????