hen racket at dawn

[Dingleberry]

mine were noisy today too.

one of my babies found her voice, not just pip pip. also They don't like deer in the forest and a new one has taken on the roll of alert hen. It is anoying as I try to keep them quiieter because of the neighbors.

 

[incubatingisfun]

dalight activated wouldnt work for me an alaska it dosnt get dark here till like 11:00 at night

 

[sticksoup]

They are probably spoiled to your love and attention. My little leghorn raises the roof with her racket when she hears the garage door open. She has associated this noise with the arrival of humans, and the arrival of humans pretty much always mean the chickens will be immediately looked into, given treats, and usually let out of their run to free range. All things chickens look forward to. Her racket sounds to me "hurry up! hurry up! We're here! We're here!".

Sorry- no solution on how to break a spoiled chicken. Mine walk all over me.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
You can order a different model of the Electronic Doorkeeper from Foy's, which uses a TIMER. Problem solved.

 

[Harrietsmum]

I solved this problem with my girls last summer. I added a hanging container of mixed dry food in the coop. I fill it each night when I go to lock them in, and remove it when I open in the morning. It contains wheat, pellets, wild bird seed, chopped peanuts, sunflower seeds etc. Keeps them busy and happy until I am ready to get out of bed.
My container is just a large fruit juice plastic container with a round hole cut in the side. String around the neck hangs it on a nail in one corner of the coop. Easy to remove etc. Hope this helps you.

 

[b'hamPeeps]

We have the same issue. Tiny lot, noisy girls. Although we tried to pick breeds that were supposedly quiet, our buff orps and slw are terrible. The earliest we had to get up last summer was about 4 a.m.

We haven't made the move to an automated door yet, (we are not handy), but the treats in the coop didn't work for us. They want to free range and do it NOW! What has helped a bit is darkness. Last month we were getting up about 6:30, this morning it was about 7:45. The difference is the wisteria which is all around and above their coop is now covered in leaves and helps to keep it dark longer.

Good luck to you!

 

[LittleFeat]

Quote:
I think I'll give that a try!! They have their usual layer feed in there but maybe something "special" will keep their noisy little beaks busy!!

 

[speckledhen]

Can they see out the window? If so, they may tune up when they see passing predators, cats, etc. Mine sure do! They go nuts when they see a whitetail deer out the window.

 

[mdbokc]

Mine are the same way. They want out as soon as there is enough light to see and they are vocal about it. I don't need any rooster! My neighbor whose home is several hundred feet away from the coop can hear them...so he has said. He gets free eggs and so not really a complaint, just his observation. I think half of it is mine want to get out and go to the bathroom! There are several piles of fresh poop the size of an egg outside within a couple of minutes of turning them out. They do very little on the poop boards at night. And the floor with pine shavings is often not used at all.

Since I am up early I don't mind too much but sleeping in is not an option. However, I might try the treat bowl on Friday nights after they go to roost so I can enjoy an extra hour Saturday mornings. Presently, it is up and let them out; and then back to bed!