How noisy are your hens in the morning?

[medicmandan]

Brought my hens home yesterday from exile. I have approval from my city council member to keep them while they draft a resolution to be voted on changing the zoning ordinance. They started laying eggs while they were gone (tiny little things).

This morning I noticed they were noisier than before their vacation. I opened the door to the nesting boxes and one started screaming at me like I'd just peaked in on her in the shower.

Being 8AM I left them alone so as not to overly disturb my neighbors. As they started coming out of the coop they were being quiet loud. Not consistently and I only heard them once while I was in the house with the windows/doors closed.

It's not any louder than the neighborhood dogs and certainly quieter than the peacocks down the street but I'm still trying to play the good cooperative neighbor here.

What can I do to keep them quieter in the mornings? They've got a ton of salad greens to munch on as we cleaned out the fridge last night for them.

Are there breeds that are typically more quiet than others? I've got a mix of 2 black sex links, 1 red sex link, 1 Rhode Island Red, and 2 Delawares.

 

[Imp]

Mine can get noisy in the am too. I don't know if it's just natural or they just want me to open the run and let them out. Right now I get up and let them out at 6:30am every day.Once they are out free ranging they are much quieter. No sleeping in here. Lol

Imp- Being trained by chickens

ETA- The only way I can think of to keep them quieter is to keep the coop darker, till you want to let them out.

 

[medicmandan]

They let themselves out in the morning. When they're inside I can't really hear them. It's the noises when outside I'm worried about.

 

[happyhenhouse]

I don't think their noise level is something you can predict,

but the screaming thing is avoidable if you will talk pleasantly to them as you approach. They don't like to be surprised or startled - that's when they will sound off. Most of the time it's a gentle clucking sound. To be on the safe side, maybe try locating them as far from your most sensitive neighbor as you can. And, yes, offering fresh eggs is a winner.

 

[medicmandan]

I'm looking at one of those automatic hen doors. What is the down side to not letting them out until say around 9AM? The coop is really solid so it contains most of the noise when they are in there.

I'm just trying to be conscientious towards my neighbors. I don't find them to be all that loud and certainly less noisy than the neighborhood dogs or peacocks. I didn't even hear any noise until around 8:30 to 9 over the weekend.

 

[Jilara]

I have one hen that just likes to scream. All hours, but more in the morning. I can't seem to get her to stop. I think it's something we just have to deal with. Better than pea fowl, I guess, but sheesh, I wish she'd just shut up. Condolences on having a noisy one.

 

[kelliepulido]

mine are all very loud it sounds like a 3ring circus down in the barn most of the day.Either the roosters crowing or the hens bawking something is always going on down in the barn.I lived on the lake growing up and I think my chickens are louder than the canadian geese that use to flock up on our lawn

 

[jus1jack]

Mine are noisier also now that they are laying. Think it's called the egg song...

Sounds like this...

 

[SadieClucks]

Our hens have always gotten pretty noisy after they lay, I've read its a normal behavioral trait designed to attract predators attention away from the nest with new eggs. Lately ours have also been extra noisy early in the AM. To the point that they get our dog howling its really funny to see but I defiantly stress about our neighbors as well. I've had some success distracting them with some scratch or veggie scraps.

 

[chookchick]

We let ours out about 7 AM and give them scratch. They are busy and quiet with that until they start laying, later in the morning. If you have some mulch, or dead leaves, or weeds for them to pick through, that might keep them occupied enough to stay quiet. I think mine would go stir crazy in the coop if I didn't let them out till later.