How to make them SHUT UP!

[christina1982]

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I know it did with mine

! Everytime I walk by and I don't have a treat they will make this growling noise at me lol.

 

[Pele]

I'm in a very similar situation such as yourself, and you have my sympathies. Even though I did research in advance, and got really quiet breeds, they sometimes cause a ruckus.

When they are in the coop, the noise is minimal, so waking up at about 7:30 and letting them out works. You may want to add insulation to the walls of your coop, and maybe install blackout curtains so they can't see the sunrise and wake up. Just make sure you have adequate ventillation.

Also, once they are out in the run, you can give them something called Flock Bloc, which is a huge hunk of chicken treats. THey spend time pecking at it and entertaining themselves instead of screaming for treats.

Just a few suggestions, good luck and don't forget that fresh eggs for your neighbors goes a long way!

 

[speckledhen]

Can they see out a window? If so, they are probably seeing early morning predators (cats, coyotes, dogs, etc) or other animals passing by. Mine go nuts when they see a cat or a whitetail deer or even a rabbit out the window. The noise is normal stuff. The latest thing was a big turtle they went nuts over.

 

[Nicole01]

Mine have just started the very loud noise! I'm actually very surprised how loud they get. My noisiest is my SS and she is not laying yet, but she sings the egg song loud and clear over and over. I'm pretty sure her eggs are coming soon.

I'm very lucky that my coop is 100% pitch black until I open the door. I will be waking them up from now on at 7:45am-8:00am even though our ordinance says they can make noise at 7am. I was waking them up at 6:30am. Our neighbors are not that close, but I'm sure they can hear my girls. I don't think there is any other way of quieting them down. Mine are quiet when I free range, but there's no way I'd want to go egg hunting in the woods.

 

[upcdayz]

You shouldn't have to go egg hunting in the woods if they have a nest box. Where are they laying their eggs now? Chickens will usually use the same nest if it's in a place where they feel secure in laying them.

 

[Nicole01]

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I just got my first egg today in the nest box.

. I've read if you free range before they lay their eggs, that you'll need to hunt down the eggs. Since my girls free range in our woods in the backyard, I assumed they would lay their eggs there if I let them out too early. I keep them in the coop and run until later in the day before I let them out.

 

[upcdayz]

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I just got my first egg today in the nest box.

. I've read if you free range before they lay their eggs, that you'll need to hunt down the eggs. Since my girls free range in our woods in the backyard, I assumed they would lay their eggs there if I let them out too early. I keep them in the coop and run until later in the day before I let them out.

Congratulations on your first egg! That's always exciting.

My chickens free range all day. They're a little noisy in the mornings sometimes, but not always. Don't know why that is. They usually start milling around shortly before sunup when there is barely enough light to see. They let themselves out. I don't have to let them in and out of the coop for bedtime or wake up time, but I don't have woods, either. I'll bet your chickens love the woods where it's cooler in the afternoons.

When they first started laying I guess they weren't sure where to do it so one of them (the first one to lay) chose a shady spot underneath some cannas that are close to the house. After that I put golf balls in the next box then showed the girls the nest. Since then, they've all laid their eggs in there.

Chickens are funny creatures, aren't they?

 

[LoreenH]

Mine are noisy when the see or hear me, they know I'm the bearer of treats. They growl, grumble, honk, bawk until they get their treats.....if I have to go to the shed to get scratch it's a noisy parade from the back door to the shed. Once they have their treats they are quiet...until I go outside again. My neighbors say they rarely hear them during the when they know my husband & I are gone.

 

[Beekissed]

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Agreed. You might want to get rid of the chickens and buy eggs from someone who raises their own...chickens are not a quiet pet.

 

[sourland]

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If the older hens were quiet until the younger started laying and singing, try getting rid of the young birds first. Hens seem to "feed' off of one another's vocalizations. Perhaps by removing the noisiest, you can reduce the noise level. The bottom line after all of that has been said is they are just being normal hens.