How to make them SHUT UP!

[Katy]

I agree with beekissed on pretty much everything she has said....chickens are loud and I'm quite certain that their noise level is very normal. People who have never had chickens before don't seem to realize they don't go around quietly clucking all day.....they get very vocal. Trying to find a way to quiet them is pretty futile.

 

[madamwlf]

Quote:

I love hearing my girls sing.

 

[matimeo]

People need to read the OP's posts more carefully. They aren't trying to eradicate their chicken's instinct to make noise. From my reading they are just hoping to help train them to be a little quieter in the morning so as not to irritate the neighbors, which is a noble thing to do. Frankly the suggestions to just rehome their chickens is unhelpful and too drastic. I think what they are trying to do is completely possible by simply isolating the variables that caused the noisiness early in the morning and reinforcing different behavior. I have every confidence that they will be able to do it because I have done it and it wasn't rocket science.

And in response to whoever said this has been spoken about over and over again on the forums, why does that mean we have to keep giving them the same unhelpful answers? Chickens are instinctual animals and they will always make noise. They make noise in response to their environment. Changes in that environment, totally within our control, can alter the timing or intensity of that hard-wired behavior. It is frankly unhelpful to just ignore those facts. OP just wants that noise to not happen at 6:00am. Maybe if we are more helpful instead of telling somebody to just give up there would be less of these types of questions.

 

[sourland]

Gotta say Katy and Beekissed present solid husbandry and experience based thoughts.

 

[dretd]

Quote:
I do live in an area where it is legal to keep chickens.
I keep chickens because I want to know the source of my food.
This is a lifestyle choice to better the health of myself and my family.
I did expect the hens to make a tolerable level of noise.
What they are doing is not tolerable or what I would consider normal.

I think your response is rude and I am mildly offended.

Geesh, I kinda felt the same way when I read this elabraleon. It just really isn't helpful. I have a dog that someties barks, but I don't appreciate it when people let their dogs bark incessantly. 'Gosh, they are dogs, what am I supposed to do?' Or, I have really well behaved kids but I have seen irreseponsible parents with obnoxious children 'shrug..kids will be kids...'

Yes chickens can be noisy, but gosh, I understand you want to be a good neighbor! I have a roo and he was crowing at 5 am. Now, he is legal, but I close him in the barn every night and take him out every morning so that his morning song is muffled and I don't bother the neighbors. Just seems polite.

Here's my take: My hens can be pretty obnoxious and there are two that are particularly loud on occasion--not related to egg laying. For me, if I go out and shush them they do quiet down. I never feed them when they are noisy because that would reward their behaviour. If they don't quiet down to the shushing then I will track them down and pick them up and hold them until they settle down. Works well for me.

The other thing I did was add 2 nest boxes. I had 2 for 6 and now I have 4 (2 up and 2 below) for 8. There is always one box that is the favorite and when a dominant hen boots the sumissive one the low-man may compain rather loudly that she was bumped. The second set seems to have helped with that problem.

Good luck to you!

 

[matimeo]

Quote:
And obviously don't live in an urban setting.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
And obviously don't live in an urban setting.

Nope, thank god I'm not in an urban setting and if I was I wouldn't try and have farm fowl in town and try to convert their natural behavior to suit my needs. I prefer to let chckens be chickens.

 

[RHRanch]

Quote:
I do live in an area where it is legal to keep chickens.
I keep chickens because I want to know the source of my food.
This is a lifestyle choice to better the health of myself and my family.
I did expect the hens to make a tolerable level of noise.
What they are doing is not tolerable or what I would consider normal.

I think your response is rude and I am mildly offended.

Geesh, I kinda felt the same way when I read this elabraleon. It just really isn't helpful. I have a dog that someties barks, but I don't appreciate it when people let their dogs bark incessantly. 'Gosh, they are dogs, what am I supposed to do?' Or, I have really well behaved kids but I have seen irreseponsible parents with obnoxious children 'shrug..kids will be kids...'

Yes chickens can be noisy, but gosh, I understand you want to be a good neighbor! I have a roo and he was crowing at 5 am. Now, he is legal, but I close him in the barn every night and take him out every morning so that his morning song is muffled and I don't bother the neighbors. Just seems polite.

Here's my take: My hens can be pretty obnoxious and there are two that are particularly loud on occasion--not related to egg laying. For me, if I go out and shush them they do quiet down. I never feed them when they are noisy because that would reward their behaviour. If they don't quiet down to the shushing then I will track them down and pick them up and hold them until they settle down. Works well for me.

The other thing I did was add 2 nest boxes. I had 2 for 6 and now I have 4 (2 up and 2 below) for 8. There is always one box that is the favorite and when a dominant hen boots the sumissive one the low-man may compain rather loudly that she was bumped. The second set seems to have helped with that problem.

Good luck to you!

The thing is - when dogs bark excessively, you usually have a untrained dog that has a lot of energy or is neurotic. A noisy chicken is a normal, happy chicken. So, for me, they don't really equate.

I don't think Beekissed was trying to offend, just wanted to assure you that your cickens behavior is normal and typical of chickens. They are very vocal in thier routine and communications. I have observed this from over 25 yrs of chicken keeping. I hope that you will reconsider the offense you have felt at the comments from some very experienced poultry folks. It is not meant to offend, it comes from a place of experience and understanding of chicken behavior. They are loud, you might be able to make some slight modifications to your routine that cut down an noise a small bit. but you are working against the happy and healthy behavior of your birds.

 

[Amethyste]

I am rather blessed tbh with good girls that are rather quiet except when egglaying. That's it...I only hear them holler when they lay an egg. We keep the coop dark with a little bit of natural light...we did see a while back that they will get a bit rowdy when the sun comes up and they can see the light. We keep food and water in the coop for them, as well as a flock block. We don't let them out at the same time every morning cos we have a life

If I am working that day they get let out when I go to the car...if I am off they stay in till *I* am ready to let them out. For the most part they are pretty quiet and don't argue much or grumble.

I almost wonder if it is true that they are like kids in a way...I taught toddlers for over 20 years and I know how to not give in to demands and tantrums

They have learned that no matter how much they fuss I will not cater, and they just don't bother now. They haven't for years. I don't have them on a schedule...they get let out when I am ready to let them out and I think they know that. I am the one in charge not them.

Sundays they won't come out till noon to the run. We want the neighbours to have a good lay-in Sunday and not listen to the girls griping. Saturdays they might come out after 8 am.

I rambled a bit there...sorry!!! But anyway they are on MY schedule and not theirs...and they have figured that out. I can still hear them mumbling and griping a little in the morning before I let them out, but they all have learned that all the griping and whinging in the world won't get them out any faster. They get a bit noisier once they know I am incoming to let them out...they can see me coming. But, its never a loud obnoxious noise...its more of a "YAY mom!!!" type of squawks.

 

[karlamaria]

Quote:
I agree matimeo , and maybe she was just venting. no sense in hurting ones feelings. I think the post was rude also and one does not need to be rude to others. its just a power play. Are we not supposed to post questions about all things her chickens?? for fear someone will stike out do we need to shut up and stop posting? really she was asking a question, as many of us " city folk do who raise back yard chickens as the title of this board says. I ask some pretty strange questions, because Im new at it, like the OP !