I have the noisiest chickens in the world- need some ideas

[cobrien]

I too am in the city and have noisy chickens - just 1 or 2 of my 7 are the culprits. I am also surprised that darkening the coop didn't work - are you sure you can't make it darker? i don't do that because the floor of my coop is wire mesh and I don't want them to be walking/standing on it except to get out/in- their pop door is open to a secure run, no predator problems yet. I used to let mine out to free range in the AM before leaving for work, but stopped because they started waking up DEMANDING to be let out each morning. I now only let them out in the early evening. I think this routine has helped a little. I can't leave food in my run because it attracts rats. If you can, I'd do that, and I would probably spread it around on the ground to keep them busy scratching. I sometimes give them cabbage & lettuce in big chunks, or whole on a rope as another suggested. I usually am up at the same time as the chickens but sometimes on weekends if I sleep in I go out and give them their food (cause it's not there in the morning, we take it in due to rats) and that shuts them up for a while.
there was a good thread on chicken toys a while back that you could look for - lots of good ideas on keeping them occupied but haven't tried many.

i've found that one chicken starts the noise and the others follow. maybe you could remove the top hen or the noisiest one for a while to see if the others are quieter.

good luck, i feel your pain!

 

[matimeo]

I'm going to try darkening again tonight and give it a few days to see if they get used to it. I cut out pieces of wood to completely cover the windows. If that doesn't work I'm going to use nitrous oxide instead.

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
[joke] But then the eggs will taste funny [/joke]

 

[aggie9296]

I kind of like the radio idea. If it doesn't keep them quiet, maybe you could drown them out!

I don't worry about my chickens' noise upsetting the neighbors. One has a lab that barks constantly. One mows early in the AM. One has a race car that he fires up a couple of times per week. One had a goat that I can hear from 2 streets over. And another one has parties every weekend with loud thumping bass. At least they have good music.

I run a fan or portable AC in my bedroom and I never hear a thing!

 

[Meara]

I think they need time to adjust to a new schedule and daily pattern. They certainly are creatures of habit! Eventually they will settle into their new routine if you stick with it.

I wish mine could free range all day, but they aren't allowed out until late afternoon. They still get several hours before dusk to roam around. Their noisiest activities of the day occur while they are in the coop. By the time I let them out they are just happy to run and keep busy scratching and dust bathing and don't make much noise.

 

[Katydid2011]

I'll confess that I'm one of those people who frequently says, based on personal experience, that hens aren't any louder or more bothersome than occasionally barking dogs. We live out in the country and our barn coop is a good distance from the house but we have a quarantine coop and yard for newbies that's very close to our house and noise just isn't a problem. Sure, we get the occasionally proud announcement that an egg has been laid, but mostly it's chirrups and coos and the occasional cluck or "honk". They actually sound more like happy kittens than anything.

I typically let them out of their coops by 7:00am, sometimes earlier. If they're not already down and eating, they quickly hop down from their roosts when they hear me coming and greet me at the door making happy little noises.

I totally sympathize but I haven't a clue how to help. So far, I haven't had a problem with noisy chickens. (Having said that, I fully expect to be met by outrageously loud chickens in the near future. lol)

 

[MeowCluckBark]

I was at my friends house for a few days and in the morning her hens would all push up as close to the gate of the run as possible and start making this weird cluster of noises. Sort of a low sounding chicken whine. It was clucking, don't get me wrong, but it was definitely a whine. The 2 banty cochins could get out of the run on their own, so they would walk along the perimeter next to the big girls whining and tease them that they were out. It was the funniest thing ever!

Now I never heard them do this, but they also wake up in the middle of the night and start 'singing'. That's what her husband says. They just go to town making a racket together. She has 16 hens at the moment. I find it funny and endearing. Thankfully, I'm a deep sleeper.

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
Mine don't sing at night but they do whine- its kinda cute

 

[snazzyboots]

omg!! you all are scaring me. mine are still babies but we live in the city and i don't want to make my neighbors mad

hopefully mine will be quieter.

 

[AKsmama]

This is why I laugh and laugh when people complain about roosters. They have no idea how loud hens can be.