Loud Chicken

[Kinzer]

We have 10 chickens in total - 2 white leghorns, 2 brown sexlinks, 4 Jersey Giants, and 2 unknown. This past week we have had our first eggs and now we have both white leghorns and one brown sexlink laying and the eggs are amazing, nice thick shells and amazing dark yolk color.

The behavior of the chickens changed a little once each of them started laying. First off, they have become easier to pick up and hold, they don’t really fight it like they used to. But the worst part of the laying has been the noise, and I’m curious if this is worse depending on the breed and if it gets better with time. The brown sexlink doesn’t make hardly any noise before, during, or after laying. The white leghorns on the other hand, they are loud enough to wake up the neighbors I’m sure. And that’s before, during, and after. Is this specific to white leghorns? And will they get quieter over time? If they won’t quiet down we will probably have to get rid of them because we’ve got one neighbor that will eventually say something. And we don’t want to be a menace anyway. Any thoughts?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

The smallest little hen in my flock of 25 is a little Polish hen, Poppy. Poppy is so loud that the entire house knows it's her when she's singing her egg song. I've said it a million times, people who make the "no rooster" laws have never been around chickens because hens can be just as loud, if not louder, than roosters!

 

[aliris]

Oh I tried that even before he complained, lol! He's vegan and quite haughtily refused. I tried to get him to come play with the chickens, to take some eggs for friends, etc etc etc. No go big-time.

 

[cmom]

Some birds sing the egg song and some birds are the cheerleaders. Is there a way to move your coop and pen (unless you are free ranging) further away from the complaining neighbor. The birds won't look favorably at being squirted with the hose and do not have the intelligence to associate being squirted with noise. Good luck...

 

[aliris]

? Mellowmalt, I think that's kind of harsh toward WeeFarmerSarah... she asked for clarification of my situation. She doesn't know the circumstances. I agree with you that letter-of-the-law notwithstanding, it's important to try not to gratuitously infuriate neighbors: the birds *are* loud. But it was helpful to me to hear WeeSarah's perspective too. I do probably need to chill a bit about trying to keep everyone happy all the time. But I don't think leaping to "who cares if a few million people die"... is a legitimate stretch here. She's just trying to comprehend why I'm on such a hair-trigger for noise. (As it happens, the NoisyNeighbor *is* correct by the letter of the law, which I didn't know until he showed it to me: his bedroom is probably within 25 feet of their coop. His bedroom is also illegally located. But it's been there for a long time, and, ya know, ... life's complicated - also this conversation is helping me to realize that I really ought to plan to move their coop as I plan to renovate it, so both you, WeeSarah, CrankyNeighbor and NoisyChickens might come out ahead, maybe?) (I legitimately had no idea I was breaking the law in the placement of the coop, I only knew that the birds were allowed (it was a big deal politically), not the qualifications).

 

[Aunt Angus]

Yeah, the egg song can get loud! My Silkies are ridiculously loud. Like car alarms. It's crazy. Not even 2 lbs, but they can rouse the dead. It hasn't gotten any quieter over the years.

I think @Wee Farmer Sarah is right. It depends on the breed/type. Or maybe even the individual bird. My Plymouth Rock, production red, and Brahma are all silent. My Orpington makes some noise, but it doesn't go on and on like my Silkies. My Cochin and Welsummer are both pretty loud, too, actually.

You get used to it. Not sure your neighbors will...

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

The smallest little hen in my flock of 25 is a little Polish hen, Poppy. Poppy is so loud that the entire house knows it's her when she's singing her egg song. I've said it a million times, people who make the "no rooster" laws have never been around chickens because hens can be just as loud, if not louder, than roosters!

Totally agree. And my rooster is about the nicest in my flock.

 

[aliris]

Some birds sing the egg song and some birds are the cheerleaders. Is there a way to move your coop and pen (unless you are free ranging) further away from the complaining neighbor. The birds won't look favorably at being squirted with the hose and do not have the intelligence to associate being squirted with noise. Good luck...

I could move the coope within the pen a bit, but it's currently in a good location. But I absolutely must build them a new coop so .... perhaps I should be considering not building it in the same place. The pen is large but not really large enough to make a difference noise-wise I don't think....

So you don't think my behavioral therapy plans will work. They definitely know the word "squirt" and make a beeline for it when I use the word. And they do seem to know I want them to shut up sometimes bc when my voice gets really sharp they do pipe down. Maybe I'm just making this up though...

 

[rosemarythyme]

But I have chickens that go off constantly basically because they want me to come feed them. Is that normal?

I'm afraid I've taught them this because I have a neighbor who was complaining, so I was trying vainly to keep them quiet. Every time they'd peep I'd come running to try to get them to quiet down. Now every time they hear me move in the house they start in shrieking. And when they see me.... smh.

It's normal. You accidentally trained them to associate you with snacks/food, and most animals are highly motivated by food.

Mine only get treats on occasion when I step out, but they'll all run to the fence and stare expectantly at me regardless if I have anything for them. After all the early bird gets the worm, and any chicken that isn't standing at the fenceline might miss out on a snack if I do have anything to toss in.

 

[cmom]

I have a small bucket for treats and when the birds see the bucket they come running. They don't want to miss out on the treats. When I feed everyone gets treats to keep them out of the coops while I'm filling the feeders. I put the feed in buckets in my trailer that I tow around with my yard tractor. When they hear the tractor coming they also know it's treat time.