Loud chickens

[lauren212]

Every time the door to the house or garage door opens the chickens start squawking loudly. I have 5 and they are in a 12 x12 run but they get to come out in the afternoon and free range. If they don't get let out they are very noisy and pace back and forth squawking. Also it's like every time they see us they think there's snacks...maybe that's why they are load. Is there any way to stop them from doing this. Should I not give them snacks anymore? Any ideas

 

[CascadiaRiver]

It sounds like they're just excited honestly,

 

[Pork Pie]

Chickens are a little more clever than they are given credit for. Your flock has become conditioned to know that afternoons = free ranging and they are letting you know that its time to be let out. Ditto treats. I feed my flock a couple of handfuls of millet every afternoon. From noon onwards, they will rush to the veranda every time I go out, expecting their millet.

Not sure what you can do to reduce their volume - they are what they are

 

[aart]

Yeah, I'd cut out the snacks for awhile.
Just go out there once in awhile and don't give them anything or even pay any attention to them.
They've got you trained, now you need to re-train yourself and them.

Mine come running to gate of run every time they hear the door open, but they don't squawk about it.
Tho mine are completely confined, never get to free range.
I have lots of roosts, a bench, some branches and other things to climb on and under in the run,
keeps them amused part of the time.

...and chickens can be loud, that's just how they are.

 

[lauren212]

Ok thanks. I will try that. And if I do have leftover veggies I will bring them out in the morning when it's dark.

 

[Teila]

Howdy Lauren

Supervised free range for my gals used to be 4PM on the weekdays after I had finished work and pretty much all day on the weekend.

They used to start getting excited around the 3PM mark but then Crystal and KiKi came along and they were LOUD.

4PM onwards supervised became 3PM unsupervised until 4PM supervised. They soon got used to that and started demanding to be let out at 2PM .. can you see where this is going? Yep, they free range all day now! Luckily I work from home and can race out at any sounds of trouble.

I have heard that mixing up the times that you let them out can help with breaking the routine they have gotten into. If you are home all day, may be try letting them out for the morning and then penning them back up for the afternoon. Three hours on one day, all day on another, 5 on another etc.

I also found that a radio playing quietly in the coop seemed to settle them for a while.

Sadly we lost KiKi but we still have Crystal and while she is in residence doing her ‘peacock cross duck’ impersonations, free range will be all day