Hi Everyone, I am new to urban chicken keeping. I have three hens in my yard in Berkeley (in a very urban part of town). My chickens are unbelievably loud in the mornings! Whether or not they are laying, they are just loud. So loud they wake me up, and must be waking the neighbors. They are that loud until I let them into the yard. Everyone had told me hens were quiet...Suggestions?? Rachel
Your birds have you trained well. They've figured out that if they are loud enough, you'll let them out. Soon, if not already, they'll be making a ruckus as soon as they're off the roost first thing in the morning. Mine trained me well too. Don't let them out if they are making loud noise. Only let them out if they've been quiet for some period of time (e.g. 10 minutes to start). Gradually increase that time between noise and letting them out. Soon they'll re-learn that making the noise doesn't work to get them out and they'll stop being loud in that context. Good luck. Oh, BTW, (edited for welcome)
Don't be too concerned, I thought my chickens would make too much noise and I thought they were too loud until my neighbor and I talked and I asked if they were too loud for them and he said, not at all, most of the time we don't hear them because we have the air conditioning on and it doesn't matter cuz when you roo crows and the hens bawk it sounds like we're on a farm out in the country and that has a calming effect on us... And come to think of it for the past few years I've heard a rooster crowing way in the distance and I always loved hearing him, even on Saturday morning when I wanted to sleep in.... It seems to have a calming effect on me..
I have a BO pullet that just started screaming. She does not do it all the time but Lordy, when she lets that scream rip, you nearly jump out of your skin. Not sure if she is wanting attention or what!
