Loud hen all day. Is this normal?

[allameraucana]

Hi all,

I have six ~9 month old hens. They have been laying for about 3 months and I live in a cold, northern climate.

One of my buff orpingtons is so loud... she starts up right when it is light out or even just barely. Usually around 6:30am. Some days she isn't that incessant and some days she goes on until 2 or 3pm. She is just squawking over and over then sometimes will randomly bust out into her egg song even though she has not yet laid an egg or already did a while ago. She kind of sounds like a dog barking lol except a chicken sound.

Is this normal? Is she stressed or confused or? I worry because once spring/summer comes, this won't fly with the neighbors when their windows are open (I live in a suburban area) and she's going off for hours at 5am haha.

The thought of giving her away breaks my heart. She is like my best buddy out of all of them!!! And yes they have everything they need. Water, food, free range option, covered run, coop, things to climb on, etc. I'm at a loss! Any advice?

Thank you!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

My hens don't, I have plenty of roosters. BUT, and possibly instructive to your situation, several of my hens will seemingly join in something resembling "egg song" when not laying. They do so while another hen *IS* laying (and singing) - generally at some distance from the laying hen. My birds free range during the day on several acres. I theorize that they are doing so in an effort to confuse predators by creating the impression that there are several hens who might be "occupied" and unable to flee as easily as others, and to add confusion as to the site of any given nest....

I thought this was normal - its been my experience since getting chickens - so I've not really thought about it, beyond making up a plausible sounding reason for why it might be occuring. The Real Reason??? No clue. Maybe I'm right. Probably not.

 

[LaFleche]

several of my hens will seemingly join in something resembling "egg song" when not laying. They do so while another hen *IS* laying (and singing) - generally at some distance from the laying hen.

That is what I call the "team building choir".

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Is this normal?

I had a lavender Orpington that did that.. mainly on days she was going to lay.. but it was basically her personality that never changed.

I also had a top hen crow (pathetically) when all roosters were removed, but never YET in my hen only flocks.

Do NOT go give that hen something early in the mornings, It will be her training you to her beckon call! Consider adding in some dark curtains or other light blockers.. chickens can sense dawn several hours before the sun actually rises and they don't get up in the dark.

One EE I had would preach the loudest sermon from the highest pulpit she could find for hours on end.. on the days she was gonna lay. It was trick to get all the rest of the flock ignoring her and THEN she would quiet down and sneak off unnoticed to a hidden nest!

Both were great hens, confident and friendly, with fantastic personality!

I sincerely doubt it will change but hope that it works out. Maybe share eggs with your neighbors, listen kindly and take action (possibly re-homing) IF/when they express concern and thank you for caring!

Extra plants can help dampen sound. Coop opening position does a LOT to direct the sound, So I keep solid walls on the neighbor side with openings facing my house when possible. Otherwise an adjustable wood shutter (of sorts) might also be helpful like that.

It does sound completely normal to me, so at least that worry can be alleviated!

Best wishes!

PS. Welcome, I hope you are enjoying BYC!

 

[3KillerBs]

I have recently tried giving them some snacks to see if that will occupy her but then she will just go back in the coop and start screaming again my alarm clock lol

Don't do that!

You are training her to scream for treats.

Some chickens are just loud -- just like some people are loud.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

several of my hens will seemingly join in something resembling "egg song" when not laying. They do so while another hen *IS* laying (and singing)

Imagine my surprise when my very first pride and joy breeding cockerel joined into the eggs song!


Even the boys do it, a lot of them!

 

[Double Yolked]

Hi all,

One of my buff orpingtons is so loud... she starts up right when it is light out or even just barely. Usually around 6:30am. Some days she isn't that incessant and some days she goes on until 2 or 3pm. She is just squawking over and over then sometimes will randomly bust out into her egg song even though she has not yet laid an egg or already did a while ago. She kind of sounds like a dog barking lol except a chicken sound.



Thank you!

OMG that is so Orpington! No No don't give her away. She is behaving normally and she's perfectly healthy. Some of them are vocal. A bit like a Siamese cat can sometimes be very loud. She is likely the alpha chicken of your flock, (flock leader), and she also has a good chance, with a little work, of becoming a very tame and affectionate hen. All of my loudest Orps always have tamed down the best. My other girls love them to pieces and look to my "loud beaks" as if they were a pseudo rooster for the flock.
My first lady Loud-beak I made the mistake of giving away due to her noise, the other hens grieved and complained for days, when I went to the person I had give her to and asked if I could get her back she grabbed the wrong chicken out of her flock of Orps and my ladies all attacked the strange hen! When I took it back and said "wrong hen" and walked out to the flock my Buffy came running and pecked my toes and crooned to me. When I got her home the rest of the flock eagerly welcomed her back and she lived a very long and happy life as queen of the flock. Lesson learned by me, Loud beak hens are the best!

 

[rayrose]

Mine do this too, but they usually stop after they've laid.
Try giving them some weeds, in order to occupy them.
Mine stop, when I do this.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Imagine my surprise when my very first pride and joy breeding cockerel joined into the eggs song!


Even the boys do it, a lot of them!

After the last culling, most of my boys sound like teenagers whose voice is just beginning to drop gargling mouthwash before their first date.

 

[AntiqueB]

I also have an Orpington who needs to announce when someone might lay an egg, when she herself might lay an egg, when someone else has laid an egg, when she has laid an egg, when she sees something that might be a predator, when she thinks she might have seen something that might be a predator. . . You get the picture.

She has calmed down a bit now that she's a year and a half old, but she's still the loudest of the bunch.

One thing none of them do is get loud in the mornings. Now that mornings may still be a bit dark, try to keep the coop dark until later. I have mine trained to know that NOTHING will open that coop door until I come out, at around 7 am. They start making noise when they hear the back door open, but not before.