My chickens are driving me crazy!

[Mick or Mick]

I am a long time lurker but today I decided to create an account and ask for some advice. Some background:

I have 2 Buff Orps, about 1.5 years old. I have had them for 1 year. Their coop is at least 6x6 feet - I just expanded it in late April with idea of getting more hens. Their run is 16x16 feet with trees, bushes, sand and mulch. Also expanded in late April.They have since decimated any greenery in the run so I have added branches for perching, a plastic table for sitting, sand and mulch for digging. They have 2 waterers, 1 inside and 1 outside.

Their door is on a timer and opens every day at 6:30 AM. I'm thinking of changing that to earlier, and here's why.

They are incredibly loud. When they want to come out and the door doesn't open early enough, they sit inside their coop and make this throaty, raspy whiney noise. My bedroom is a good 100 feet away and it wakes me up. Then, when they come out, they make the same noise until I give them a treat. I know this is enabling and encouraging them, but in order to keep peace among the neighbors, I feel I must. I went away for vacation and had a chicken sitter. She came in the afternoon so there was no one here to give them their morning treat and encourage the behaviour. I was hoping that would break the habit, but no luck.

I can't leave food in their pen over night so it's there in the morning as I don't want to bring raccoons and possums into the area. I am running out of ideas and starting to resent them.

Any help? TIA!

 

[Toddrick]

Put a feeder and waterer inside the coop. Chickens are most hungry during the morning I think. They should have access to their standard feed 24/7.

My Orps are very quiet compared to other breeds. Oh, one other thing, two is a lonely number for chickens, so adding a couple more hens might make them more at ease.

 

[GitaBooks]

Welcome to BYC!

Mine do the same thing when they want out! I can hear them as I feed the cats, and then I open the door, around 9:00-9:30 in the morning and they leap out of the room and dash for food, egg laying sites, water, and the left over cat food.

Chickens certainly can be obnoxious. Opening up the coop earlier can be done, as long as the run is secure from predators. Otherwise, I don't know how to keep chickens quiet.

Best of luck!

 

[Toddrick]

If they can at least get to their food then they should have their mouths too full to be whining, right?

 

[nchls school]

Have you tried feeding them very late in the day so there is feed available in the morning? Possibly a creep feeder inside their coop so you're not feeding the local wild critters. I'd be worried having them outside so early when those local critters are still out and about. A bit later and people are out and the wilds hide for the day.

 

[Mick or Mick]

Thanks for the quick responses. I should have mentioned in my original post that their feeder is in the coop so they have access to it at all times. It's a gravity feeder and I make sure it's full every day. So I don't think they're hungry. I think they just prefer snacks.

I had been thinking about getting more hens, but am now worried I will just multiply my issues. I'm jealous of you, GitaBooks, you get to sleep in!

 

[bobbi-j]

Sounds like they have you well trained! It doesn't sound like you have a secure enough run (covered) to leave the door from coop to run open. That's what I do, but my rooster still feels the need to crow until we get around to letting them out to free range. (We're out in the country with the nearest neighbors over 1/2 mile away, so it's not a problem) At this point, I would say it's time to recondition your chickens. Maybe give them treats (if you must give them treats at all) in the evening when it's time to go back in, rather than when it's time to come out. I think opening the pop door earlier could be a good idea, but again - without a covered run, you could be asking for trouble. That trouble could come at any time of day, but extremely early in the morning, or late evening can be a little more active predator-wise than say, midday. Good for you in wanting to be a considerate neighbor. I hope you can figure something out. Maybe - if you decided to recondition the hens - you can talk to the neighbors and let them know what's going on, thank them in advance for their patience.

 

[Mick or Mick]

Thanks, all. Yes, these chickens are definitely the boss. I will try the treats at night thing and see if I can break them. I appreciate the idea and will keep you informed. Stay tuned!

 

[aart]

Well...and....chickens are noisy.

 

[Mick or Mick]

I may have a solution. I gave them their treat last night but they still started making a racket at 5:55 AM this morning. So I stumbled out to the coop and threw a blanket over the side with the window. I wanted to just muffle the noise, but they were actually silent for another 2 hours. I guess they are like the parakeets we had as a kid.

So today I'm off to the store to buy shutters or those bamboo shades that will block out the light, but not the air flow. We'll see if that works.