Need advice for getting noisy hen to shut up

[sevenbabychicks]

Hey all! So our 1 y/o easter egger Mayonnaise makes terrible, loud, grating wailing sounds. Honestly, she often sounds more like a honking goose than a clucking chicken, and you can hear her from a block away. She doesn't do it constantly - it's worse in the morning and/or when she's gearing up to lay an egg - but it's frequent enough that we're worried about angering our neighbors and getting noise complaints. She's also making it hard for us to sleep in the morning since our bedroom window is very close to the coop.

I've had a lot of chickens in my life, but never one soooo loud and irritating. We've found a number of options on here that we've tried: putting a radio in the coop, getting her a crow collar, spritzing her with water every time she wails, hanging a cabbage from the pen ceiling to assuage her boredom. But nothing has worked.

It's gotten to the point where we're considering trying to rehome her to someone who lives in the country. But thought I'd check back here one more time in case anyone has ideas that we haven't tried yet.

Thanks in advance!

 

[sourland]

She's only doing what is natural to her temperament. Rehoming her might be best for her and you if you are concerned that her vocalizations may cause problems.

 

[getaclue]

Some hens are more vocal than others. It might be best to re-home her.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd also vote to rehome. Shouldn't be hard to rehome a young layer. Some birds are just noisy!

 

[~KH~]

I had a Salmon Favorelle that I had to rehome last month. She sounded like a goose and was very noisy, and not just when she was laying. I have a Blue Copper Maran that is also very loud - it seems to be more egg related, but I keep threatening her lol. I haven't had the neighbors complain, but definitely do not want it to get to that point.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I have a 11 months old pullet that always complains. You're late with my treats or I need to lay and someone's in my favorite nest or its too hot, where's my splissey splash. , or any number of things. Thankfully its not all day. If she's happy, she's quiet. That's her in the water cooling off yesterday. GC
ETA; I don't know how to keep a Chicken quiet. She's the only noisy chicken out of eight.

 

[2 many chickens]

Rehome. Can't change her.

At least she'll be able to yak happily all day and night in her new home. Just be sure to let the new owners know she's noisy.

 

[sevenbabychicks]

Thanks for the advice!. Yeah, that's about what I figured. We'll be sad to see her go - she's very sweet and weird - but hopefully she'll be able to live a happier, screechier life in the country.

GC-Raptor, your pullet it so cute in her little pool! KH, I hope your maran girl listens to your threats And I hear you about not wanting to get on the neighbors' bad side. We have nice neighbors for the most part, and I'd hate to annoy them. Also, we live somewhere where the culture is very confrontation-averse, and I worry they'd report us to the city without coming to us first.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Have you considered bribing your neighbor with fresh eggs? If they're benefiting from her vocalizations, the stress you feel about it may be greatly reduced.

 

[Folly's place]

Move to the country!
I'm on a third generation pullet from my bantam EE group, and she, like her mother and grandmother, always have a lot to say! It's pretty funny, and they start right in as babies, and really never give it up.
Mary