Need advice on loud chicken!

[Patinas]

Interesting thread! I've noticed with my flock some are really noisy, laying or not laying, others are only noisy when laying and still others are noisy and squawking up a storm even though they aren't laying yet.

Couple days ago the squawking was at a fever pitch from morning until late afternoon when I let them out to forage, I picked up a record 10 eggs for that day. The next day, dead quiet out there but still got 7 eggs. Go figure!

I have no idea how to quiet a hen. I've tried talking back at them but that seems to only make them even more chatty!

 

[aart]

Sounds like sniping to me.

An apt and appropriate replacement word.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I've got one hen that does the egg song thing (sounds like she's in pain), and then it will grow muffled like she's laughing to herself. Then it will pick up again and then repeat. This goes on for a while. I finally figured out that she's eating while she's doing this. Her voice is muffled when her head is buried in the feeder eating food, and louder when she raises her head. I crack up every time I hear it.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

An apt and appropriate replacement word.

heh... I'm glad somebody caught the original.

 

[aart]

I finally figured out that she's eating while she's doing this. Her voice is muffled when her head is buried in the feeder eating food, and louder when she raises her head. I crack up every time I hear it.

Haha! YES!!...or muffled when her mouth is full...haha!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some chickens are just noisier than others, laying or not. If it's just an egg song, mine are loud but brief, and often times they don't bother singing at all. Then there's random occasions where they'll scream for no discernible reason (my hubby went running out in his underwear the other day, thinking they were being murdered or something) or just softly mutter at each other for a period of time.

 

[PennyM]

My Welsummer, Willie, is very talkative and noisy. She was the shyest of the first 4 we got but ever since our Golden Laced Wyandotte died, she doesn't shut up! It's like she's yelling at us because Lara died! None of them are laying yet and they're just over 18 weeks old.

 

[apc1mkc]

1. I wouldn't recommend getting an other pullet in hopes that it would give the BO a buddy while the Dom is producing her egg. The BO is going to continue to sing during egg production. Some birds are just drama queens. They sing when they lay an egg, when a flock mate lays an egg, before an egg, after an egg, when they think about an egg... Most likely, adding an other layer will only cause the BO to double her singing efforts.

2. I would not give her a treat when she is being noisy. That will reinforce her noise. She will see just how loud and obnoxious she can be b/c she knows you will bring her a "hush" treat.

"They sing when they lay an egg, when a flock mate lays an egg, before an egg, after an egg, when they think about an egg..." HILARIOUS!!!! )

 

[DesertBird]

I love this thread - I've gotten so many good laughs from it. Good luck with all your loud girls! I wasn't thinking about noise today when I brought home 10 more sexed-as-pullets chicks.. my yard is going to be the nosiest yard in the city when they're all laying at the same time! My 6 laying girls are loud enough as is, complete with 3 cockerel's just learning they can crow and doing it for 3 hours straight... it's gonna be a fun next 6 months when they're old enough to lay.

 

[apc1mkc]

I love this thread - I've gotten so many good laughs from it. Good luck with all your loud girls! I wasn't thinking about noise today when I brought home 10 more sexed-as-pullets chicks.. my yard is going to be the nosiest yard in the city when they're all laying at the same time! My 6 laying girls are loud enough as is, complete with 3 cockerel's just learning they can crow and doing it for 3 hours straight... it's gonna be a fun next 6 months when they're old enough to lay.

WOW!!!