Need advice on loud chicken!

[Askme42]

I have two chickens - a Dominique and a Buff Orpington. The Dominique just started laying this week and my family is so excited. The Orpington has not started laying yet. When the Dominique is ready to lay, she goes into one of the nesting boxes and knocks around for a while until she produces the egg. The Orpington squawks the ENTIRE time the Dominique is in the nesting box. We live in the city, so of course neighbors are a concern. Is there anything that we can do to quiet her during this time? She gets extremely loud and it makes me a nervous wreck. The Dominique never makes a sound during her egg laying or after and normally, they are both always so quiet.

Move out of the city. Those places are terrible. Lol

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I know, I meant, in my experience, even the ones not laying the egg, seem to stand around and "cheer" on the one laying.

Sounds like sniping to me.

 

[Isaac 0]

Sounds like sniping to me.

Its not.They like to tell everybody thats someone is laying an egg.

 

[apc1mkc]

Move out of the city. Those places are terrible. Lol

HAAAAAAA

 

[apc1mkc]

^ Exactly.

If one of my hens get in the nesting box all the others make a big kerfuffle about it.I really dont thinks it because she is lonley.Thats just what hens do nothing you can do to stop it.Is she singing the egg song or just squawking?

The one squawking isnt the one laying. A few minutes ago the Dominique went into nesting box/roost area and the Orpington sounded off as usual but after a few minutes joined the one in the nesting box/roost and quieted down. #fingerscrossed!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

One family, two neighborhoods over from us, has 46 that includes TWELVE roosters (all in the backyard). Can't even fathom...

We are zoned agricultural and live far from the city.
We raise and breed for income. That count was just our human consumption egg house. We sold scores of birds last week. It was a record amount for us. Now talk about loud! That was during a peak anyway.. We are back to comfortable numbers for now.

 

[mobius]

Hilarious thread. And there is another thought that if chicken persists, PUT her in the nest box with the other one so she can comfort and minister to her friend who is apparently in need!

I do sometimes find two hens in one box having a friendly laying fest. Or comforting each other.

 

[GinaNew York]

we had our first egg on Wed- and my daughter couldn't do her work calls because of the "screaming", "loud screaming" , "crazy screaming" heathens! All the girls wanted to get in the box with Ginger and ALL, every single one was screaming at the top of their lungs. today was the second egg, and it wasn't as loud or for as long - so I agree that more hens mean a larger choir!

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

If they're just laying an egg why does it sound like they're having a cow?

 

[lazy gardener]

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.