Noise chickens at 5am

[Hamiam]

Hey this is silkiedeb from Texas, I have watched youtube vidoes and found a no crow collar for roosters. I was amazed how this small piece of velcro that you wrap around the roosters neck will stop them from crowing. Just be sure you can put your pinky between the velcro and the roosters neck. I have a polish roo and we noticed that he is starting to crow. It is funny listening to him trying to crow. I was thinking about using a no crow collar on him when he gets older.

Besides the dangers of no crow collars, I have heard several BYC members say that the collars don’t work very well. I’ve never asked what exactly they mean because I’ve never considered them.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is there a way to put a shadecloth or something over the windows of the coop (not completely covering them, just to keep it a little darker)? They're making a fuss because the days are long and they want out, can't you see there's sunlight!?

I've never let mine out before 8:30 AM, so they've always stayed quiet until then. Of course that could change once the current chicks grow up.

 

[silkiedeb]

Is there a way to put a shadecloth or something over the windows of the coop (not completely covering them, just to keep it a little darker)? They're making a fuss because the days are long and they want out, can't you see there's sunlight!?

I've never let mine out before 8:30 AM, so they've always stayed quiet until then. Of course that could change once the current chicks grow up.

My husband opens the coop door about 5:30 a.m. I not up when they come out. Yesterday was the first time they were out of their pen. My husband and I sat on the back porch and watched em. They found a hole were we had put some wood burning ashes and they were laying it in. One found a dried up worm and walked around with it in its mouth and finally ate it. I really enjoy my babies. I get out every day and pet em. I have one polish roo. he is trying to crow it sounds like a dog barking. My husband took pictures of them yesterday I want to post on this site. I'm still trying to figure how this msging works.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Once the days are long in June, my Chickens start making a lot of noise at 5am. They only do this in the summer and usually only in the early morning. I live in the city so I'm worried my neighbors are hearing them. They usually wake me up in bed so I'm pretty sure other people are hearing them if they have their windows open, again I live in the city.

So I go out there at 5am at give them some scratch or food and so they will be quiet. Is this normal for them to be noise first thing in the morning?

You are training them to expect goodies first thing in the morning! I would knock that off ASAP. I am not a morning person and keep my coop dark. My chickens don't wake or make noise until 7am. The roosters crow a few times and then the egg laying begins and the "egg song" is sung for a couple of hours! This is just what chickens do. I'd try to make the coop darker so they "sleep" longer. And I agree with Aart. Chickens need food and water 24/7. I have a chicken door from the coop to the run open all the time. I fill the food and water bowls every night so they have lots of food until I decide to get up and deal with them. I don't free range them until 1pm to give them time to lay eggs. Good luck!

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Are the birds locked in their henhouse for the night or is the door left open so that they have access to the run first thing in he morning?

 

[Peppercorngal]

Are the birds locked in their henhouse for the night or is the door left open so that they have access to the run first thing in he morning?

My birds have access to the run 24/7. The door is always open. It seems certain birds stay in the coop until after they lay their eggs! Also Elmer the rooster likes to stay inside until time to free range. ??? I guess he thinks he is supervising the egg laying hens!

 

[MROO]

So I go out there at 5am at give them some scratch or food and so they will be quiet. Is this normal for them to be noise first thing in the morning?

Welcome to the world of chickens! Greeting the sunrise (or warming up shortly before) is their main mission in life. And we all thought it was to make eggs!

 

[MROO]

Hey this is silkiedeb from Texas, I have watched youtube vidoes and found a no crow collar for roosters. I was amazed how this small piece of velcro that you wrap around the roosters neck will stop them from crowing. Just be sure you can put your pinky between the velcro and the roosters neck. I have a polish roo and we noticed that he is starting to crow. It is funny listening to him trying to crow. I was thinking about using a no crow collar on him when he gets older.

These are not a good idea! In addition to the possible problems, they don't stop the crowing completely, just tone it down considerably. If your roo is loud, his crow will still be annoying!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Chickens need food and water 24/7. I have a chicken door from the coop to the run open all the time. I fill the food and water bowls every night so they have lots of food until I decide to get up and deal with them.

They only need it when awake - chickens don't eat or drink if it's dark. For anyone who has mouse/rat problems, it's a good idea to put feeders away and to close up the coop completely at night. Chickens survive fine even if they have to wait a little bit for breakfast and a morning drink.

 

[Aerliss]

You are training them to expect goodies first thing in the morning! I would knock that off ASAP.

This. I started letting them out of the run at 7am on weekdays when I get up. It took them a couple of weeks to catch on and then they started skwaking to be let out from 6:30am... and they don't know what weekends are.

So I've started closing the pop hatch after they've gone to bed. The air vents are all shaded so it doesn't get light in there until 7am, and that keeps them quiet until about 8am. Even then, they're much more quiet than when out in the run.

They only need it when awake - chickens don't eat or drink if it's dark. For anyone who has mouse/rat problems, it's a good idea to put feeders away and to close up the coop completely at night. Chickens survive fine even if they have to wait a little bit for breakfast and a morning drink.

Can confirm. Started putting food and water in the coop when I started keeping them locked in and although they are awake and chirping, they don't seem to touch it.