Noisy AM Chickens

[Paula_me]

Hello

I'm so glad this forum is here!

I have chickens in the city .. outskirts, but city nevertheless, and I don't want to wake my neighbors at sunrise. The girls however, don't have that same worry.

As soon as the sun is up - currently about 6 am PT, they start squeaking - and squawking until I feed them something. They used to be content with a bucket of kitchen scraps and pulled weeds. They don't shut up until they get what they want, and what they want most recently is animal protein of some sort. I have 5 bantam mix breed hens. Two black, two speckled and one white. They are in a 6x10 foot cage with a 3x4 foot coop inside. they roost on top and lay inside. The birds are about a year and a half old. I get 3 - 5 eggs a day. The shells are hard, the yokes are dark orange.

I have been feeding purina crumble, which they would only eat if wet. I have found a local granary that sells an organic feed which they like, and is a good mix. They assure me that with only that, the girls are well fed, but how do I make them content w/ this food, and the organic scratch. I don't mind giving treats - I quite enjoy it, but I don't want to be 'hen pecked' out of bed each and every morning, fearful of the neighbor's open windows

. Also, I've read that feeding soy based food will make the eggs rich in omega 6 instead of 3, and there will be soy product in the egg. Have you heard of that?

Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[Miss Lydia]

All i can say is mine hens start at around 6:am also, thank goodness our closet neighbors are across the river. hopefully that sound helps to coushion this one. I have 20 hens and 2 roosters and they are loud. Don't know if there is anything you can do about it. Chickens just have alot to say.

 

[Widget]

Mine start in around 5 am. But that is when I am getting up anyway. Except on weekends. Unfortunately the girls, the two roosters and the ducks don't care. Weekends or not they want breakfast when they want breakfast. I'm lucky they can't open the front door. Otherwise they would invade the bedroom and hold one of the dogs hostage until they got what they wanted.

BTW

 

[lebentier]

i make the coop very dark (trash bags over the windows) and close the pop door at night. they used to be noisy at 6am but now they just make nighttime noises until about 7:15 when i let them out into the covered run. i am thinking i may invest in an auto door opener for when i am away. just be sure you keep the coop clean and still have enough ventilation.

 

[Kudzu]

I have 5 Red Star hens and if I did not know they were out there I would not know. We talk when I feed and approach the run during the day, other than that they are well mannered and I never hear them. I have been thinking of getting a rooster to liven up things.

 

[Paula_me]

Well, good to know I'm not the only one.. It puts a whole 'nother spin on the concept of 'spoiled chicken'...

 

[If the Goose Fits]

Oh my chickens wake up before 4 in the summer. That's about when the sun comes up, and they crow and make a lot of noise in the early morning, but they quiet down after a while.
I have to tell them, "I am not getting up at 4 to feed you. You are going to have to wait till a decent time."

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Mine are up at 6 but I have a pvc feeder inside the tractor so I dont have to go running out to feed them. The girls only get noisy when they want out or are laying an egg. Luckily the neighbors dont mind any noise they make. Hope they feel the same next year when I get a rooster!