Noisy bockers!!

[le petit oiseau]

Hi everyone!

I have 3 lovely birds - a Buff Orphington, Ameraucana, and a Dominique. Since last summer or fall, they've been incredibly noisy all the time. They piped down a little bit during the cold, dark months, but are back at it again. They always have food, water, and treats to choose from and this squawking doesn't seem to coincide with egg-laying. It's not a cute little, "Bock bock bock." It's more of a "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" belted at the top of their lungs.

Any thoughts about what might be causing this or how to make them be a tad bit less vocal?

Thanks!

 

[terrilhb]

Not sure what it is. But someone will know soon. And

from Ga

 

[Cindy in PA]

Chickens make noise, some more than others. Mine make a lot of noise after they lay an egg, it just goes with the territory. Really nothing you can do to stop them. I find them much less annoying than a barking dog.

 

[knaup109]

My make the same noise sometime. I usually go out there and give them treat, that will quite them down.

 

[le petit oiseau]

Thanks for the responses, everyone!

Knaup109 - I often do go out to give them a treat when they do this and that does quiet them down, but they do this all the time. It's not like they're noisy in the morning and then stop in the afternoon. I'm running out of treats!!

Cindy - I'm with you. Their sound is much less annoying than a barking dog.

terrilhb - Thanks for the warm welcome! I've been reading posts on here for at least a year and finally decided it was time to write one of my own.

 

[Chick CJ]

I have one particularly noisy hen. She is a bantam barred rock. There does not appear to be a reason for her "yelling", which is what I call it because she literally will be walking across the yard and all of a sudden just stop, lift up her head and belt out a loud "AAWWWWKKKKK" sound! She does this all the time, no matter what is going on. I think maybe she is the "heralder" of the flock (I have 11 chickens right now) and is always watching to see what is happening in any given spot in the yard and then she tells everyone! Of course if I walk out and give her a treat she will shut up while she is busy checking it out and eating it but as soon as I have gone back in the house or gone about my business she will start up again. Needless to say, I don't keep feeding her to shut her up.

I have just accepted her for who she is and I hope the neighbors have too!

CJ

 

[Hottchick]

I have one New Hampshire that yells every time she sees me. If I go out in the yard and don't visit she squaks some kind of terrible. Of course, she doesn't like to be touched much so if I touch her, she walks aways squaking too. She loves to visit though. They're silly that way some times.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Yesterday mine (13 bantams) did a ton of squawking. I think that's the origin of the word "squabble". They were arguing a lot. (We need to get rid of 4 babyroos, causing trouble)

But rarely, they have squabbled like that over a toy, or waiting for the favorite nest box.

I live on a busy city street, and I swear the squabbling only occurs if the "stinkeye for backyard chickens" people are on the sidewalk, during afterschool pickup time at the gradeschool across the street!

No, once when we only had 6 chickens, one had caught a shrew and they squabbled over the shrew bits very loudly during my neighbor's semiformal yard party. I was very sorry for that.

Usually, like 95% of the time, the noise my chickens make is sweet, quiet humming and clucking, its very soothing for DH and I to hang out in the garden with them.

 

[galanie]

6chickens in St. Charles :

No, once when we only had 6 chickens, one had caught a shrew and they squabbled over the shrew bits very loudly during my neighbor's semiformal yard party. I was very sorry for that.

 

[mrsbos]

My 3 EEs are much louder than I thought they'd be too....and I'm trying to be discreet with my "illegal" chickens in my suburban neighborhood. At first I thought it was just egg song squawking, but now I've figured out they'll pipe up when they all want a turn in the nest box at the same time. Many times when one is squawking, another will join in just for the heck of it. And they get to "talking" all throughout the day. I wonder if some of it is really calling for treats or attention, because usually when I go outside and/or give them a treat, they'll quiet down. I don't mind the noise at all---I think it's adorable---but I worry when I'm sure they can be heard half way down the block!