Noisy bockers!!

[Ali707]

Same problem for me. I have black silkie hen that has started bawking nonstop for no reason other than to hear herself talk. She just started laying this week too. She laid one right at my feet this morning. Reached down to pet her and plop!

She doesn't seem to be the smartest of the group.

 

[nitcomb]

Our GL Wyandotte, Mary Lennox, is VERY vocal with her egg song. For some reason, she seems to carry-on more on Sunday mornings when some of us are trying to get some shut-eye.
I try to be the good neighbor (living in Brooklyn, surrounded by many humans) and run out to congratulate her.

There are plenty of less considerate dog owners around, so I probably should not feel so bad.

 

[jomercer]

The BA stands around and hollers the egg song about an hour before she actually lays one. As soon as the dogs or I appear, though, even trying to sneak a peek out the window, she shuts up.

The EE paces and frets with aaaAAWWW aaawwwWWW AWW AWW AWW for about an hour before she lays an egg.

The SLW does a little quiet Awk Awk-ing around the time she lays--can't determine yet whether before or after.

The sex-link hasn't much of anything to say at all.

 

[purelypoultry]

Just like people all chickens are a little different. Some may be much more vocal than others. Looks like you have one that really likes to be heard.

I see that you have the food, water and treats covered. Perhaps something to distract her to give you a little peace?

Just some ideas:
You could take a shovel and turn over some clumps of dirt to distract her or occupy her attention.
You could make a mess for them to root through (take some treats or veggie scraps and hide them among some dried leaves or your coop bedding material for them to pick through)
Do you have a compost pile you can give them part of to dig through? (Take a moment to be sure that nothing in the pile is unsafe for your hens first, there's even a list here if you'd like to check)


If it's her egg song, she may or may not distract from it. She may just be "talking to hear herself talk". It's still, as others have said, nicer than listening to dogs bark.

Good luck and welcome to BYC!

 

[Baymule]

I have 2 SLW hens in a very small backyard. They are so quiet that my neighbor who watched me build the coop had to ask if I ever got any chickens. The next question was if I had eggs to sell.

After years of putting up with everyone else's barking dogs, we were given a Great Pyrenees who is very territorial. Her loud barking at night is music to my ears.

 

[Judy]

I have a Speckled Sussex who does that loud long squawk any time I am around. She is by far my tamest one. I'm sure she is looking for treats; she prefers to eat them out of my hand. A couple of mine are a bit noisy with the egg song. The rest make no noises or only quiet ones.

 

[Milliemay]

I have a few that are very loud cluckers. Anytime I go outside, especially if I have a bucket, the whole flock follows me thinking they will be getting treats, and are they ever noisy then.

The funniest thing was earlier this winter I had some scraps, it was a bit icy out, have you ever seen a chicken trying to run, flapping wings then try to stop? They were sliding in for a landing on their bums, it was hilarious, of course I had no camera with me!

 

[alhanse77]

Quote:
At first all I read was, "Take a shovel and..." I'm glad I finished reading!!

I have a couple of hens that sing a very loud egg song. Sometimes all they need is a little attention and they are on their merry way.

 

[wsdareme]

If you REALLY want to know how noisy your chickens are, do what I did -- buy a cheap baby monitor on eBay and put it in the coop. I can't tell you how much I enjoy listening the them bawking and squawking, even growling (yes, really) all day long. They are a vocal bunch. The other day there was so much buk-gawking going on out there I got to laughing and had to go see what was going on. Somebody laid an egg and EVERYBODY was singing about it!

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

Quote:
I bought a cheap baby monitor at wally world when I put my chicks into the outside brooder just to keep an ear on them. I can't hear anything from inside the house. It has come in handy when gathering eggs before they get to dirty. I just listen for the egg song. I

my monitor.