Noisy mornings!!!!

[LndSchneid]

I am starting to have success getting hens and my ROOSTER to be quiet! Look into clicker training -- reinforce their quiet voices and silence. I even managed to get my rooster not to crow this morning, and I only started training 4 evenings ago. It's standard animal training techniques reinforcing with treats.

There are videos on it on YouTube, googling clickin chicken, googling chicken training, operating conditioning. There's even a book called Clicker Training for Birds.

 

[LndSchneid]

Excuse me -- I meant operant conditioning, also known as behavioral reinforcement.

 

[headred]

Love this post cause my ducks woke me at 6 this morning! My ducks will quiet for a moment when I shush them, but I can't be out there 24/7 doing that. So far, my neighbors say they don't even hear them. I have learned to keep their food, pen, anything they might be interested in as far away from my house as possible. Of course, when it rains, they are most interested in the water coming out from the gutter. That's a whole "nuther" issue!!

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Oh I am so there with you. When they start “singing” I usually spread my five fingers in their face. They become quiet looking for treats.

However, yesterday morning Binkie (Black Australorp) comes running to the back door bawk, baaaaawwking at the top of her lungs.

There I was in my nighty, and I jammed into the backyard. It is broad daylight and for the life of me, I couldn’t see a thing. Then I notice the other girls were standing perfectly still and staring at the tall weeds in the corner of the yard. I went around the side and a big old Tomcat runs and jumps the fence.

That day Binkie came and got me twice. I guess I am the Momma and I was doing my job. The girls are pretty big, but I think the cat was sizing them up.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I have become the chicken whisperer. My girls are loud enough to wake the dead when they all sing the beloved egg song together. WHat I do is pick them up one by one (each has a favorite nest they lay in every day) Clear the nest of any other chickens, dig a nice spot for her to hunker down in, pat her on the back and walk away. I then move on to the next one. Most of the time this works well for me but sometimes if there isn't a warm egg in the nest they have a fit. I have learned screaming shut up to them only makes them louder. The roosters are far less noisy than the hens. I too am an under cover chicken owner and definately not the only one around here who has them. Luckily everyone in my neighborhood just adore them... besides the drug addict domestics across the yard but thats a whole nother story.

 

[Hillbilly Rooster]

You could get a crow call at the local hunting store. I use mine for turkey hunting to locate turkeys in the morning but chickens run hide and be quite.

 

[seismic wonder2]

Crow call? Like the big black bird? That really shuts them up?
Is there a brand name for this crow call you use?

 

[Hillbilly Rooster]

You can get electronic call or Quaker boy. Crow (big black bird) same thing your on the right page. There not that expensive. I have crows flying around and I live in the country so noise is not a problem for me.