Obnoxiously loud hen

[Shadrach]

It's not uncommon.
Apparently when a hen goes broody there is a change in the balance of her hormones.
When she is properly broody the egg laying cycle switches off. The normal course of events would be she would sit and hatch. If this cycle is interrupted the hormone imbalance is still there. In the normal course of events the hen would hatch her chicks. As a mother, her need for aggression towards others of her species and predators increases.
Broody hens with chicks can be extremely aggressive. Once the hens egg laying cycle gets properly reestablished the hormone balance returns to 'normal'.
With the hens here that have had their broody cycle interrupted some of them crow like a rooster for a few days. They've all returned to 'normal' eventually.

 

[wildwestcoast]

In my flock, the aerial predator call is distinctively different from the ground predator or general alarm call. That said, maybe she’s alarming for a bird with the alarm call? Have you looked beyond your own yard? Some of my girls are more talkative than others... maybe she’s just a big talker. Have you looked her over to make sure she’s feeling OK?

@Shadrach is observant and knowledgeable regarding chicken language. Maybe he’ll chime in.

that gives me some ideas. possibly the neighbours dog was out or even she is hearing the deer that often sleep in the edge of the forest (just on the other side of my fence) she has been living here for 9 months now though and only recently (this spring) has she started being so loud. I haven't looked her over since she went broody..she is nervous and won't let me approach her. when she was broody I could pick her up because she wouldn't leave the nest. Her flock of four won't let me touch them. my other flock of 6 let me pick them up and they follow me around happily and jump up on me if given the chance. the flocks are separate because I have had the six new ones only a couple months so I am making sure that everybody is healthy before I let them in together and they have had lots of see but don't touch time.

 

[aart]

Her flock of four won't let me touch them.

Examine them off the roost at night, easy to 'catch' then and with a soft voice they will become more accustomed to being handled.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I have a couple of hens that for no apparent reason get really loud for a really long time. Most of the time the ones that do this haven't even laid an egg. (cheerleaders?) I don't get it either, but sometimes I go out and make them get quiet because it disturbs ME!

 

[wildwestcoast]

I have a couple of hens that for no apparent reason get really loud for a really long time. Most of the time the ones that do this haven't even laid an egg. (cheerleaders?) I don't get it either, but sometimes I go out and make them get quiet because it disturbs ME!

How do you make them be quiet? I need all the help I can get haha

 

[Peppercorngal]

How do you make them be quiet? I need all the help I can get haha

To get them to shut up I first go in and give em a good talking to. That usually (believe it or not) makes a couple of them shut up. The last will continue until I start to pet her stomach area. She will either like it and shut up and stand there for more, or she will rebel and leave, which also shuts her up! I haven't had to use my taser yet. . . .

 

[wildwestcoast]

To get them to shut up I first go in and give em a good talking to. That usually (believe it or not) makes a couple of them shut up. The last will continue until I start to pet her stomach area. She will either like it and shut up and stand there for more, or she will rebel and leave, which also shuts her up! I haven't had to use my taser yet. . . .

haha great ideas for sure

 

[katieuppi]

My chickens are loud, and are just as close to my neighbors as they are to me. Somehow my neighbors can't hear them in their house. No idea how that's possible- I can hear them with all the doors and windows shut. Maybe talk to your neighbor to see if it's even an issue?

 

[wildwestcoast]

It's not uncommon.
Apparently when a hen goes broody there is a change in the balance of her hormones.
When she is properly broody the egg laying cycle switches off. The normal course of events would be she would sit and hatch. If this cycle is interrupted the hormone imbalance is still there. In the normal course of events the hen would hatch her chicks. As a mother, her need for aggression towards others of her species and predators increases.
Broody hens with chicks can be extremely aggressive. Once the hens egg laying cycle gets properly reestablished the hormone balance returns to 'normal'.
With the hens here that have had their broody cycle interrupted some of them crow like a rooster for a few days. They've all returned to 'normal' eventually.

That's really helpful thanks! She has been a little quieter last couple days so I'm thinking that is what it is all about

 

[Terri12868]

I have 7 hens and also feel they have become increasing vocal. I have new neighbors so I really would like them to quiet down. I let then free range quite a bit during the day. I try to make sense of their noiseyness like want to be fed, let out, calling for friends, do not want to wait for open nesting box, predator alert... but feel more often than not they are just being increasingly more vocal. Any suggestions to quiet them down?