One of our chickens doesn't cluck - she screeches!

[schumschum]

Hi everyone,
this is my first post on this forum. I've read a bunch of stuff on here though, because my husband and I are first time chicken owners and you have all helped so much with the many questions we've had!

One of our three chickens (the smallest, of course) has started screeching and bellowing in the morning. She doesn't just cluck, she screams! I can't figure out if she wants something or if she is just especially temperamental. They have access to food and water, I let them out early, and they have a large run.
All three are laying eggs and have been for about a month now. They are sexed linked Red Stars.

She actually sounds more like a crow or goose at times than a chicken! Any way to quiet her down? Other than treats - that works for about 30 minutes and then she starts the racket again! Of course, because she is smart and knows that she might get more treats that way....
In the afternoon, she quiets down, but between 7 and 10 in the morning, all hell breaks loose so to say ;-) I love her still but I'm worried about the neighbors.... We live right in the middle of San Diego...

Any help is appreciated!

 

[StarLover21]

Congradulations- you have a crowing hen.

We had one of those awhile ago. Unfortunatally, there was no way we could quite her, and we sent her back to the farm. I hope something works out for you.

 

[schumschum]

Well, she doesn't quite sounds like a rooster though. To clarify, when I said she sounds like a crow, I mean the black bird, a raven, not a rooster. lol
Wonderful... well, as long as my neighbors don't complain she can stay

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

nope, crowing hen, I've heard (i dont know if its true) but that chickens will sometimes turn to roos after being a hen and even breed with His/her sisters

 

[Tikkijane]

Do she do it around the time she lays? It's probably just her variation of egg song. I had one (barred rock) who did the screeching thing, but didn't let up. I brought her into the house, and it was that day she laid her first egg. She only did the screeching a few other times before changing over to the regular egg song, but ya, they can get loud!

 

[Mavrik]

I have a hen that screeches, I affectionately named her Screech. A hug is the only thing that shuts her up, she loves to be held.

 

[azygous]

You definitely have a crowing hen, because I have one. Mine is still a pullet and she does this first thing almost every morning after she comes out of the coop. It has no relation to laying an egg.

When I first heard her, I thought she was in pain or was egg bound or had an urgent need to lay an egg and couldn't get to a nest or maybe someone was torturing her.

After listening closely, I could hear the unmistakeable progressive notes building to a crow. It would end with a kind of yodeling scream. Sounds a lot like what you describe.

Now that I recognize it for what it is, I think it's precious.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

Is she by chance a Delaware? I've heard from more than one BYCer and more than one friend that their Delawares are a menace and mine is as well. My Mabel screams all morning, almost continuously. She sounds like a bleating sheep. Baaaaaa Baaaaa Baaaa. It's loud and it's obnoxious but she's a good layer. She's the smallest of the girls and definitely the leader. Until the neighbors complain we'll keep her.

 

[happymom99]

My salmon faverolle was really noisy like that. She basically honked and screeched all day long. I had to re-home her because I live in suburbia. She now lives where she can make all the noise she wants, and she does.

Good luck to you. personally, I was bummed about re-homing her but now that it is done it is such a relief. Imwasmworried about my neighbors all the time. now that she is gone there is just sweet cheerful clucking and an egg song here and there.

 

[schumschum]

Thanks everyone, for these helpful posts!

She doesn't just do it when she lays - she does it all morning. happymom99, our hen sounds exactly like yours! She also sounds like a sheep at times, honking at the top of her lungs. It is very adorable when you think about it and so far our neighbors haven't said anything!
Oh and she isn't a Delaware, they are all Red stars.

I will try the hugging-therapy though! Thanks for the advice. Maybe she just needs a hug

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