Please: Need advice!

[ozark hen]

Quote:
You know on thinking about this ...if I don't let my chickens out very early in the morning...they think I should be out there the minute my feet hit the floor...

they do make a racket. But since they are out early for the whole day they don't make noise.. per se

 

[thndrdancr]

Mine are quiet as well, but I know it seems like it just depends on the hen.

I have one EE and one Red x link, the the Red is quite a bit more noisy than my EE. I really thot the EE would be more noisy growing up, cuz she chattered at me constantly when she was little, but since she started bok boking instead of peep peeping, she doesnt talk so much. I raised them up from chicks, as well.
I must say tho, we have a LOT of urban noise, live on a busy street, construction going on across the street, etc. But we have the girls penned about 10 ft from our front window and MOST of the time, they are really quiet. Even when its time for me to let them out, they stand at the gate but dont make much noise.

So sorry your having such trouble.

:
Jill

 

[biretta]

Quote:
Thanks for the empathy Colleen. The 2 I kept were EEs and now they're getting louder too. It seemed before they'd only cackle when laying or if there was a disturbance, e.g., a cat. Now one will start in the early morning despite that she lays in the afternoon. The ones I rehomed had ear-piercing squawks, like nails on a chalkboard. Now I'm hoping the EEs don't follow suit.

 

[biretta]

Quote:
Thanks Jill. I really appreciate the input and empathy. It does give me hope to hear that not all hens are as obnoxious as mine were. I should have listened to the s.o. and gotten rid of her when the worst one started all this; I think the others caught on. Even now although the EEs were the most quiet, they have been exposed to, or I believe they may have been taught to squawk by the other chickens which I've since rehomed. It just can't be that I happened to get 5 chickens who are all squawkers by nature!

 

[lindseykoehler]

Hi Biretta, I also have the same concern as you...I live in an urban neighborhood in close quarters with my neighbors. I have three hens: a Delaware, a New Hampshire red, and a plymouth rock. They squawk every morning as soon as the sun comes up (6:00 am). The Delaware is the loudest and most obnoxious

Their coop is about 10 feet from our bedroom window and while my husband sleeps right through the squawking, I can't. I jump up, run outside and let them out ASAP so they can free range in our backyard. As soon as they're out...silence. Later in the morning there is more squawking when egg laying is happening...but it's brief. They are very quiet in the late afternoon. My husband disagrees with my method of letting them out at the crack of dawn, but I HAVE to for my sanity and the neighbors'. I love my chickens and I figure this is the price I pay to have them in the city.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Seems like your neighbours need a life, if when they hear something cackle that they need to investigate...

Obelisk my Leghorn stands on the windowsill and raps on the glass...then she starts. "bik bik bikbik bikbikbik BIK BIKBIKBIK!!!!!! Until I let her out.
The loudest sound Penny makes is when she does the Broody Scream or BaGAWK! when there's something in the yard.
Is there a way to cover them up so that the light doesn't wake them up early?

 

[Poison Ivy]

They only time I hear mine are when they are going into the coop to lay and not all make the noise. My chickens are no louder then the wild birds or the guys roosters next door. My other neighbor on the other hand has a donkey that seems to hang out by the fence which just happens to be at the end of the house where my bedroom is!! I thought about going next door to complain but what can he do really. The animal is on 20 acres it just seems to like our side better. You must have a really quite neighborhood.

 

[biretta]

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That's wonderful.

One of the chicks i got is a Delaware. But each bird's different I guess. I wish I could do what you do, just let them out but then he doesn't want them on the patio so I'd have to stand guard with my Supersoaker (squirt gun) at the wee hours of the morning. And my neighbor who was renting just moved out and the place is up for grabs again. I'm terrified as to who moves in. I just hope they're as tolerant as these neighbors. So do you let them free range all day?

 

[biretta]

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Hehe, yeah I know. Guess there's not enough going on around here (if you were indeed refering to my situation). The worst squawking is something like RAUUUUUUK! It was continuous. But he gets woken up by the BaGAWK, BaGAWK, which I dont' think is that obnoxious compared to the former. I've tried locking them in the coop the night before but you can still hear them in the morning . Any ideas on soundproofing?

 

[biretta]

Quote:
Sounds like you have some bargaining room between the donkey and the rooster. I kind of wish my neighbors had barking dogs or something so it'd be a situation of mutual tolerating!