screaming/screeching hen !?!?

[Jess N Jeff]

I have one that does that too. She is a 1 year old Australorp. She is like an impatient child. If I don't let her out of the coop at EXACTLLY 5:35 am she starts screeching at the top of her chicken lungs. Her screech is louder than a roo's crow. GRRRRRR....

 

[BarnyardPunch]

I have an EE hen like that and similar to you, live in a high density population area. She screams a lot for the sake of screaming, it seems. It is who she is, yes, but since I'd like to keep her, I'm trying to modify her behavior. First, I try not to feed her treats directly, rather leave things in the run and the coop when they're not looking. And they never, ever get treats or let out into the larger yard if they're being noisy.

And finally, when she's being super duper jerky, she gets sprayed with the hose. Not soaked, but splashed, and shuts her up for a long while. To note, I never do this for the actual "egg song," just for the nonsense demand bwaks. It'd be nice if this curbed her loudmouthed tendencies altogether. She's gotten a lot better, but still has her moments.

As for the egg songs and other ambient noise they make, as long as it's within construction hours, I've had to learn to not care as much. Dogs bark, cars go by continually, kids are screaming and the chickens just add their $.02 to the mix. Crack of dawn on a Sunday morning, on the other hand...

 

[Soccer Mom]

Heh. I have a screamer too. Desdemona (gold Polish) doesn't need a reason to yell. She just does. I can hear her from all over the property. She has a distinct sound. I think sometimes it's just who they are.

 

[peggym]

My barred rock is the talker in my coop! She just won't shut up!!!! It's like she's complaining all the time about conditions. The funny thing is all of hens complain about the weather! Like they think I can fix it or something!

 

[Uzuri]

I have one that starts screaming when she wakes up and doesn't stop until she finally lays an egg (and if that's a 7:00 pm, we have a loud day).

I try to keep myself from anthropomorphizing, but in this way they're definitely just like people -- some are quiet, some are loud. Some I think would run for office, given the chance.

 

[mudpaw]

Quote:
LOL....that's a good point. Another hen is actually the head hen....but they bicker a lot. I bet she's trying to be the boss

By big black ameraucana, Stella, puts her in her place though

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
My BR is the same way. I always feel like I'm getting chewed out for something.

 

[gckiddhouse]

We have a big ol' Speckled Sussex, Fiona. She lays a solid 3 eggs a week. We always know which days we will get an egg from her because she screaches until the egg comes. She may not lay the egg until 4 pm, but she will screach all day as she mosies about. I don't know why. She seems like she is being demanding on those days. Just as described here when treats are served, etc. But she is much quieter on the days she does not lay. Nutty chook. I wonder if it is painful for her? Anyway, I think some chickens are like that.

I used to worry about the noise my chickens make, but when you weigh in the dogs, cars, airplanes, etc. they just don't matter. It is loudest in your yard.

 

[welovechickens]

My SLW is a loudmouth too! If you don't let her out of the house or her cage the very second you appear outside, you get yelled at.

She rarely ever makes sweet chicken noises!

She is also the big pushy one at the feeding trough or where I throw scratch.

 

[donnavee]

I have an EE that does a whines & screeches, especially before she lays an egg. She will even pace up and down the run and screech sometimes. Then she finally goes into the nest, lays her egg and is pretty quiet the rest of the day. Just her weird behavior, but it is an annoying sound - not at all like the egg song the others do.