Screeching hens every morning! How to stop this behavior?

[aart]

Funny to read all these old posts....
Yep, chickens still(naturally) making a lot of noise to the dismay of their naive keepers.

 

[Folly's place]

If folks think that chickens are loud, they've never been around peafowl, or guineas!

 

[Mikepbo]

The "craaaaaaaaaaw" is an advertisement that giver is in the market for a boyfriend. Get them one. You can now have them modified for a good price to suppress volume of crowing. Also check with neighbors for their inputs on noise levels.

Thx I think this is the real reason for noise. Should I bring them to a rooster and for how long?

 

[centrarchid]

Thx I think this is the real reason for noise. Should I bring them to a rooster and for how long?

Mine make the sound while in lay. Having some periodic access to rooster seems to keep the noise levels down. Rooster makes a similar sound when confined with hen about to lay egg, sometimes even when not confined. I do not know purpose for rooster making sound or if it benefits anyone.

 

[Help me chicken head]

@lightchick @hlavalley Unfortunately, it is not the egg song! This is more like a screechy "craaaaaaaaaaw" and it is every morning when the sun starts to shine. They are quiet the rest of the day. Try as I might, I have not found any one with a similar issue... I wonder if maybe my breeds are particularly noisy? @lazy gardener I think you may be right on point. @aart an automatic door is a good idea!

Can anyone suggest quieter breeds? If my Dorking & Leghorn keep on (the other two are a lot quieter) I will have to send them to my mom's place. She has a very large backyard that can accommodate noisier hens.

Mine do the same thing, I know exactly what you’re talking about. I thought they were something wrong with one of them it’s only one of mine that does that. I did notice that when the other roosters crow in the general area where I live that’s when she starts getting like that but it’s dead on with yours right around 7 to 730 in the morning and then they’re quiet for the rest of the day

 

[Help me chicken head]

Hi All! My husband and I are new to keeping chickens and had have had a great time raising our 4 pullets for the past several months. We have a Silver-Gray Dorking, a Leghorn, a Barred Rock and a Campine. Everything has been dandy until just recently... Our hens/pullets have begun to screech an ungodly and scratchy scream that sounds somewhat like "crrraaaaaa!" at the top of their lungs every morning around 730am! We live in a residential neighborhood and have neighbors in close proximity who most likely hear everything. I have no idea what to do to stop this behavior and was hoping any of you experts out there can help. Here are some key points about my hens, maybe this info will help decipher what's going on and what I can do about it:

* 2 of the 4 (dorking & leghorn) have just started laying eggs (probably two weeks now), my barred rock is doing the "submissive squat" and also seems to be getting ready to lay soon. My campine is still young, her comb and wattle are barely there.

* all four have plenty of space in the coop & run to perch, eat, dust bathe and roost... I also have two nest boxes at their disposal with fluffy wood shavings inside and a little ladder leading to each.

* they free range every day for several hours (as soon as we get home from work we let them out until the sun goes down).

* they eat Scratch & Peck brand feed & and are given healthy treats like tomatoes and fruit often.

* plenty of clean water

Lately, we have tried everything from waving our arms to throwing in a few treats to quiet them down, but the minute we leave they start up again. When they see us, or hear the door open, they yell. I recently draped the perch area with sheets to keep out sunlight until a later morning hour, but it only kept them quiet a half hour longer than usual. So now, for the past several mornings I have had to resort to letting them to free range just to make them quiet. I do not want to keep this up as I know it is bound to create a bad habit, but I feel as if my hands are tied! There is nothing else that makes them stop. Does anyone else know what we can do? Thank you!!

I know exactly what you’re talking about mine do it also. It’s just one of mine that do it and I did notice that it’s whenever I hear a neighbor rooster crowing she does it right after that. But dead on between seven and 8 o’clock

 

[lilchickenz]

I have a hen that bitches and complains every time she sees me and even when she doesn't, but she's worse when she sees me. She's constantly upset and angry. I don't know if the rest of them are quiet because she's speaking for them or if it's just the way she is and the rest are quiet.

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

My buff orpington hen does the scream you are describing.

They're just saying Good Morning

...and to set them free haha

For this reason.
they are giving you a special " good morning " scream.

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

lol I wonder if the OP's chicken still screams, I just realized the date of this post

 

[LilDj]

Hi All! My husband and I are new to keeping chickens and had have had a great time raising our 4 pullets for the past several months. We have a Silver-Gray Dorking, a Leghorn, a Barred Rock and a Campine. Everything has been dandy until just recently... Our hens/pullets have begun to screech an ungodly and scratchy scream that sounds somewhat like "crrraaaaaa!" at the top of their lungs every morning around 730am! We live in a residential neighborhood and have neighbors in close proximity who most likely hear everything. I have no idea what to do to stop this behavior and was hoping any of you experts out there can help. Here are some key points about my hens, maybe this info will help decipher what's going on and what I can do about it:

* 2 of the 4 (dorking & leghorn) have just started laying eggs (probably two weeks now), my barred rock is doing the "submissive squat" and also seems to be getting ready to lay soon. My campine is still young, her comb and wattle are barely there.

* all four have plenty of space in the coop & run to perch, eat, dust bathe and roost... I also have two nest boxes at their disposal with fluffy wood shavings inside and a little ladder leading to each.

* they free range every day for several hours (as soon as we get home from work we let them out until the sun goes down).

* they eat Scratch & Peck brand feed & and are given healthy treats like tomatoes and fruit often.

* plenty of clean water

Lately, we have tried everything from waving our arms to throwing in a few treats to quiet them down, but the minute we leave they start up again. When they see us, or hear the door open, they yell. I recently draped the perch area with sheets to keep out sunlight until a later morning hour, but it only kept them quiet a half hour longer than usual. So now, for the past several mornings I have had to resort to letting them to free range just to make them quiet. I do not want to keep this up as I know it is bound to create a bad habit, but I feel as if my hands are tied! There is nothing else that makes them stop. Does anyone else know what we can do? Thank you!!

Hello there
I have a Japanese black bantam hen that was raised with 4 dogs and a cat. I bought her when she was just a few days old. She is very spoiled and all my pets are best friends. She runs free in back yard during the day. My bantam started making this crazy loud scream every morning that almost sounded like a rooster/lady screaming! It was hilarious. She is 6 yrs old now and never was around any other chickens. We have a pond in our back yard and we have wild turkeys and mallards and geese and of coarse hawks and crows and other birds flying around making sounds. We noticed our chicken began mocking sounds that other birds were making. She made the hawk and crow sounds and wild turkey and Canadian geese sounds as well.
it is really neat. But she also at times sounds like she trying to crow like a rooster.
however she has never been around any other roosters or hens. We live in a gated neighborhood and farm animals are not allowed so I understand your concern.
luckily no one has said anything to us, our houses are hopefully far enough apart, but I understand your concern.
I have no idea where mine developed this scream from, But It sure is funny sounding! We laugh every time we hear her.
just thought I’d share my story with you