Screeching really loud

[Jurassic Wolf]

My 3 hens squawk all day long, but they stop the second I go outside. Is there any way to stop them from being so loud? U doubt they're bored, because they have a swing, a perch, 3 toys in their run, and a toy in they're coop

 

[azygous]

Just as there is no way to get kids to stop screaming on a playground at recess, there is no way to stop hens from raising a racket if the urge moves them to vocalize to the high heavens.

Have you noticed that there is much more audio drama when it's the egg laying time of day? In my observation, egg laying stimulates the most noise during a chicken's day.

 

[Jurassic Wolf]

They always screech no matter what, I don't think it's related to egg laying

 

[MROO]

Are they hungry? No. Wait. Healthy chickens are ALWAYS hungry! You can try tossing some scratch around the run to give them some busy-work. The other thing is to look around really hard for something "scary," which would cause them to squawk until you appear. For example, here are a few oddball things that have terrified my (or my neighbors') chickens over the years:

Sudden movements of pretty much anything within eyesight
Anything flying overhead - hawks, low planes, kites, trash, a Frisbee
The neighbor's cat sitting 20 feet away
An overgrown fox grape vine casting shadows as it swayed
Moving headlights
Christmas lights along a fence (looked like eyes at night ... they calmed when we took them down)
A small Super Bowl pennant
A beach ball
Clothes on the line - especially sheets
A treat can left where they could see it but not reach it ... frequently!
A loose gate swinging in the breeze
A blowing curtain hanging out a window on a beautiful Spring day

Some of this stuff was really weird and hard to figure out (like the Christmas lights!) We needed to think like a chicken and remember that pretty much everything is scary to a critter who's only one step above grass on the food chain!

Good Luck!

 

[rosemarythyme]

They very well may be bored and trying to get your attention. Not sure about giving them "toys" but you could give them other things to do since the run itself is pretty sparse. Something as simple as a pile of dried leaves will keep them busy for a few hours.

 

[Jurassic Wolf]

You can't really tell but there is a sand area, 2 perches, 2 toys, and a ball filled with food that they love. They're afraid of everything else so I don't know what to add

 

[Coykoi]

My rooster went nuts when a sparrow landed on a phone line over the neighbor's property. The little tiny bird was a good 100 feet away but the rooster was telling his ladies to hide like Godzilla was coming. Mine also chime in when the neighbor's hens sing their egg song. Bottom line, chickens make noise for the stupidest reasons

 

[Chickassan]

That is actually very little entertainment value to a hen.
They are stimulus driven, always moving looking for food and not the kind in a bowl or ball.
They screech because you offer the chance of something new.
If you keep chickens 24/7 in a run you have to mix it up, add new things, move stuff or they get bored....and loud.

You can't really tell but there is a sand area, 2 perches, 2 toys, and a ball filled with food that they love. They're afraid of everything else so I don't know what to add

 

[Jurassic Wolf]

I usually let them out for 1-2 hours a day, and they love playing in hostas. Should I try to plant hostas in their coop or should I just put the leaves in their coop?

 

[Jurassic Wolf]

Also someone said I should make hiding spots and stuff like that, would they like it if I planted a small bush? The run is only 3 ft tall