Shrieking Australorp

[Amylynn007]

Hi all!

I need help. We have six total chickens including two Australorps and one has been "shrieking" for about 8 weeks now. She is 22 weeks old and started laying last week.

We chose Australorps as they are supposedly one of the quieter breeds. Her sister is super quiet. She started this shrieking thing about 8 weeks ago when she would see us outside, so we assumed it was for attention. It has slowly ramped up so it is almost the only noise she makes. I can hear it through our closed windows and I feel bad for the poor neighbors. We aren't allowed a rooster, but she is as noisy as one.

I attached a video of her making the noise. I was hoping when she started laying that the shrieking would stop, but it hasn't. She is an extremely high-strung chicken but seems otherwise happy and healthy. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

 

[centralcaligirl]

Hi all!

I need help. We have six total chickens including two Australorps and one has been "shrieking" for about 8 weeks now. She is 22 weeks old and started laying last week.

We chose Australorps as they are supposedly one of the quieter breeds. Her sister is super quiet. She started this shrieking thing about 8 weeks ago when she would see us outside, so we assumed it was for attention. It has slowly ramped up so it is almost the only noise she makes. I can hear it through our closed windows and I feel bad for the poor neighbors. We aren't allowed a rooster, but she is as noisy as one.

I attached a video of her making the noise. I was hoping when she started laying that the shrieking would stop, but it hasn't. She is an extremely high-strung chicken but seems otherwise happy and healthy. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

Does she do it when they are out free ranging?

 

[piminuse]

She sounds just like my Daisy, a Marans mix. Sometimes you just get a chatterbox who has a less than pretty singing voice :/

She might be yelling at you for attention to either feed her treats, let her out or something else. My own loud mouth is usually only loud like that when she knows I'm around.

 

[Amylynn007]

Does she do it when they are out free ranging?

Yes, but slightly less often as I think she's busier with bugs and such.

 

[Amylynn007]

She sounds just like my Daisy, a Marans mix. Sometimes you just get a chatterbox who has a less than pretty singing voice :/

She might be yelling at you for attention to either feed her treats, let her out or something else. My own loud mouth is usually only loud like that when she knows I'm around.

Bummer, hahaha. We do give them treats when we move them out into the yard, so it's possible that's just her way of communicating. The fact that she does it all the time now is a bummer.

 

[HappyClucker7]

I think that's just the way she communicates. I have a BA that is extremely loud too. She always wants to be heard. You get used to it after a while.

 

[Amylynn007]

I think that's just the way she communicates. I have a BA that is extremely loud too. She always wants to be heard. You get used to it after a while.

thank you!

 

[centralcaligirl]

Within breeds there are a lot of different personalities. It could very well be it’s just that she’s louder than the rest.

The other option is that she’s more stressed than the others. Hard to tell the dimensions from the video but the run is awfully small for six standard breed chickens and there aren’t any activities in there to keep them busy. If you search for “a cluttered run” there are lots of pictures of ways to “enrich” the run environment.

I keep a compost pile in mine - Australorps can be really great foragers and if you create that opportunity inside the run it could help to calm her down over time.

 

[centralcaligirl]

I pile it up every morning and they spend the rest of the morning tearing it down, lol.

 

[Amylynn007]

Within breeds there are a lot of different personalities. It could very well be it’s just that she’s louder than the rest.

The other option is that she’s more stressed than the others. Hard to tell the dimensions from the video but the run is awfully small for six standard breed chickens and there aren’t any activities in there to keep them busy. If you search for “a cluttered run” there are lots of pictures of ways to “enrich” the run environment.

I keep a compost pile in mine - Australorps can be really great foragers and if you create that opportunity inside the run it could help to calm her down over time.

Thanks! The run not including the coop is 14ft x 4ft. They have a dust bath area, mirrors, swings, and perched up high. They also get to go outside in the yard. She was high strung even as a baby, so I wonder if that's just how she is.