Squawking chicken while the other is laying?

[OztheDog]

Hi,

We have two chickens. The coop is sizeable and we generally give them run of the yard in the daytime, and they are generally inseparable. Problem is, when one (Magdelena) is in the coop laying an egg in the morning, the other (Pork) runs around squawking her head off. Seeing as backyard chickens are not technically legal at this point in our neighborhood (city council meeting next week!) and we do like our neighbors, any idea how we can diminish the noise? Pork doesn't seem to like being in the coop at all, and runs around the yard yelling until my husband or I (or the dogs) come out. Magdelena is fine. They're both about 1, in good health, and both lay an egg a day. Magdelena is a Barred Rock and Pork is a light Brahma. Should we get a 3rd chicken to keep her company? Put a blanket over the coop? Play music?? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[dsqard]

You could try having another hen to see if that helps but I don't know of any way to make a hen stop singing the egg song. Mine only sing it on occasion and sometimes one will be inside laying quietly and another is outside "singing" away. Maybe someone else will chime in on how to make them stop.

 

[meriruka]

I have a few hens who do the same thing. Despite the big row of nest boxes some of the hens fuss when another dares to lay an egg in their favorite place - it's like someone pounding on the bathroom door while your doing business, even if they don't need to go in themselves.
Maybe you could distract the squawker with a treat?

 

[ZooMummzy]

When one hen is laying here, they all join in the singing. It's louder than all of my roosters combined lol.

 

[Higins00]

Do they both lay in the same nest box? Mine do that when someone is laying and they have to go in and lay too. If that is the case I sugest getting a fake egg or golf ball and put it in another nest so she thinks someone else thinks that nest is best. She might go for it and sit in the other nest.

 

[obaan1]

I think she's just cheering her on. Pork's got a happy personality and at my house I call them "singers." My hens aren't legal either but I have pretty heavy traffic nearby that muffles the noise coming from my yard.