Squawking Hens

[Ballardchix]

We have two amazing layers (Golden Sex Link and Black Sex Link) that are "best of friends". We love having them, but every morning, when the black sex link heads back into the coop to lay her egg, the golden (who is amazingly social) squawks incredibly loud, like she's sad or calling out for her buddy.

I'm assuming that this is typical behavior, but we live in the city, and I'm sure the neighbors are not terribly excited when this happens @ 0700 AM.

Any advice on how to quell the squawking? Or is this something that we just have to live with?

 

[cafarmgirl]

I have several hens who raise a racket when their friends go to lay an egg, and then when the job is done they help them announce it! It can be quite a racket at the barn. So I'm not sure there is any way to quiet her except to keep them inside until later in the morning? The hens are very unlikely to be happy with that particular solution lol!

 

[Themehmeh]

You could try a third bird if you think the second one gets lonely but chances are the third one won't bond with the other two as well and the squawking will continue.
Our first flock was kept in two brooders in the same room and met eachother at 5 and 7 weeks old when they were put in the coop. they still separated into two groups and disliked being with the other group.

Are you sure it's the lonely one shouting and not the one that laid the egg singing an egg song? When my birds sang their egg song, some or all of the other birds would chime in. There isn't anything you can do about an egg song and if you add more birds there will just be more songs.

Maybe talk to your neighbors, ask how much it bothers them, and offer eggs to gloss things over.

 

[Ballardchix]

Cafarmgirl, you're right. I tried keeping them in the main coop until they laid, but the golden was not happy at all. I love her personality. She is so strong willed and opinionated

 

[CtrlAltJack]

Every couple weeks my flock of 14 hens of various breeds well get into a squawking contest early in the morning with no apparent provocation. There is no violence of any kind involved. Any advice?

 

[eds500]

I have the same issue with my 6 barred rocks. The squawking seems to be limited to the morning though. Mine squawked at 7:30a yesterday. I thought a fox was patrolling the house.

The worst offender was a hen wanting privacy when see was laying. I have 4 boxes in a big house. She'd take the first box by the door and when others would walk in to lay, she'd get out of her box and scream at the door of the house. There's a line on the ramp waiting to get in and she's yelling at them. I was humored but not amused. I'm tagging my hens this week to determine which one(s) are being loud.

These rocks are 7 weeks new to me and they started laying 3 weeks ago. I'm not used to the noise and neither are my neighbors. Though I haven't had complaints yet.

I had golden comets for 4 years and the one time they made a noise was because of two fox kits watching them at dawn.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

I have a squawking hen who is louder than the rooster and sounds like the Wicked Witch of the West. Every morning without fail, and several afternoons too. I have not the slightest idea what she's squawking about.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Seems to just love the sound of her own voice. Pretty sure she's the only one.