/ Register

Unhappy hen = always noisy?

Discussion in 'Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying' started by Snack Giver, Feb 28, 2012.

Most Liked Posts
Page 1 of 2
  1. Feb 28, 2012 #1
    Snack Giver

    Snack Giver Chillin' With My Peeps

    111
    0
    101
    May 7, 2011
    Seattle
    My poor little welsumer hen seems unhappy. She is constantly making noises and generally seems restless. She just started laying again after a winter of molting and 2-3 months of no laying. Before that she only laid false eggs or shell-less premature ones. Now she lays a big dark brown egg nearly every day. But she makes a constant grating noise all day long and also seems to seperate herself from the group. We've had her for 8 months and she was leader of the group. But then we got a little leghorn who is mean to her and chases her around, pecking her at her cheeks. I feel like she is either uncomfortable about this new egglaying thing or she is being harrassed too often by the Leghorn. She never shuts up. She is always looking at me too while she makes noises. Here is an example of how she sounds ALL DAY LONG.
     
  3. Feb 28, 2012 #2
    centrarchid

    centrarchid Chicken Obsessed

    17,706
    2,333
    466
    Sep 19, 2009
    Holts Summit, Missouri
    Normally my hens are relatively quite. Exception when not stressed is when no rooster is present. Such roosterless hens seems to make a lot more racket. In my case I think the added racket is intended to attract interest of a rooster.
     
  5. Feb 28, 2012 #3
    SIMZ

    SIMZ Chillin' With My Peeps

    2,091
    129
    231
    Apr 29, 2011
    Northwest Indiana
    We have a Golden Comet that acted like that and still is very loud. For the longest time I thought something was wrong with her. She lays an egg everyday and is almost a year old, so she must be ok. She did quiet down somewhat but still makes that noise while following me around whenever I'm outside.

    We also have a Welsummer from a younger group of chickens that acted the same way. She would constantly squawk and stand on a roost in the coop. She eventually got over it and went back with the group (I'd say she did that for a month). Every now and then I'll find her by herself on the roost, but she doesn't make that noise anymore.

    By the way, both of our chickens made noises even more intense than yours on the video. It was the same sound, but louder and higher. I have no idea why they do that, but they seem ok.
     
  7. Feb 28, 2012 #4
    Snack Giver

    Snack Giver Chillin' With My Peeps

    111
    0
    101
    May 7, 2011
    Seattle
    OK Thanks. Ya her all day sound is WAY louder than on that video but it sounds like the same noise. She did just started doing this noise about the same time she started laying (2 weeks ago). I originally worried that she didnt know where to lay so I was carrying her into the coop to show her the nests just to shut her up. But she does know now where the nests are. I think that maybe this noise does have something to do with looking for a Roo. Because she's always following me around with that noise, even trying to come into the house while the others are elsewhere in a group.. :)
     
  9. Feb 28, 2012 #5
    suebee

    suebee Speaks Silkie Fluently

    2,087
    107
    251
    Apr 1, 2007
    N. Carolina
    My silkie hen's are really noisy before going broody. [​IMG]
     
  11. May 20, 2012 #6
    chickmchickie

    chickmchickie Chillin' With My Peeps

    270
    1
    101
    Jul 6, 2011
    Ely Mn
    Your video is nothing ..... to what mine do, i have 3 who scream all day long so loud.. i have done everything i can and they wont tone down. I have no clue what it is.. there is nothign in their yard.. they have food.. water.. the others.. its driving me nuts and none of my other chicken all my life every did this.. I swear they are louder then a rooster.. ..
     
  13. May 20, 2012 #7
    Danielle27

    Danielle27 Chillin' With My Peeps

    129
    3
    93
    Feb 12, 2012
    Tucson
    My two 16 week old sex links have been complaining non stop for the past week or so. All I hear is a low pitched, but louder "boooook booook booook" all day. My 13 week old pullets are still nice and quiet. I keep thinking the 16 week old's must be miserable.
     
  15. May 22, 2012 #8
    centrarchid

    centrarchid Chicken Obsessed

    17,706
    2,333
    466
    Sep 19, 2009
    Holts Summit, Missouri
    You have not tried everything. Give them a fully adult rooster and see if they quite down. Or swap them out for a quiter group.
     
  17. May 22, 2012 #9
    devora

    devora Chillin' With My Peeps

    1,168
    25
    196
    Apr 9, 2007
    Willits, CA Gateway to the Redwoods
    She may be a chatty girl but it doesn't indicate she needs a rooster.

    Sounds like she's figuring out her laying. My Wellies are wonderfully wacky in this regard. They get better (well, usually) as they get more adept.
     
  19. May 22, 2012 #10
    centrarchid

    centrarchid Chicken Obsessed

    17,706
    2,333
    466
    Sep 19, 2009
    Holts Summit, Missouri
    My free-range hens in the company of a rooster are extremely quite. Confine same hens and they will get much more vocal. They do not get vocal as learning to lay.
     
Page 1 of 2

BackYard Chickens is proudly sponsored by