Young hens (?) making loud strange noises

[myluckychucks]

That is a normal happy chicken sound. My chickens make numerous sounds, and yes I can tell the difference in all of them. Chickens are pretty smart really. They have learned that looking in the window and making noise gets them a treat. Make sure they have a variety of food available always and stop giving treats that way. There are different sounds for "just laid an egg", predators, hungry etc. if you pay attention you will learn them. I see no rooster in your flock, looks like all hans to me.

 

[Restoration Ranch]

Oh boy, lol. If mine do that indefinitely they might go from being layers to broilers!

I'm kidding!!!! Lol

LOL

 

[leighks]

They all look like hens and the sound is totally normal. Some of mine get very vocal before they are getting ready to lay.

 

[YoGuy]

That is a normal happy chicken sound. My chickens make numerous sounds, and yes I can tell the difference in all of them. Chickens are pretty smart really. They have learned that looking in the window and making noise gets them a treat. Make sure they have a variety of food available always and stop giving treats that way. There are different sounds for "just laid an egg", predators, hungry etc. if you pay attention you will learn them. I see no rooster in your flock, looks like all hans to me.

Haha, I'm learning about those noises real quick! And mine do the same thing with the backdoor; they like to hang out right at it and watch inside. I made the mistake of flipping em some feed during one of our daily subtropical rains and that def exacerbated it. They are definitely NOT dumb! I also learned that real quick.

Thanks for the comment. My reds still haven't laid, I'm hoping y'all are right about them being hens. They're such characters. They're even growing on my wife; she heard her first egg song this morning!

 

[YoGuy]

Do they have a nesting box?

Yes, three. Seems the layers are using just one so far, which I read is quite normal. Thanks!

 

[paloozaparty]

At 20 weeks I'm assuming they're getting close to laying Maybe look up chicken egg song to see if it's similar (granted, different chickens will sound different but it'll give you an idea at least)

When I was a new chicken owner... We DID have a roo in the flock--so, once we had to rehome him--it wasn't until a few days later that I also noticed (without his heinously loud cockadoodledoo around / to drown out the hens, presumably)--that the hens squawk SO MOTHER EFFING LOUDLY--and, so I did research... thought I'd share... Hens--in particular lead hens--but, in my case--ALL SIX HENS--squawk BEFORE, DURING and AFTER EVERY SINGLE egg lay! Reason being... in the wild--the laying hen is, needless to say, extremely vulnerable--as (BY THE WAY) egglaying can take up to 3 hours EACH EGG--people don't tell you these things... and, therefore, the squawking is meant to ward off nearby predators that may try to attack / kill the egg-laying hen or know where their egg is laid so that they can steal it. Therefore, in flock settings--in particular, without a roo--the other hens will/may also help and squawk before, during and after each of their sisters egg-laying time. There's really no way to stop them, BUT, in our case--I've been able to call them for treats when the squawking is AFTER a lay--so that it's more like a celebration of snacks vs. noise making HAHA.

 

[YoGuy]

I thought it would be good to update this thread for others and all who helped me.

Since the first day with all the weird sounds, one by one my (now confirmed!) four hens began laying and the egg song rang through the yard daily. Exciting!

Since they started laying they have become machines. I'm getting sometimes two, mostly three eggs daily.

Out of four hens??!!! Are they just robochickens or is the norm when they start? Can't imagine they keep this torrid pace. Even the little Dominique seems to lay every single day. It's crazy!!!!

Thanks again to all who helped me during this process.

-Yo

 

[YoGuy]

Yes, three. Seems the layers are using just one so far, which I read is quite normal. Thanks!

Update: three nesting boxes, the one on the left is the New Hampshire's private can. The other three pile into the one on the right. The middle doesn't get used.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[FatChicksDigMe]

That's definitely an egg song my friend lol

 

[STACEYH]

Sounds like they are all happy chickens. Depends on the breed for how often they lay. Many breeds were created for laying everyday taking a day off once in a while. Mine pile in one nest box also. This morning I walked into the coop and four heads popped out of the same nesting box. Seems like that is a normal thing too. Congratulations with all your happy pullets.