Very noisy hens, what shall I do?

[hepina]

Hello there,

we have a flock of 9 girls, all getting on very well. They are a family (two Mums and their chicks of a different age), all in laying age now.

One of the hens started to make incredible noise about a week ago. Two other hens do like to join in. They all make very similar noise (although they are from different Mums) and I don't know what to do. I am fearing a visit from council if it continues (neighbours could easily get annoyed).

This noise is worse when we are around - when they can see us in the garden. It sounds almost like 'help me' cry, lasts for about 10seconds and they can repeat it up to 8-10times in one session. Mornings are the worst time.

They are healthy, fed and watered regularly so I really don't know what the problem is. They are cross breeds, complete mix.

Any ideas, please?

 

[chrismahon]

We have some noisy hens as well, but the cockerels generally drown them out! The Wyandottes are particularly noisy. Some will advertise to all that they are going to lay an egg or have just laid an egg. They will also get excited when you are there hoping for treats and trying to get your attention. They will also get noisy when impatient -if I don't let ours out of the run quickly enough they will tell me and then go silent when released. The bottom line Hepina is that there is nothing you can do about it. Some hens are just noisy and that's it. Some breeds are quieter than others but even our Orpingtons have noisy moments. Only the Leghorn Bantams are silent -except Boris the cockerel who makes enough noise for all of them.

They are probably much quieter than a barking dog though. Think the only option is to talk to neighbours before they complain to see if it is a problem. If it is, then rehoming is the only option I can see.

 

[BabyBantam]

One of mine calls out every morning like an alarm clock at 7am (at the moment). She's basically shouting at me to come and give her breakfast.... Talk to the neighbours and ask if it's a problem. You may be worrying over nothing & a few eggs passed in the right direction may help the situation if it is an issue
Are you using the garden more now it's warmer? They may see you as a 'threat' if not used to seeing you regularly and stop again.

 

[hepina]

Well, the trouble with our neighbours is that they will never tell you face to face until one day 'noise nuisance officer' turns up on your doorstep... It happened in the past with our cockerel which I admit, we didn't manage well as we were only starting with chickens...

I think the girls are complaining about not being allowed in the garden. They have been confined in their more than generous run for couple of months but the noise they make is kind of cry and complain. And it is not hunger. All winter they had a full access to lawn part of the garden and a vegetable patch. But they did a lot of damage and we have a baby coming in September so decided to save the lawn part for a baby for next year...

My other half has no patience with them making such a noise. I was away at the weekend but he said he was there with a knife at half past seven on Sunday morning ready to slice the throat of the most noisy hen. But then the other two joined in so he gave up.

I now keep them shut in until at least 8am when all neighbours should be either awake or long gone at work...

 

[66ljm]

This is how I ended up with one of my hens!! She is seriously gobby! Not a problem for me as I have no immediate neighbours but her previous owner kept hens in her garden and neighbours were getting stroppy!




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[Marigold]

I understand you are very fond of them (when they are quiet!) having successfully raised them yourself. However, with a baby on the way, nine hens is quite a lot to look after, how many eggs do you actually eat? Maybe if three of them are causing problems to your household and possibly the neighbours, the time has come to rehome the noisy ones? In another situation they may not be noisy. Are the three noisy ones the dominant hens in the pecking order within the flock, I wonder?

 

[hepina]

I know Marigold, 9 hens is far too much for a family of four (plus baby). We don't eat all eggs, we pass a lot onto our family and friends.

At the same time, as you said, they are my babies, all of them I saw growing from baby chicks... My partner has given up on them long time ago despite sharing my enthusiasm at the very beginning. It was a mutual decision to get the first few hens but it has been me for more than a year who actually looks after them.

The noisy hen that starts the rest of them off is not dominant in any way. Our black hen (one of Mums) is the big boss, the rest of them seem to be equal. The noisy one was the second (middle ) generation of chicks (there was one lot of chicks before and one after).

I will try to give them couple more weeks and will try to screen the run from the rest of the garden by some reed screens... Hopefully they will settle...

 

[Chuck]

I'm sure you baby love will swamp any love you may have for the chickens ! Worry about the neighbours, OH brandishing a knife ! May be time to get realistic.