Noisy hen

[curvychick]

Hi All!
Please help!!!??? one of my hens (Trinny) is constantly shouting (now she cant eggscape! See reply to SuzyB on naughty chicken), trouble is she just will not close her beak. She is laying every other day at the moment, a bit earlier than last year, so I am assuming she is happy enough. I really dont want to have to rehome her as she's a good layer (apart from I'm usually quite fond of her), she wasnt like this last year and I am at my witts end as I dont want complaints from the neighbours. They have plenty of food, water and shelter...I cant get a cockerel as I live on an estate! Any ideas????? Please?????

[Nicos]

I still wonder if she wants to be a mummy??
Could you cope with dispatching males? Is you could find someone to do that, then maybe get her some fertile eggs- give her something to do!
(No idea how you could get her to go broody though first!)
My noisiest gal is my best broody- that's why I immediately thought of that!

[curvychick]

hiya!
She went broody last year and I bought a load of eggs for her to hatch, she's out and about and not 'sitting' on the nest, so I didnt think she was broody? I could try one of those china eggs? I kept the two girls that I hatched out last year (I chickend out (sorry for the pun) of dispatching the boys and got someone else to do it! I cried all day, so really didnt want to go down that route if I could help it!)
Maybe its an attention thing as she settles whem I'm up there!

[Nicos]

Have you actually asked your neighbours if she disturbs them? You may be worrying about nothing!!

[curvychick]

I've asked my attached neighbour, sadly I'm kinda surrounded, altho people that I have spoken to havent minded, that being said, that was last year when the noise levels were less, just worried come summer when everyone has their windows/doors etc open?
A lot of people have said its like living in the country! Just knowing my luck in my efforts to be the Barbara Good of the area I'll end up with Margot somewhere!
Thanks Nicos!
xx

[motherhen]

Different breeds can be more vocal it just comes naturally, I found bantams slightly more so.
Sometimes other noises around will start them off, or some hens are just very proud that they have laid an egg, it always amazes me because you think they would keep quite about it, as it would alert any preditors.

[Nicos]

it always amazes me because you think they would keep quite about it, as it would alert any preditors.

ie -us!!!

[curvychick]

Thanks!
If it was to announce the birth I could understand, its just most of the time!
Its all about me!!!! (Well her!)
I've got a couple of bantams as well and Trinny gets them going, although not nearly as bad! Poor Susannah just looks at me as if to say 'what can I do about it!'
xx

[motherhen]

Isn't it sad that we have to panic that our neighbours could be upset by the prating ( that's an old fashioned word for ) the loud clucking that a hen makes when she has laid, its a lovely sound.
I didn't catch her name but there was a lady on radio 4 the other day who was talking fondly of holidays in the country when she was young and waking to the lovely chicken sounds the musty earthy smell of the hen run and house and the wonderful haunting sound of the cockerels, the many of whom would answer each other with some shrill and some deep crows.

[curvychick]

Hi Motherhen!
It is a shame and I am probably panicking about nothing, but people will be people and some arent happy unless they are moaning!
I love the sounds they make after the egg laying, but this is not those times!
Hey-ho, guess we'll have to see how she goes! I did say I could volunteer her for people with noisy neighbour problems, think she'd drown out a 747!
Thanks to you all for your ideas..please keep 'em coming..its nice to know we are not alone!!
xx

[MrsC]

Hi Curvychick,

I have a magpie chuck who has announced since day one of getting her that she has laid an egg, she is loud and as mentioned previously (lol) she also got my bantam Dolly joining in the other morning, it did make me laugh! Maybe she will make a good broody? I'll have to try the egg trick, who knows. I wouldn't worry about the neighbours, I had a rather loud cockeral and got no complaints although he is no longer with us, although we did put up with his crowing for nearly 8 weeks!

[curvychick]

Bless you!
Thanks for that...its so reassuring to know that we are not alone with our little problems!
xx

[Suechooks]

If you're surrounded by neighbours I'm sure their kids/teenagers/dogs/motorbikes/hoovers/strimmers/lawnmowers/power tools make a hellova lot more noise than 1 hen! If anyone complains just remind them of that!

[Hans Mum]

one of the girls i adopted from Lynda is very noisy (no comments please) she chatters all day long about everything & anything my neighbours havent complained & if they do the retort will be that the girlies are quiter than the kids who constantly kick a football on the corner of the street from dawn till dusk in the summer

[mr darcy]

Scarlet is a chatterbox too, Violette was as well it was so noisy! I loved their chatter, like a couple of old girls doing the washing and gossiping! Biscuit the buff has a low cracked voice, my OH reckons she's on twenty a day at least.