Squawking Hen

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June24
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Squawking Hen

Post by June24 »

I have a hen who is 6 years old and has started squawking and who has become really noisy in the morning for no apparent reason, she also doesn't want to go into the hen house at night.

Any suggestions as to what might be the cause of this please?

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p.penn
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Re: Squawking Hen

Post by p.penn »

Are the others laying? Sometimes my hens do this when others are actually in the nest box laying - almost like a guard chicken! If she is senior hen , she may again like to be the last in the coop - like putting the kids to bed! Unless she looks poorly, I wouldn't worry.
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ChickenCarol
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Re: Squawking Hen

Post by ChickenCarol »

My girls have also taken to shouting when another girl is laying and are being more vocal in the mornings when they first come out. I think it's all to do with getting back into egg laying.
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manda
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Re: Squawking Hen

Post by manda »

Could be just the song of her people )grin2(

Check the coop though just in case there are mites ...she might have picked them up first.
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June24
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Re: Squawking Hen

Post by June24 »

p.penn wrote:Are the others laying? Sometimes my hens do this when others are actually in the nest box laying - almost like a guard chicken! If she is senior hen , she may again like to be the last in the coop - like putting the kids to bed! Unless she looks poorly, I wouldn't worry.


@p.penn

Thanks for your help. This does seem to happen when the other hen is in the nest box so maybe this is it. We did have three hens and one died recently so maybe she has become more protective as a result.

June
June24
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Re: Squawking Hen

Post by June24 »

ChickenCarol wrote:My girls have also taken to shouting when another girl is laying and are being more vocal in the mornings when they first come out. I think it's all to do with getting back into egg laying.


This sounds right too. We are down to just two hens now but they have started laying again recently following the winter so we will see if this stops as we come in to the longer days.
June24
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Re: Squawking Hen

Post by June24 »

manda wrote:Could be just the song of her people )grin2(

Check the coop though just in case there are mites ...she might have picked them up first.

Thanks, will just have to get used to her singing! Haven't noticed any red mites, will have a closer look.

June.
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Mo
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Re: Squawking Hen

Post by Mo »

I thought they usually cackled after they'd laid.
Seems odd - to advertise to predators (and human nest-robbers!) that there is food to be had.
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HedgeHugger
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Re: Squawking Hen

Post by HedgeHugger »

Mine do it, and have done ever since they first started laying. I've always thought it weird too, to advertise the fact that some of your group are ripe for easy pickings!, chicken logic, who knows.

We have the pleasure of 2 hour long screech sessions sometimes. Headphones essential, I've thought about buying in some earplugs for the neighbours!
:)
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ChickenCarol
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Re: Squawking Hen

Post by ChickenCarol »

People always refer to it as the egg song. I have always called it the egg shout. Mine shout, very loudly, before they go in the nest box, if another girl is in the nest box and again when they have laid. Once laying commences I realise how quiet the girls in winter compared to spring.
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kitla
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Re: Squawking Hen

Post by kitla »

If you've recently lost a hen there could be a shift in power going on, that always causes a bit of noise. Another suggestion is - could she be going broody?
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