Oh dear, i've got myself in a right tizz! My girls are soooo noisy i just don't know what to do with them. The problem is i live in a residential area with neighbours on each side and to the back of me. They used to be so quiet, only the occasional egg song or warning call, but since i stopped them free ranging back at the beginning of March (the garden is wrecked) they are so angry about it I have 4 girls and they have 80ftsq of space. They have a dust bath, perches, rocks, logs and branches, i've given things food hanging, apples on sticks etc etc and obviously they have constant access to food and water. They just seem demented and it's sooo loud. I'm so worried about the summer months approaching as the neighbours will want their windows open and will be spending time in their gardens and they really don't need to listen to the racket. Plus one of my next door neighbours has already made it painfully clear he HATES me having chickens. I'm so stressed, it's stopping me enjoying them. What can i do? I'm worried i'll have to find them new homes if they're so unhappy Please help x
Mum of 2 children, 4 cats, 1 ancient fish and 5 Pekins!
I am sure they will settle down and fortunately this cold weather isn't ending too soon. Try hanging some cabbage up, corn on the cob, broccoli etc to keep them busy. I never give treats in a bowl. I always scatter them all around the run. That gives them something to do for a while as well.
It's something that I am mindful of as well, but when I think about it, our girls make no greater noise than say Benny barking, kids screetching in the garden or aircraft overhead which we do seem to get a fair bit of.
As for the neighbour who says he hates you having chickens, what the heck has it got to do with him????
My girls do make noise, but it's not constant all the time. I was very reassured the other week when we went to a neighbours house party and they say they don't mind the noise. Phew.
Mind you a street away, someone has a cockerel and he crows at all times throughout the day. To me that is quite noisy and something I wouldn't consider living here as I don't think it's fair.
Try not to worry too much, I really don't think the noise is so bad
Bev x Our family: my-Lovely-Hubbly and I, Benny and our two little Ladies - Betty and Gloria. RIP dear little Ladies - Lottie, Cottie, Elsie, Dottie, Hilda and Margie. You may have gone, but are never ever forgotten.
Don't worry they will settle down when they realise they are not coming out to FR any more.
I have only let my girls out to FR on one occasion and they didn't shut up for a week afterwards and were pacing up and down next to the door - no longer content like they used to be. I regretted it.
They actually have a lot of room and are quite happy and I am getting some new girls soon. When I do, I don't think I will let them out to FR at all because of these very problems. They seem happy and satisfied where they are until you give them more and then they don't let you hear the end of it!!
I agree Skeksis, ours always seem far noisier for a few days if I've let them out to play in the garden for a while
Our four chooks can be really noisy at times, especially Freckle who will often spend a whole day shouting at the top of her voice. I was walking down our road the other day and could hear Freckle from about 7 doors up screeching like a fishwife
But having spoken to our neighbours, they don't seem to notice the noise which really surprised me as some of them can be a bit moany. I think because i worry about it so much, I am FAR more sensitive to the noise than I need to be...
Try to relax Mumma J, chances are it bothers you far more than anyone else. They will settle down and hopefully like Wendy says, by time the weather is warmer, they'll be totally used to their new quarters and peace & quiet will reign supreme once more
Lucy x
Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut - Ernest Hemingway
My four brown girls are very quiet - but the two Light Sussex are great cacklers! There's the "I'm going inside to lay and may be some time", there's "I want everyone to know that this is a square egg I'm laying" followed by "Well I've done it - where's my medal?".
They also warn the rest of the little flock whenever there is danger, such as a sheep bleating half a mile away, next door's cows mooing gently, the occasional car/bus passing.
My regular short dog walk, about three quarters of a mile round trip, is such that I know if either of them has laid an egg whilst I've been out.
At the other end of the hamlet is a farm with, I think, similar chickens. They have a cockerel that I can hear sometimes and am glad I don't live next door to.
Thinking about it rationally, the amount of time that the noise is being made is quite trifling under normal circumstances. Your girls will quiet down again; mine have been in their run every day for the past 2 weeks as we are getting the veggie patch prepared. They've stopped complaining now. I do try to ensure that there is always something to scratch for (no food in bowls etc) and each day I dig over a little area of their outdoor run. Perhaps this helps.
Bea; 19 hens (most of whom I intended to get); 6 bantams (which I never intended to have); old Benji dog and young Toby dog (who I definitely wanted). Three years into country living and loving it.
I think they can just go through spells as well. Ours FR all the time now, but crikey can they chunter away of they're in a mood to. We've had to take up more of the barn for wood storage, and it leaves them less space for dustbathing and nesting. They've just got used to it now and found new spots, so the noise has died down again from that. They don't like the cold, so they've had a few words to say on the subject, and have been a bit like that when we changed their food. I think they just like to voice their opinions occasionally.
Mine can make a right din at times, I just let them get on with it, it's no where near as loud as the blokes dog over the back barking. If he complains I'll mention his rowdy dawg
I,reckon the neighbours are more concerned about my well being when they over hear the conversations I have my my chooks
Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue.
Like your girls, mine are so pathetic when kept in their own run. The three of them just stand at the trellis gate calling to be let out. They have a favourite shrub in 'my garden' that they sit under to preen themselves and also to shelter from the wind. I must say that I usually give in, except for the decking area outside the patio doors. I must have one place that is poo free. I really loved my garden before having chooks. I no longer plant anuals etc, but have put in more shrubs, ones that they don't eat and only climbing roses as they strip the leaves from them. I live very close to my neighbours, who all assure me that they love to hear the girls. Don't worry and stay calm.If your neighbours haven't said anything, then take it that they don't mind.
I had the same when I stopped them from destroying the garden, Iv built them a run half the size of the garden but didn't stop them all looking through the mesh shouting to be let out I found throwing a few handfuls of corn around the run kept them occupied and soon forgot about the garden well all except one leghorn she makes more nose than the cockerel and even more than the mother-in-law as for the neighbours take no notice it probably sounds worse to you than to them
Mine used to be quite noisy as well but now I have a cockerel, their noise has paled into insignificance - lol - we're rural but my can his voice carry - no complaints as yet and he's quieter than the cows who moan on all night. Try not to worry about it - the noise they make is different but no noisier than other things such as dogs, kids, cars, etc...
If I go into the garden they hear me opening the first door (into the porch) so by the time I open the back door they are standing at the door of the run looking pathetic. "No one ever feeds us anything nice, or lets us out of this horrid run."
But if I spy on them fron an upstairs window they are so busy digging holes in the chippings, or completely invisible under the A-shelter.
Are you sure they aren't just 'putting it on' for you.
At any rate it can't be as bad as the constant drone of lawn-mowers in summer.
I echo what Mo has said - just have a listen from inside the house when they dont know you're there and you might find they are nice and quiet. Mine only have to hear the back door open and they start chunnering ... when I'm not around they're quiet unless something frightens them or theyve just laid an egg.
Julie
“cockerels may crow but it's the hen that lays the egg."
Thank you for your responses everyone, i'm feeling a bit more reassured now I love my girls so much and don't want to feel stressed about having them. I must keep telling myself "chill, chill, chill"! Hopefully i wont hear anything from the neighbours, it's just some of you may remember that one of them sent anonymous letters in regards to their distaste for my penchant for the 'good life'. I guess i'm just paranoid now. We live in such a quiet neighbourhood-no barking dogs, no noisy cars, we have the only young children and now we're the one's with rowdy chickens! Ho hum! I'll just keep trying to find things to keep them amused and they've quietened down a bit by the summer. I feel like i've been a bit naive when it's come to keeping chickens as although i was warned that they would ravage the garden i didn't realise what a good job they would do so quickly and i didn't realise how much noise they could make. But i've loved having them and they're part of the family and they diligently lay us an egg each everyday Thank you for your support x
Mum of 2 children, 4 cats, 1 ancient fish and 5 Pekins!
they've quietened down a bit by the summer.
