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Don't you eyeball me, chicken!
Since the hens began laying they have gone from quiet pullets to gabby girls. The racket begins in late morning and continues intermittently until around noon, while the laying is going on.
BawkbawkbawkbawkbawkbawkBAWKAW!!
By midday the hubbub has subsided and they go back to their quiet selves, but I can’t help but cringe wondering if a neighbor somewhere is building up a head of steam.
I know the amount of cackling pales in comparison to the din of lawn mowers, leaf blowers, car alarms, yapping dogs, and the like, but it’s the unusual-ness of the sound that makes ears perk up. Suburbanites have become inured to the typical suburban sounds and we tune them out, or at least we know the futility of trying to do something to change them. I worry that the suburban mindset, perhaps subconsciously geared to challenge the atypical, will balk at the noise of hens at laying time and I will get a visit or a dreaded notice from the city.
It’s on my agenda to visit the neighbor closest to, and therefore most likely affected by, the racket. They seem to keep to themselves, however, and I keep putting it off. So who’s the chicken here anyway, huh?
A basket of fresh eggs, a loaf of bread, an explanation, and an invitation to visit the hens is what I plan. Help get me off my tush and over there, folks.
Oh, and please tell me that your hens got quieter after they had been laying for a while . . . ?
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Usually it’s a hen who wants to be the boss or has Mother Hen syndrome. So what I do is Pin her in a spot, then as she zooms by, Hit her on the butt with a broom. That tells her she’s the quilty party and shows the others to not follow suit.
I am having the same problem. Wasn’t sure if she was protecting the laying hens or angry that they were in her box? I have been trying to grab her when she is ‘being squawky’ and stick her in a dog crate and pop her in the shed for a few hours away from the other hens. I thought if she was being dominant the sepaeration would lower her in the pecking order and quiet her down…but no luck yet. My wyandottes never did this , they are sweet quiet girls. The problem started with my new hens, an Aracauna hybrid…who have always been louder. If I give the loud one to a friend, will another take it’s place?
Diane–My hens are over two years old now, and very quiet–all the same girls, but they seldom make any noise. If you are willing to wait, they will probably quieten down. I was reading about this new book that looks cool–haven’t seen an actual copy yet, though. It promises ways to help keep the noise down, you might see if your library can order it:http://www.amazon.com/Free-Range-Chicken-Gardens-Beautiful-Chicken-Friendly/dp/1604692375/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328030774&sr=8-1
I just stumbled across this post and had to comment; I am in the same situation except for the fact that I am the neighbor annoyed by the noisy chickens. Our neighborhood is not zoned for chickens and it is against our HOAs CC&Rs. These chickens wake me up in the morning and are as much of a nuisance as a neighbor who lets their dog bark and does nothing about it. We sleep with our bedroom window open (even when it is in the teens outside) and we are often woken by the sound of her blasted chickens making such a commotion.
Here is where I am coming from; we all read and agreed to the CC&Rs when we purchased our houses and each of the mini neighborhoods in our development have the same exact rules. This person took on the role of her HOA president solely for the reason that she wanted chickens and knew they weren’t allowed (she admitted this to me). I talked to her and told her I did not appreciate being woken by her chickens in the morning, she said she would move the chickens or keep them in the garage at night, which she never did. I called her out as a hypocrite that she is sending nasty grams to the neighbors who do not have the correct number of trees in their front yard, or park their boat in their driveway for longer than the 3 days allowed, yet she herself is breaking the ‘rules’ by keeping chickens. As a result of all this I have been ‘unfriended’ on facebook by some of the neighbors; which in reality I am truly fine with as they have shown they are not people I want to be friends with anyway (on a side note, these people live far enough away that they don’t hear the chickens in the early morning). My next option is to file a complaint with the county, which I haven’t done yet…
We do have the noise that comes with living in the suburbs, which include the lawnmowers, children at play, etc., but not once have I ever been woken in the early morning hours by any of these sounds.
I am all about living green, recycling, eating organic and real food, I purchase my organic eggs from a local farm. Just thought I would tell the story from the other side of the fence; all I ask is that when we live in close proximity to each other we all show consideration for each other.
Danielle–You raise an excellent point. Having chickens is no different from any other activity with the potential to make noise which wakes a neighbor. We should all respond appropriately to complaints, no matter how green the activity under consideration. It’s very unfortunate that you’re still having a problem after having told your neighbor about your issue. I’m going to email you the text from my chapter on conflict resolution in our book, Little House in the Suburbs–hopefully it will give you some ways to move toward a solution. I hope you and your neighbor can come to a meeting of the minds.
Daisy
As I’m reading all the comments, I’m getting more and more discouraged to get my chickens. I live in the suburbs too, I love animals, always have… I know I’m not in the zone for horses, but chickens? Why can’t I have chickens as pets. I’m paying over $ 9,000 in taxes and I’m not aloud to have a chicken in my backyard? What about people that own exotic animals like pytons and boa constuctors? How did this become legal? I don’t know, I was browsing internet looking for answeres and I guess I got them.Quiet chicken doesn’t exist….. My husband thinks I’m crazy anyways…Well
Marta–I don’t discourage people in the suburbs from chickens. To the contrary, once your set-up is complete, they are among the most low-maintenance and least disturbing pets around. They only make noise during civilized hours, and once their first laying year is over, are less vocal with each passing year, in my experience. My closest neighbor enjoys my chickens so much, she sends them treats and says she feels like she’s out in the country when she hears them, in a good way. Check out our Neighbor chicken handout here: http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2010/02/backyard-chicken-pr.html (It’s a pdf). Also our book has a chapter all about chickens in the burbs.
Hi Tomato Lady,
Nooooo, I wasn’t discouraged by you at all, if anything , you gave me a reality check. I don’t think pets are disposible, so if I take a responsibility to care for one, I need to know all aspects.You know, like people buy a cute puppy in the store, they take it home and realize that the puppy poops and needs attention and after couple of months they dump him at the shelter….I don’t rule like this, so if it is not so legal in my town to have chickens, I need to come up with a good plan or think of a plan B in case my neighbor feels the same as Danielle. This is my husbands biggest fear as well, that’s why I’m doing so much homework.After all if we love chickens soooo much we should have bought the house on the farm, I get it, but we didn’t…..
I love your handout! I think it would come handy if needed. I just have to find the right place in my yard and get the courage to order the chicks.I was thinking 2 Australorps and 1 light brahama. Wish me luck, Tomato Lady, and thanks for replying so fast, I love and respect your knowledge, M
I have 3 Ohio Buckeyes, 1 Cochen & 1 Dominique. They are all just starting to lay and all I can say is I am glad I am in IN where it’s cold and my neighbors have their windows closed. They are out of control noisy!
I am zoned for up to 5 hens but I am so worried I have someone like Danielle in my neighborhood getting madder and madder about the noise. Our zoning says up to 5 unless someone complains then you have to get rid of them.
I think I am going to save all of the eggs for the next two weeks and distribute them to the neighbors with a loaf of homemade bread. Hopefully it will sooth any troubled waters that my be brewing. Any other suggestions?
Mikki–I know the feeling. When I wrote this, my hens were on their first laying season, and they have gotten a lot quieter since. Also, being friends with my closest neighbor now, knowing she likes the chickens, really helps MY peace of mind. The bread and eggs sound like they will go a long way, plus you’ll probably get some feedback–I predict most people either won’t have noticed or they will tell you stories about how they used to live in the country and they miss hearing the sounds of the farm. If you take the eggs/bread, please write back and let us know how it went. You may have seen out Chicken Neighbor Handout. If anyone has questions, having a copy of that might help.
Hi Mikki,
LOL I was luaghing so hard when I read your story,not that I don’t feel sorry for you,It’s because I feel I’m going to be in the same position as you very soon.Chickens are not legal where I live, so wish me luck and lots of eggs. Maybe I should get more then 2 hens if I have to bribe all the neighbors. Please keep me posted, I’m dying to know if it gets better and how your neighbors react. I’m planning on getting my chicks next month and I’m sooooooo scared.Marta
To Deanna, Ref your CA artilce, Feb 14, 2012; I would suggest you and anyone else interested in chickens read the Shelbly County Ordinance, Part III, Residential Use Standards. 2.6.1.A.4: ” …the number of chickens permitted on a lot shall not exceed one bird per 1,500 square feet of lot size up to a maximum of 6 chickens….” Also, please note (this is my problem with a neighbor) “Rooster are prohibited except in the Conservation Agricultue (CA) District.” (this means on a farm or ranch)–not in a residential area. A rooster that crows 39 times in a 30 minutes period is a big pain…. Please pass this info along to all you encourage to raise chickens.
This is a response to Brad, I hope no one here takes his advice on cornering, and then hitting a chicken, EVER! First of all chickens DO NOT “learn” by being hit or watching another chicken being hit. Second of all, bullying a chicken will only lend to her fear and may increase unwanted behavior. When a chicken is squaking loudly, a reasuring word from her keeper goes along way. Also, always do routine health checks on your birds to make sure they are physically sound. Please remember that hitting an animal is abusive and against the law. Brad, seems like you could benefit from some education on raising hens.
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