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Psychotic Hens

 
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Solorn



Joined: 22 Oct 2008
Posts: 26
Location: Somerset
PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 13 10:08 pm    Post subject: Psychotic Hens Reply with quote
    

Up until last month I had hens. 3 of them. I loved them liked children, gave them treats, talked to them every day, and then something happened. I'm not entirely sure what it was but one of them started to alarm call at 5am. It wasn't long before the other two joined in and it would last all day long. Right up until bed time you could be sure of them screaming their heads off for at least 20 minutes out of each hour. They would stop only if they could see me.

The problem I then had was that the next door neighbor had a baby. The hens would wake the baby with their constant bitching and yelling and I could almost feel the anger radiating through the wall. I live in a semi on a housing estate btw. It eventually got so bad that I sent the girls off to live with a friend who has a farm and a soft spot for animals needing a home.

I fully intend to get more chickens, my life is empty without my girls, but I need to know what I did wrong with the last 3 to turn them in to psychotic raptors. I'd also like to know if anyone could recommend a calm headed breed to me. I had a Bluebell, a White Star, and a Black Rock.

Was it me? Was it their age? Were they just loonies? Help?

gythagirl



Joined: 18 Feb 2010
Posts: 1467
Location: Somerset
PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 13 7:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Oh dear! Our hens (inc a Bluebell & BR) have never been as noisy as that! Apart from the cockerel - they usually only get noisy at food-times when they can see someone en route with their grub, so quite the opposite to yours!

I'm sure an expert opinion or 2 will be along very shortly though...

Lorrainelovesplants



Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne
PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 13 8:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Also never had this and Ive had probably thousands of hens in my time.
It could be a number of factors so there is no point speculating. I do feel your pain re the neighbours. We deliberately bought a house with no near neighbours (I told the estate agents that we were anti-social).

Ive never had any hydrid hens really, preferring purebreeds, although I have had plain Lohman Browns and they were all pretty placid (they are bred to be).
As far as laid back hens, my most laid back ones are the lavender Orps...they are friendly and placid. These are pretty big birds so might not be suitable for you in your garden situation.

Mutton



Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 1508

PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 13 9:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I've not kept Muscovy ducks, but have heard on here there are very quiet because they just hiss, not quack.

Possible alternative? Anyone who has kept Muscovies - any comments?

And btw, all this stuff about cockerels etc - for years where we used to live a neighbour had a large aviary of budgies. I don't mind them but they were not quiet! Wonder where that stands compared to chickens.....

chickenlady



Joined: 18 Aug 2013
Posts: 413
Location: Dorset
PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 13 12:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have moderately quiet pekins and also a ISA brown type (a Windy Brown) who never makes any noise at all. She's the quietest hen I've ever had - even quieter than a silkie.

Woo



Joined: 19 Sep 2011
Posts: 787
Location: Mayenne, Pays de Loire
PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 13 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have 2 light sussex that carry for about 10 minutes after they have laid. they like the entire neighbourhood to know. the Brahma hen makes hardly any noise, and the remaining hybrids like a good cackle after the event too.
im sorry to hear about your troubles, are they still carring on at your friends farm?
it is difficult with neighbours. but everything makes some noise. Mums neighbours has exotic birds that make a right row, Dad has pidgeons that coo, the dog barks, the cats meaow.
The children make the worst row of all. speaking as a mother of 4, babies, imo, need to learn to accept some noise so they learn the valuable lesson of sleeping through whatever happens! i rememeber all too well the pain of a waking baby but dont let that make you give up the enjoyment you get from keeping hens.

mousjoos



Joined: 05 Jun 2006
Posts: 1986
Location: VERY Sunny SW France
PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 13 4:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Our cockrel does a lot of strutting & some crowing in the morning; hens cluck but makes loads of noise when squeezing things out; Muscovies squeak & hiss; & the noisiest of all are of course the f***ing geese


but apart from all that, not a sound

Finsky



Joined: 10 Sep 2011
Posts: 847
Location: Notts.
PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 13 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

One of my lot were loonies.. ...and yes, they did 'scream' their heads off...but it 'only' happened twice a day and/or until I found out what it was that they wanted each time.
They soon learned to make me run like headless chicken in a attempt to please them so neighbours would not get annoyed with their noises.
Each time the reason could be different..they could want water changing, even if their water was ok ..or they wanted bread...or they wanted dandelion leaves...or they wanted something to 'play with'..or soaked dog biscuits..
Each day I went through the list of possible 'wants' until all of the sudden they shut up and started to make those content clucking noises..
I've never ever had such a personalities before nor after them.
I do have fond memories of the madams although at the time I didn't always know if I should laugh or cry..

Woodburner



Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 13 9:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Are you sure it was the chickens waking the baby, not the baby waking the chickens?
Babies tend to wake at that hour anyway; they are famed the world over for it. The chickens can hear better than we can, especially high pitch noises, (either that or they are more bothered by them - quite likely ime tbh), either way they definitely hear and react to stuff we have to strain to hear, it's quite possible that they heard baby whimpers before it started really crying. So anyone waking to either noise, is going to hear both.

In short I don't think it was anything you did. If there weren't a baby inovled, I'd have been looking for some other change in the local environment, such as a new fox or some other predator, or perhaps someone else getting chickens. (When I had a single cockerel, he would crow to one a mile away that I could barely hear, even when the wind was in the right direction.)

Leo



Joined: 25 Feb 2011
Posts: 227

PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 13 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It sounds to me like you had a predator pestering your hens & setting them off.

We had this with our free rangers, about once an hour they would kick off the alarm calling, & this went on for a few days. Next thing, there was a fox in the garden, chasing them down the lawn. We had this happen on at least 2 seperate occasions, so perhaps not phsycotic (sp?) hens.

If you live amongst other houses, it could be a neighbourhood cat.

jettejette



Joined: 01 Jun 2013
Posts: 225

PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 13 9:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We have three bantam Lavender Aruacanas that seem to make very little noise at all, although they aren't laying at the moment so not sure if they are more vocal when they celebrate the arrival of an egg! As a bonus they are very friendly and don't seem to mind being picked up and will come when I call them. They are also very pretty!

Shan



Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales
PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 13 11:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have an Aracauna and she is very quiet... although very bossy!

They all have their own characters... one of our Welsummers likes to have a good long conversation.... as she is getting on in years, I imagine that she is probably remonstrating with me about the pullets of today and the litany of aches and pains she has...

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