[AmandaH]

Help!  One of my ex-bats has gone a little bonkers!  She is standing in the doorway of the hen house just SHOUTING her head off.  Is she ok?  Is she cross, happy...?  I don't know - I can't find anything on the www that helps me distinguish between all the chicken noises and what they mean...

[8doubles]

Mine have been noisy today, all wanting to lay an egg in the same nestbox at the same time. Its normally after laying they start p-karking.

[Flowerpower136]

Maybe she spotted something that frightened her.
Sounds like an alarm call to me?

[joyfull]

Mine never used to be noisy but some of my new girls are very very vocal. This has now set them all off and they feel the need to announce to the world and his wife that they have laid an egg. They do this for at least 5 minutes before coming outof the nest box. All the other girls stand in line moaning to each other whilst they are waiting. Wouldn't mind but they have several nest boxes to choose from but they all want to lay in the same one as the first. There are 4 coops and it's just a case of going in the same one that the first to lay in has been - and not always the same coop  

[dizzylizzie]

has she laid an egg or seen something....i.e. a cat? thats what mine do 

[AmandaH]

The cat's out there all the time, they just ignore her!  After shouting outside, she went inside the hen house and shouted for a while in there!  

I wish I knew what all their funny little noises meant!

[8doubles]

Mine never used to be noisy but some of my new girls are very very vocal. This has now set them all off and they feel the need to announce to the world and his wife that they have laid an egg. They do this for at least 5 minutes before coming outof the nest box. All the other girls stand in line moaning to each other whilst they are waiting. Wouldn't mind but they have several nest boxes to choose from but they all want to lay in the same one as the first. There are 4 coops and it's just a case of going in the same one that the first to lay in has been - and not always the same coop  

Same with mine.

Females and fashion , eh !

[kitkat]

Some of mine will make a racket before they go and lay an egg-as well as after.

[SMD66]

some just like to announce that they have layed an egg!  Some of mine don't make a fuss, some shout for a few mins, maybe they're saying ,ooowww, just layed a biiiig eeeggg'

[AmandaH]

And when I was doing my research before buying hens, I kept asking whether they were noisy and everyone kept saying "Oh no"!  Who were they kidding?

I was worrying about the neighbours yesterday afternoon when Queenie was shouting and then I thought - nuts to them - their flippin' dogs make far more noise than my hens ever will!

[chickenlady]

A couple of my girls pkark after laying an egg, (6 am sometimes  ) but only if someone else is in the house waiting for their turn or in the nest box next to them! they never make any noise if all the others dont disturb them  maybe a ticket system outside the house like you get at the deli counter would work 

Debbie

[flangey]

Good for you!  Mine shout 1) First thing in the morning if I'm late letting them out. 2) About 4ish in the afternoon if I'm late with their corn (supper) 3) If there's a queue for the nest box 4) when they've laid an egg 5) because they can!!! I think my lot are unusually gobby but I find if you make chicken noises back the stop!

[AmandaH]

Oh chickenlady, I do like the idea of a deli-style ticket system.  But I think there'd be queue-jumpers!

And thanks flangey - I was so worried yesterday afternoon that maybe there was something wrong, or that I should be *doing* something (heaven knows what), but I am beginning to think that chickens are a bit gobby so shouldn't get stressed about it!

[Debz]

I have one girl who is a real gobby madam.  She shouts at me, if she has laid an egg, if she sees the neighbours cat, the list is endless.  I suspect she likes the sound of her own voice!

[kitkat]

I think its a breed thing as well, my Hybrids were always noisy, Silkie girls are meant to be the same, whereas my Brahmas are very quiet.