Chickens are vocal creatures, and if you’re a chicken keeper, you might notice that your flock is particularly noisy in the morning.
Chickens can make noise in the morning for a few reasons, including; they want to get out of the coop for food and water, they’ve laid an egg, or because they’re vocalizing to each other.
Read on to find out more about why chickens make noise in the morning, what the noises mean, and things you can do to reduce noise if it becomes a problem.
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What Do The Noises Mean?
Chickens make all kids of different noises, and each noise means something to them and the flock.
We all know that roosters are noisy in the morning, but not all potential chicken owners know that hens can also be very vocal, leading to issues with neighbors.
Here are some of the main reasons for different types of noises which you might hear from your flock in the morning (and throughout the day)
Egg Laying Noise
The noise a hen makes after she lays an egg is probably one of the loudest noises you will hear from your flock in the morning (unless you have a noisy rooster).
The noise sounds like a series of loud clucks and ‘bawks’ typical of the noises you would expect from a cartoon chicken.
Not all hens make this noise and do if they do, they don’t always do it every day, but some days, they’re just so pleased with what they’ve done they have to announce it to the world.
This noise is very distinctive and can go on for some time after they’ve laid an egg. But, it’s nothing to worry about and completely normal chicken behavior.
Protesting
Chickens are very good at protesting about things that they are not happy about, especially when it comes to being locked in a coop when they’d rather be free-ranging.
A flock will become very vocal if they want to be let out of the coop in the morning to get access to their food and drink.
The sounds they make to protest usually range in loudness and the type of noise that they make, but either way, they will definitely let you know if they’re not happy about something.
Communicating
Chickens use a variety of sounds to communicate with each other and also with you as their owner.
They use sounds to express when they’re happy, unhappy, worried, frightened or when they’re inquisitive.
Just like the dawn chorus you hear from wild birds, chickens also start vocalizing when they wake in the morning.
Hungry/Thirsty
If you keep chickens, you’ll know that in the morning, when you let them out of the coop, they can’t get out quick enough.
This is because they want to get their food and drink, and they love to be outside scratching around with a sense of freedom.
When chickens are hungry and thirsty and don’t have any access to food or drink, they will vocalize to you to let you know.
Aggression
In the morning, when chickens are still in the coop or within the confines of the run, they sometimes get frustrated due to a lack of space and become aggressive towards each other.
These scuffles can get noisy because the flock will become restless and unsettled. This can be a particular problem when there are strong-willed birds at the top of the pecking order who like to keep the others in control.
Crowing Roosters
When you think of chicken sounds in the morning, the crowing rooster is the most obvious; it’s something pretty much every male bird will do to vocalize to any potential male bird in the area.
Unfortunately, this sound isn’t always so popular with neighbors and can go on throughout the day and not just in the morning.
Ways to Reduce Early Morning Chicken Noise
If your flock’s early morning noises have become a problem to you or you’ve received complaints from your neighbors, don’t worry because there are some things you can do to reduce the noise you hear from the coop.
These things won’t stop the noise completely, but they can help reduce early morning noise pollution.
- Insulate the coop (while ensuring good ventilation) can help to muffle sounds within.
- Consider a plastic coop, which has insulated walls.
- Let your chickens out as early as possible to prevent them from becoming frustrated inside the coop.
- If you can’t always let them out early, consider an automatic coop door to do the job for you.
- Move the coop away from neighboring boundaries if you get a complaint.
You can’t prevent some noises, such as the egg-laying sound or the crowing rooster, all of these sounds are natural and part of the chicken’s behavior.
Reducing sound pollution inside the coop is completely possible, but as any chicken keeper will tell you, noises are inevitable.
Pentagon Pet is the owner of this article that was first published on April 29, 2021.
What Time Do Chickens Wake up?
A chicken’s day is governed by daylight hours, so they wake up and become active when it becomes light.
In the summer months, when the days are longer, chickens will start making noise earlier than they would in the winter when it doesn’t get light until later in the morning.
When it’s warm and you or your neighbors are leaving bedroom windows open, you’re more likely to hear chickens if they’re close to your home.
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This article and its contents are owned by Pentagon Pets and was first published on April 29, 2021.
