Help! Buff Orpington bawking loudly non-stop

[AmySims]

Hi all,
I’m new to BYC so hopefully am posting in the right place. I was hoping someone might be able to help me. My, previously very quiet , 1yo Buff Orpington hen has suddenly started bawking VERY loudly and constantly. Its car-alarm loud and relentless and im worried about my neighbours. She is pacing around the yard, mostly away from the flock just baaaawk, bawk,bawk, bawking ..non stop. She is eating and drinking fine. It’s gone on for 2 days! She laid her first egg in 8 weeks this morning after going broody hatching and raising some chicks which are becoming more independent now . Could the car alarm noises and the first egg in a while be related? I’m a relatively new chicken mum and would appreciate any advice

 

[aart]

Could the car alarm noises and the first egg in a while be related?

Could be.
Are the chicks annoying her?
Sometimes they don't take well to being weaned.
How many other chickens do you have?

 

[AmySims]

Could be.
Are the chicks annoying her?
Sometimes they don't take well to being weaned.
How many other chickens do you have?

Thanks for your reply! They don’t seem to be annoying her. There are 6 chicks and another mum all free ranging in my yard, so loads of room. It was still going at 7:30 last night and the others had put themselves to bed while she was marching around the yard bawking on her own. It stopped as soon as I put her in the coop.

 

[Sun dancing chicken]

Hi all,
I’m new to BYC so hopefully am posting in the right place. I was hoping someone might be able to help me. My, previously very quiet , 1yo Buff Orpington hen has suddenly started bawking VERY loudly and constantly. Its car-alarm loud and relentless and im worried about my neighbours. She is pacing around the yard, mostly away from the flock just baaaawk, bawk,bawk, bawking ..non stop. She is eating and drinking fine. It’s gone on for 2 days! She laid her first egg in 8 weeks this morning after going broody hatching and raising some chicks which are becoming more independent now . Could the car alarm noises and the first egg in a while be related? I’m a relatively new chicken mum and would appreciate any advice

My chickens do that all the time when they are either mad or scared. Do you think that maybe she was kicked out of a roosting box, or maybe a preditor tried to snatch her? If so then that could be the cause of her doing that.

 

[AmySims]

My chickens do that all the time when they are either mad or scared. Do you think that maybe she was kicked out of a roosting box, or maybe a preditor tried to snatch her? If so then that could be the cause of her doing that.

It does seem that she’s upset by something. She marches up to me when I go out and let’s me pick her up, calms for a bit ans then starts up . It’s so odd! There’s not many predators where I am, maybe a cat? Thanks so much.

 

[AmySims]

As an update , the second I let them out this morning it started again . It is just constant.

 

[aart]

As an update , the second I let them out this morning it started again . It is just constant.

Will a crate fit in your coop?
Stick her in there.

I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[AmySims]

Will a crate fit in your coop?
Stick her in there.

I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

Thanks so much! Will do this today!