HELP!!! Extremely noisy chickens!

[BlindLemonChicken]

Is there any reason you can't let them out for a couple hours a day?

 

[LaFleche]

I have a small flock of 2 hens in my coop. One is a Black Australorp and the other a RIR. They have plenty of food, water, and the occasional treat. They will squawk like crazy when they are about to lay, and for the rest of the day! This is my coop:View attachment 3014998View attachment 3014999

Both your breeds are known to be avid foragers, so not ideal to be cooped up in a small confined space like this. No wonder they complain.

If letting them out is not possible for you, consider getting other breeds that do better in close confinements or build a nice big run.

 

[Capto Veritas]

I can’t let my chickens out according to the HOA

 

[ElectricDaisy]

I can’t let my chickens out according to the HOA

Well. That settles it. Time to pack up the Chicken girls and move.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Define "out" lol. Does the agreement just say they have to be in a fence or does it specifically say a covered run?

 

[Iluveggers]

You could get a 10x10 dog fence kennel and put it right around the coop. Cover it with netting and would give them an extra 45 sq ft each.

 

[LaFleche]

I can’t let my chickens out according to the HOA

Depending on the explicit HOA rules, keeping quail instead of chickens might be the better option for you.

Quail like confined spaces are very quiet and lay beautiful speckled eggs every day from the age of 8 weeks on.

 

[NatJ]

Also, if I put back the 2nd floor, would that be better, or will it not be enough ventilation?

It will probably not help much with the noise, and you are right that ventilation is likely to be a problem if you do that.

Is there a way to stop it

New layers tend to be extra-noisy, and they sometimes settle down (a bit) as they get older. They will probably still make the noise some.

I see other people saying it is the normal "egg song." (They might be right.)

But chickens can also make a similar sound when they see predators, or anything unusual. Personally, I cannot tell the two sounds apart.
So when you hear them making noise, try looking to see if there is a dog, cat, fox, raccoon, hawk, etc (or even a person or vehicle they do not know.)
If they are making noise because of some wild animal, then finding a way to keep that animal away would probably help with the noise.

I notice plenty of tree trunks in the photo. When they leaf out, that may help block the noise. You could also consider planting bushes (especially evergreens) between the coop and the neighbors. You could also plant quick-growing things like sunflowers, or vines on a trellis, to block some of the sound. (Peas and beans grow pretty quickly, if you want to test the idea this spring and summer, then decide whether it helps.) Don't try to grow vines directly on the chicken pen, because the chickens will eat them faster than they can grow.

You could try giving the chickens more other things to think about. For example, if you rake up some of the leaves from under the trees and put them in the run, the chickens will probaby spend some time scratching and pecking in the leaves (they love to do that!) Any amount of time they spend quietly happy would be an improvement! When you pull any weeds this spring or summer, if they are not poisonous or sprayed with any chemicals, you can give them to the chickens too. Grass, dandelions, and clover are safe kinds of plants (along with many others.)

As others have suggested, it might help if you could expand the run so the chickens have more space to move around and more things to do.

Not recommended: if you give the chickens treats when they make noise, they will be quiet to eat the treats, but will probably be even more noisy in future because they have learned it brings treats. (I've read of people who tried it, and accidentally trained their chickens to be very noisy.)

 

[3KillerBs]

Not recommended: if you give the chickens treats when they make noise, they will be quiet to eat the treats, but will probably be even more noisy in future because they have learned it brings treats. (I've read of people who tried it, and accidentally trained their chickens to be very noisy.)

Important point!

Also, we have neighbors that don’t like noise.

Have they actually complained?

And, even if they have, is the noise as measured at your property line within allowable limits according to the rules?

People DO complain about all sorts of things, but if you're not actually breaking rules you don't have to limit your life to what your neighbors approve of.

Have you given your neighbors some eggs?

 

[lifein1840]

Also, we have neighbors that don’t like noise.

I always sell any chickens that are causing problems - with an honest description of why I am selling them. In fact, I have two for sale right now....one is named Bertha Big Mouth.
Folks that live farther out don't mind a loud chicken as long as they are healthy and lay well.