How loud are hens?

[shamgar1]

My family & I are looking into chickens. We live outside the city limits & our community rules say we can have animals for personal enjoyment or showing. We don't plan on getting a rooster just hens. We don't plan on selling eggs or chickens so I think we are safe with the laws. Several neighbors have horses. All of the lots in this neighborhood are 1 acre lots. All neighbors and myself have at least 6 foot wooden fences. Closest neighbors house would be at least 100 ft from the chickens. They wouldn't be allowed to run free. We are considering between 15-20 hens.
Some friends have said that chickens are very noisy, but these are more city people that have never been around livestock.
So, my question is how loud will the hens get?
p.s. I have experience with livestock growing up but zero chicken experience. My daughters (12 & 10) are really excited about the prospect and I think it would be great for them.

 

[texasgal]

BWA HA HA HA HA ...

Louder than I thought they would be..

I have some that are OBNOXIOUS .. and some that are really quiet ... it just depends..

I get cussed out alot in "chicken" but my girls are REALLY spoiled...

 

[schellie69]

first

. my hens are loud with the egg song But each breed is different I love my hens, and I think that sometimes they are louder then my rooster.

 

[pixie12]

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They can be quite loud. Watch this:

check for others on youtube!

Good luck!

 

[duckking]

Depends on the hens and how many you get. I have never had a roo, but obviously they can be very loud. I have a huge Gold-Laced Wyandotte who is the quietest. Just coos softly and she is the top chicken. I have 2 Rhode Island Reds's who are louder, but usually just when I am going in and out of the run. Otherwise, I really don't hear them during the day unless they get into a fuss - then they will give a screech cuz my top hen is asserting her authority. I had a Delaware who was pretty loud. In fact, since she died, the coop is very quiet

The loudest they get is when they are doing the egg song, which can be quite loud, but doesn't last too long and sometimes they don't sing at all.

Our neighbours, who are a little further than that, never hear the chickens, but they can hear my ducks who are LOUD!

 

[Nostalchic]

They are sometimes a little noisy, but it's a pleasant sort of bluck-bluck for the most part, with the occasional outlyer, but not really annoying or repetetive and not something that many people would object to - especially people that want to live out of town. And it isn't as jarring as that rooster that crows at 4am, over and over just when you'd finally gotten to sleep (I actually like to hear roosters but I totally understand those that don't) - or the barking dog, even worse. Maybe if the coop was right under a window or something, otherwise I wouldn't worry about it at all.

 

[hennyannie]

At times hens can be a bit loud. I have a 18x24 building and the chickens are right behind it.The only time I can really hear them is when they lay eggs. They make annoucements about it and make sure I can hear. On the bright side I am down there during the rest of the day and the are only making conversation then. This is not loud at all. Over all hens are not that bad. I dont think your neighbors will be disturbed. I dont have a rooster at this time except for a very small bantam. He crow is not that loud and he is not very vocal. I love all the noises they make and have heard no neg feed back from the one neighbor I have. I live on a farm however.

 

[hennyannie]

Quote:
They can be quite loud. Watch this:

check for others on youtube!

Good luck!

Oh music to the ears, I love that sound, And thats just when they lay right?

 

[cnodgaard]

Oh my gosh! When my girls were smaller, they were pretty quiet. Our nearest neighbors didn't even know they were there. THEN.... they started laying eggs and competing over the nesting box. Good gracious - you would think that we had a flock of 20 versus the 6 girls.

The egg songs can be pretty loud. My littlest girl, Robin (a Dominique) is the LOUDEST.

I also get a lot of "talk" when I am in the garden and they are in the enclosed part of the garden and I'm not paying enough attention to them or throwing them treats.
I have a hen that is going "broody" on me and when I pick her up to move her, she "growls" and grumps at me. After I shut her off from the nesting box, she will squawk for awhile.

My neighbors don't seem to mind the occasional noise.

They are VERY quiet at night.

 

[jenesis536]

ditto this - quiet and could barely hear them for 5 month... the last week they are completely different. Egg song and louder chatter, especially if I'm ignoring them in their pen and not letting them out.

I kind of wish I put them all on the other side of the house where there are no neighbors - but, it's just a lot more shady over there and I didn't think it would be a great spot. Now I'm back there shooshing my girls.

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