Every day, when the sun begins to peek over the horizon, my chickens start making a racket. They seem to be shrieking at the top of their lungs for no reason. I’ve tried covering their coop with blankets and putting music on to drown out the noise, but nothing seems to work. Why are my chickens so loud in the morning?
If you are facing exactly the same situation, you are not alone. Many chicken keepers have to deal with early morning crowing from their flock.
The answer lies in their biology. It is normal for chickens to make noise at dawn when they begin foraging for food. Apart from that, they also produce sound due to thirst, threat, or excitement.
However, food might not be the only reason why your chickens are producing so much noise, especially in the morning. There could be multiple reasons behind your chickens being so loud in the morning.
Let’s take a closer look and see why are chickens usually loud during the morning time.
Why Are My Chickens so Loud in the Morning?
As already mentioned, chickens naturally make loud noises in the morning. The reason behind this is that they are hardwired to forage for food during the day. In the wild, roosters would crow to let hens know that it is time to start looking for food.
However, your chickens might be making noise for other reasons as well. Chickens are social animals and love being around others. If they feel isolated or lonely, they might start making noise to get attention.
Chickens also make noise when they are excited or stressed. So, if there has been a change in their routine (like a new chicken being introduced to the flock), that could be the reason why they are suddenly loud.
Loud moaning noises from your chickens can also be a sign that something is wrong. If your chickens are normally quiet and suddenly start making a lot of noise, it could be a sign that they are sick, scared, or in pain.
What Does the Chicken Noise Mean in the Morning?
We all know roosters are usually noisy in the morning. It is their job to wake up early in the morning and help others wake up on time too. But only chicken owners are aware of the fact that not only roosters but hens can also be very noisy. They produce different kinds of sounds altogether which combine to make a loud noise.
Each type of chicken sound has a special message behind it. For example, they produce a loud squawking noise when they are alert or scared while soft clucking sound when communicating with their baby chicks.
Let’s take a look and see why chickens produce noise and what that means on different occasions.
1. Egg Laying Noise
First of all, there are many observations, experiments, and studies that confirm that a hen usually produces sound when it is laying an egg or has laid an egg. The noise produced by a hen after laying an egg is recorded to be the second loudest sound while roosters are the first.
Now a question comes into mind why do they produce noise before and after laying an egg? can’t they be just quiet? The answer is that hens are social animals. They want to let their flock-mates know that they have found a good place to lay eggs and also warn them about the predator in the area.
According to a study, A hen will make noise during egg-laying for up to 5 minutes; readings from the city of Pleasanton, California show that noises coming from a squawking hen 2 feet away registered at 63 dBA (decibels-A level).
These noises are the results of different hormones released in a hen’s body before and after laying an egg. Different research has shown that when a hen is about to lay an egg, her oviduct contracts which in turn stimulates her vocal cord, and she starts producing a sound.
After the egg is laid, another hormone called oxytocin is released which again stimulates the contraction of the oviduct and makes the hen vocalize a loud “squawk”.
2. Excited Chicken Noise
Chickens get excited for many reasons like seeing their favorite human, getting treats, or any other thing that they love. When they get excited, they start making a sound called “tuke-tuke” or “purring”.
This sound is similar to the sound a cat makes when it’s happy. According to studies, this noise is produced by both male and female chickens and is usually a sign that they are content.
3. Distress Call
When chickens are in danger or feel threatened by something, they make a loud screeching sound to warn their flock-mates about the predator. This call is known as a “distress call” and is only made by hens.
This noise is usually followed by other loud noises like “flapping wings” and ” running”. This is done to make as much noise as possible and warn others about the danger.
4. Soft Clucking
When hens are content or want to communicate with their chicks, they make a soft sound called “clucking”. This is a very soothing sound and usually means that everything is okay.
This noise is also made by mother hens to call their chicks. Chicks usually make a soft “peep” sound when they are hungry or want their mother’s attention.
5. Protesting
Some people have observed that chickens start producing loud noise in the morning especially when the sun rises and they are still in the coop. This shows that chickens are excited to go out as soon as they can.
If they are left in the coop for a little longer they will produce loud noise altogether to grab the attention of their owners and remind them that they are still in captivity and need to be released.
6. Hungry/Thirsty
Hens love to eat from time to time and they are among those animals who get hungry very quickly. Whenever they are hungry or thirsty they start making loud noises to grab the attention of their owners.
If you have ever owned a chicken then you must have experienced this. They will follow you around and make noise until you give them something to eat or drink.
7. Pain/Sickness
When chickens are in pain or not feeling well, they usually make a sound called “crowing”. This is a very loud and harsh sound that can be heard from far away.
Crowing is usually done by roosters but hens can also make this noise when they are in pain. If you hear your chicken making this noise then it’s a sign that something is wrong and you should take it to the vet.
Why are My Chickens Squawking So Much?
Chickens don’t usually squawk much just to annoy their owners. There are surely important messages behind the sound and the noise that they produce at different times. The most common reason why chickens squawk so much is that they are communicating with each other.
Apart from that, you may have noticed chickens are among those animals who love to talk while eating. This might be a sign that your chickens are happy and they are loving the meal. Besides that, sometimes, chickens also squawk to show their dominance in the flock.
Last but not least, if your chickens are being too quiet, it might be a sign that something is wrong. Chickens usually make noise when they are excited or stressed but if they suddenly stop making noise, it could be a sign that they are sick.
Why is my chicken clucking so loud?
Clucking is also one of the sounds that chickens produce at different times. Clucking is usually a sign of contentment among chickens but it can also be a sign of stress or excitement. Chickens cluck to communicate with each other and to show their affection towards their owners.
Apart from that, the clucking sound is also common in mother hens. They usually walk rhythmically and produce soft, brief, and repetitive notes (cluck-cluck-cluck). This is to let their chicks know that they are nearby and to keep them close.
Ways to Reduce Early Morning Chicken Noise
After learning about some of the most common reasons why your chickens can be so noisy in the morning, you might be looking for ways to reduce the early morning chicken noise. Here are some tips that you can follow:
1. Keep Your Chickens Busy
If you want to reduce early morning chicken noise, one of the best things that you can do is to keep your chickens busy. Chickens usually make a lot of noise when they are bored so if you keep them occupied, they will be less likely to make noise.
You can keep your chickens busy by providing them with toys or by letting them free range. This way they will have something to do and they won’t be bored.
2. Give Them a Treat
Another way to reduce early morning chicken noise is to give them a treat. Chickens love treats and if you give them something that they really like, they will be less likely to make noise.
You can give your chickens treats like scratch grains or mealworms. This will definitely keep them busy and they will be less likely to make noise.
3. Insulate the Coop
The next thing that you can do to suppress a lot of noise produced by your chickens in the morning is to insulate the coop. However, you need to keep proper ventilation in mind while doing this.
You can insulate the coop by adding straw or hay to the nesting boxes. This will help to reduce the noise as well as keep the chickens warm in the winter.
4. Let Your Chickens Out Early in the Morning
keeping your chickens inside the chicken coop is one of the main reasons why they make so much noise in the morning. Chickens usually start making noise when they want to go out and explore.
So, if you let them out early in the morning, they will be less likely to make noise. This is because they will already be busy exploring and they won’t have time to make noise.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind!
While above are some of the most effective ways to reduce the noise produced by chickens in the morning. However, there are still some sounds that you can’t minimize. For example, the sound produced by chickens before or after laying an egg can’t be suppressed much.
Similarly, a rooster crowing in the morning is completely natural and there is nothing much you can do about it. So, you will just have to learn to live with it!
Besides that, it is also important to keep in mind that some chicken sounds can be a sign of something being wrong. For example, if your chickens are being too quiet, it might be a sign that they are sick.
Which One is the Loudest Chicken Breed?
You might be wondering which breed of chickens are the nosiest. Well, according to most chicken owners, the loudest ones in the whole coop are usually the Easter Egger chickens.
These chickens are known for their loud crowing and they can make a lot of noise even when they are not crowing. Apart from that, they are also known for being very active and they love to explore.
Final Words!
In this article, we answered one of the most frequently asked questions by many chicken owners i.e. why are my chickens so loud in the morning?
There could be multiple reasons behind this issue. For example, they may be inside the coop for too long in the morning. Apart from that, they may be producing loud noise just because they are hungry.
We have also mentioned some tips that can help you reduce the noise produced by chickens. If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to leave a comment below!