That Chicken Noise From The Coop – Will This Be A Problem?

Chicken noise…

Like it or not, any animal you get is going to make some noise.

When it comes to your backyard in the suburbs, such as an urban chicken coop, are you going to drive your neighbours crazy?

Let’s look into this.

Driving Your Neighbours Crazy With Chicken Noise

If you think chickens are noisy pets, I feel you should think again.

Do you think that you will be chased down the road by your neighbours with pitchforks in their hands?

Not really.

And here’s why.

Unlike the barking of a dog and the meowing of a cat that might keep you up at night, that you often hear around the neighbourhood.

In fact, many people keep pet chickens in their backyard without their neighbours even really taking notice…

If you think chickens are noisy pets, think again.

Chickens are a great addition to any backyard and contrary to the past, need not be confined to a farm or rural area.

In fact, many an urban chicken coop was around in the early days.

So Who Really Makes The Most Noise?

It’s actually those crowing roosters that just can’t help themselves, that give backyard chickens a bad name.

Roosters cannot help but enthusiastically see the rise of the sun, with a nice loud cock-a-doodle-doo.

That’s most probably why I opted for bantam roosters.

As they do not have such a loud crow, being smaller in stature.

I do like an uninterrupted morning without hearing the loud crow of the rooster at the crack of dawn.

Not surprisingly, your neighbours most probably feel the same…

See also The Frenzy Over Can Chickens Fly

Funny that.

Anyway, I am sure your neighbours will not be impressed at being woken at the crack of dawn either…

Also, most local councils also don’t allow roosters for this same reason.

There are many people who actually do not realize that roosters are not necessary for the production of eggs.

As you can always buy fertilized eggs if you want to have the next generation of chickens.

So just skip the rooster and buy yourself some backyard hens.

How Much Noise Do Chickens Actually Make?

Any backyard chickens do make some noise, of course, after all, they communicate with each other and are allowed to express themselves.

But nothing as to compared to the roosters.

It’s a male thing…

They have a way of showing that this is their chicken coop and most probably this is their territory.

As most males do whatever species.

The sound you hear of a hen is known as a cackle…

Which is basically a sound of a hen drawing away predators from her egg by following her.

Yes…

The instincts are still there as what they had in their wild state.

It’s all to do with preservation.

The sound can be quite loud but never lasts long.

This is quite a pleasant sound and is a nice alarm for you to know when another egg has been laid by one of your hens.

Now don’t go running down to the hen house to collect the egg unless you are holding a pan wanting an egg and no eggs in your house of course…

See also Plastic or Metal Bird Feeders: Which Is Better For My Chickens

Chickens In Danger

If your chickens feel that they are in danger, they will let you know.
In fact, they will let the whole world know.

If one of those neighbourhood cats or dogs or even a hungry fox is lurking around your backyard chicken coop.

It’s most likely that one of your hens if you don’t have a rooster that is, will warn all the other chickens that there is danger near.

Apart from those butch roosters crowing and hens making egg-laying noises, or in the case of danger, chickens in general really are very quiet.

You will find that most neighbours complain more about dogs barking in the neighbourhood than you will about chickens kicking up a racket in their chicken coop.

Just check with your local council about keeping chickens in your area if you are in the suburbs before you get some.

That way chicken noise will not be the problem if the council says it’s ok, and you decide to just get hens.

Which is a good idea if you are on a small block in urban areas, as your neighbours will not worry about chicken noise if it’s the sound of a hen after laying her egg as it does not last long.

And your neighbours will probably be jealous because they know that you have another egg on your plate.