I had never spent time with chickens until I bought four adorable little chicks this time last year. In fact I had only seen chickens up close once, the year before, when I stopped in at Schuh Farms and wandered away from the selling area.
I had always imagined them clucking quietly and peacefully about their day. Most of the time, they do. But when a hen lays an egg, she announces it. Loudly.
That’s Martha, announcing her success. (You can hear Ethel getting caught up in the excitement and clucking, too. That happens. Usually one starts, and then the other three chime in. Dolly and Harriet would have started cackling as well, but they were busy jostling each other in the nest box.)
Pretty loud, right?
Here’s the thing: Martha’s the quiet one.
Of the four of them, Harriet (the red one) is the loudest. Harriet will literally make your ears ring.
And this happens up to four times a day. For about ten minutes per egg.
Some day I hope to borrow some kind of decibel meter. I’m positive that Harriet is at least as loud as a car horn.
Just, you know. Something for potential urban chicken-owners to keep in mind.
I love reading about your chickens
Sometimes when I talk to my friend’s neighbor’s chickens (I get to feed them scraps when I visit!), they and I sound like we’re saying “Barrack!” We crack ourselves up. LOL
I’m glad to see your cost-per-egg getting reasonable. Would you consider blogging your fave egg recipes? Do you make mayonnaise?
This will teach me to read your tweets before commenting! The potato fritatta looks yummy!
The clucking reminds me of those stretchy critters on Sesame Street that made bork-bork noises. (If I could remember what they are called I could call them by their proper names, but I appear to be suffering A Senior Moment.)
The hens would crack me up, too.
Luuuv that sounds. Sure it’s noisy but it’s very soothing – like living close to the railroad tracks.
And I knew there was a good reason I never wanted to be on Facebook other than being creeped out by the whole concept. It’s hard for me to just delurk to blog!
Well, if you were deposit a baby out your back end every day you’d holler too!!
I have to second Erin: I like the chicken posts, too! Don’t get me wrong, I’m a knitter and appreciate the knitting content, but as an urban dweller the chicken posts just make me smile.
kmkat — Do you mean those aliens that said “yip yip yip uh-huh”? They are the only stretchy characters I can remember from childhood and thinking of them, they do remind me of the clucking in this video.
Try to imagine that noise with 20 hens… Even the rooster gets in on the “Look what I did” noise.
(Email temporarily changed due to internet/technology Woez)
I got hens last week!!!!! I’m so excited. They have been having sleepovers with the neighbour’s hens til my coop/tractor gets here, hopefully tonight. Expect to be stalked and pestered for Care And Feeding Of Hens from here on in!
I just love the happy little noises they make when they are pottering around the yard.