Chickens are not typically very noisy. If your chicken is screaming, there will be a reason to explain it. Here are 6 of the most common reasons that might explain why they’re screaming.
Table of Contents
6 Reasons to Explain Why Some Chickens Scream a Lot
Singing the "Egg Song"
The time most hens are at their most vocal is after they’ve just laid an egg. The squawking, clucking, or whatever the noise sounds like, varies in duration and volume from chicken to chicken.
Typically, they should only make some noise - or it might sound like screaming - for a few minutes once a day when they lay an egg.
Some hens will go off for quite a while though. It really comes down to the individual hen, both in their breed and personality.
If you’re interested to know more, I covered in more detail why chickens sing the egg song after laying an egg;
Related content - Why do chickens squawk after laying an egg?
In summary, it’s because they want to communicate with the rest of their flock. As well as confuse predators, and flirt with the flock rooster!
They Feel Threatened
Chickens are very good at surviving in the wild, and one reason why is because they will scream up a storm if they see a predator or feel threatened.
This can mean that they’ve seen something they feel threatened by. Such as a snake, fox, and so on. Or, they may think there’s a threat or “feel” threatened for some reason.
It’s not uncommon for chickens to be spooked by a loud noise either. Anything out of the ordinary that confuses them can cause them to start screaming.
Communicating With Other Hens
Typically hens do not scream at one another. It depends what the noise you’re hearing is exactly, what sounds like a scream to you might sound like a normal cluck to someone else.
You can expect normal chitter-chatter to be made up of “cluck-cluck” and “chuck-chuck” noises. If it’s escalating to more of a scream on a regular basis then it might be due to one or more of the other reasons I’m covering.
There Might Be a Health Issue
Like most animals, chickens are often good at hiding the fact that they might be sick or in pain. If the pain is becoming unbearable, however, you can’t blame them for screaming out.
You should rule out any health issues to be on the safe side for sure. You can check on your chicken yourself and look for anything obvious.
But, your best bet is to get them checked out by a vet specializing in poultry.
It Could Be a Personality Thing
Some chickens are just noisier than others. Maybe it’s down to their personality, it might even be caused by things in their environment. But the fact is, no two chickens are the same.
Having a chicken screaming a lot is definitely unlikely. I don’t want this article to put anyone off owning backyard chickens if they’re thinking about it.
As I’ve already explained, it really depends on how much your chicken is screaming and how bad it is. Everyone is willing to put up with a different level of noise. They really shouldn’t be screaming or disturbing you throughout the day or night though.
Nesting Box Problems
There are only a few things chickens get wound up about with their living conditions. Assuming you’re providing them with enough space and somewhere nice to sleep - it might be to do with their nesting boxes.
A broody chicken is typically more vocal. If she’s finding it hard to settle on a nesting box she’s happy with this can escalate into making a lot of noise.
You should have at least one box per 3-4 hens. There are some instances when you’ll need more too, as I explain in the post below.
Related content - How many nest boxes per chicken is ideal?
In Summary
In my experience, if your chicken is screaming it’s going to be down to one of the reasons I’ve covered above.
If you want to stop them making so much noise. I suggest starting with a health check, then making changes in their environment to see what makes a difference.
I wish you c-luck!
