How noisy are chickens?

When you think of chickens, do you immediately get put off by the ruckus? Many people don’t like the idea of chickens since they feel like they will wreak havoc on their peace and quiet. What most people don’t realise, is that chickens can in fact be very quiet and gentle animals. The most noise they make is when an egg is laid unless of course, you have a rooster.

So, are chickens noisy? The short answer is no. The long answer is no unless a hen has laid an egg, a predator is attacking your flock or you have a rooster.

Hens

The noise level of your hens will vary depending on their breed. Most chicken breeds chosen as backyard chickens are perfectly placid and most of the time you won’t even know they are there apart from the few clucks after laying and if danger comes around. It is, of course, true that some breeds are a lot more chatty than others, but at their loudest, a hens decibel levels are the same as a human conversation (60-70 decibels). This is much lower when compared to the 90 decibels of a barking dog. Roosters, however, are another story altogether…

Roosters

The exception to the quiet rule in chickens is the rooster. Roosters will crow multiple times a day at top volume. This right here is the exact reason why most residential areas refuse roosters.
If you have a residence on a farm or plot, you’re better suited to having a rooster since you will be the only one disturbed at sunrise. Roosters can produce a crow just as loud as a barking dog. This means a crow can reach around 90 decibels!
The best way to keep your hens and rooster content and quiet are to keep them in a chicken coop at night. The coop will ensure that they feel safe and you won’t have any unnecessary squawks of irritation or warning crows. Keeping your flock entertained should also reduce fights and thus lead to reduced noise levels. Peaceful, content chickens are quiet chickens.