Can you keep them inside their coop a little later where it should be quieter? and let them out when your family goes about their day? My hens are very noisy early in the morning - I don't know why. They are talkers - it's their nature. I would think they would calm down eventually- I am sure they are quite excited about their new found freedoms!

Good luck.

how close are your neighbours? are you in an area that allows farm animals? If so,,,I wouldn't worry about people complaining,,but if it's your own family that's doing most of the complaining,maybe you should give them to another farm or someone who can look after them because the "chattering" won't stop...they just do that!

If your zoning allows you to have them I wouldn't worry too much about the neighbors either. What exactly bothers your family about hens clucking and chattering? I really hope you can find a solution. It's a shame that you have to deal with this -- especially when you enjoy them. Good thing it's not a rooster crowing!

Have you tried talking back to them and engaging them in maningful conversation? LOL

I am no expert, being the proud owner of chickens for 4 months, LOL! I did do a lot of research on them before purchasing, though. I don't think there is any way around them making their noises :( I hate it for you that your family is bothered by them. My own son does not appreciate my chickens, either. I love their sounds, I find it very comforting to hear them chucking and cackling to each other. I'm even learning some of their sounds as specific to certain situations. My favorite is the general hum they put up when happy, content, and satisfied with life. You may need to find a new home for your girls if family is that bothered by the noise. I have certain noises that drive me nuts as well so I understand their plight. Good luck! Lori

In America the idiom goes "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" In Japan they say "The noisy pheasant gets the ax" you can go either way, but remember, the grease is going to cost you an arm and a leg (but boy that spray foam insulated coop is going to be damn nice and draft free to boot)

I sympathize with you. My four hens are raucous!!! Friends who have chickens come to my house and ask, "Are they always that loud?" Yes. They'll bawk bawk bawk......very different from cluckings. When we first brought our hens home, they were true free range chickens. Our neighbors agreed to give it a try. But, after two months, and lots of holes in the neighbors yard, we've had to confine them to another area - which, mind you, is a vast 1/2 acre. But, they prefer the neighbors yard, and the moisture in our back yard. So, we have disconsolate chickens. I've tried talking to them, sitting them on my lap, feeding them treats.......but, we've recently started talking about chicken tamales!

Brendan, We tried a little spray foam insulation in some drafty cracks in our coop last winter, and the chickens pecked it out. I did some research and discovered it really doesn't hurt them, just passes right thru. But they ended up removing it all!

My coop is insulated with the foam sheets in the walls and underneath and I must say that I can barely hear my rooster crowing in the morning. But you can't keep them in the coop all day either.

we are talking about hens right alicechick? I love the sounds of my hens. I can't imagine hens being so loud they are that distracting. You must have a lot. DO you happen to have any guinea's mixed in there? they are VERY loud.

If you have a lot of them then maybe you just have too many?

hi everyone,my chickens are ridiculously loud in the mornings and i have no idea why.they wake us up in the morning so they must wake the neighbours up to.its not the normal babble chickens make they sound like roosters!there coop is in a hugh run so there not locked away atall if they dont want to be.if im with the chickens they dont do it but its not much fun going outside to them at 5.30 in the morning when there not doing it for food or water as its always available for them,they just seem to like to make a racket!any advice on how to stop them doing it would be appreciated x

Has anyone considered the possibility that this noisiness may be breed specific?
Why not find a breed that is less noisy? I have barred rocks and ameraucanas. The barred rocks are way more friendly, calm and quiet. They talk some, but aside from when they lay eggs, they're really not all that loud. (then again I'm practically deaf, but my wife says they're only noisy when they lay).
If you have leghorns... well then that's probably most of your problem there. I say make chicken tamales and find a batch of calmer chickens.
Personally, I like the noises they make as long as they're not too loud.