Freaking out over chicken noise - Help!

[mandomama]

Such a great story! I bet the "good"neighbor had heard the neighborhood scuttle but.

 

[Yanna]

Creating "noise pollution" is a concern of mine also - which is why I am considering ducks.

Does anyone here have any experience or insight regarding ducks vs. chickens (the quietest breeds of each) from a noise standpoint?

Thanks!

Yanna

 

[Dixiedoodle]

Yanna, when my parents had poultry--the ducks were loud! They were much louder than their chickens and they had less of them.. I can only use that as an example....hope others that have both can help!

 

[Half-a-dozen]

Quote:
Well said Dixiedoodle! I agree. Everytime I hear my girls and Roo I thank God it is farm animals and not a Jake-brake or horns etc.... (use to live on a main street before country........

I feel my neighbors should feel equally grateful

Chickens, cows, goats, chickens, chickens, chickens.........and more chickens!!!!!!

B.T.W. Glad to hear about your neighbor...yes, yes........more Eggs thier way!

(edit- for my terrible spelling)-

 

[Meesh]

OP, glad to hear your system is working out! That's great! And you are a good writer. The story was well written.

Yanna, ducks make a racket! We have a pond down in the canyon away from the house and I can hear the ducks hollering all the time.

WWWAAAAACK! WAAAAK-WAAAAK!

Cheers,
Michelle

 

[fluffhead]

Hi guys,

I'm not sure if anyone cares about my ongoing saga, but...

I got an anonymous postcard in the mail yesterday. It says,
"Cluck cluck cluck. The fowl in your yard say this for an hour or more every day. With the barking dogs, what more do we need?"

This came as a complete surprise to me, as I have found the birds to be extremely quiet lately. I was home a lot during the month of April writing my thesis, and I heard the chickens buk-KAWing maybe in 10 second increments a total of 3 times a day.

Also, there are not any "barking dogs" in the neighborhood, so I am pretty sure that this person is partly insane in addition to being passive-aggressive.

This afternoon, I am going to write an e-mail to my neighborhood listserv.. yes, the majority of our block has an e-mail group and that's how we communicate with each other (when we're not busy writing each other anonymous postcards!). What a world.

I am going to ask my neighbors if the chickens are bothering them, and if the majority say yes, then I have to give away my girls. I have been trying to make this work for over a year, and maybe these chickens are just not compatible with this neighborhood.

It would make me feel a lot better, before I send the message to my neighbors, if I secured a potential new home for these girls. Because I am going to be very very sad if I have to give them away, and this will be additionally stressful if I have no idea what to do with them.

Does anyone in the SF Bay Area want a beautiful 1 yr old Ameracauna hen (lays 6 green eggs a week) and her old companion, a shy Australorp mix who is currently in retirement from laying?

 

[CathyB]

I have been very worried about an issue like this with my neighbors directly next door. The complain about everything!

I called my township this morning and they said I am zoned ag so I can have anything I want. So the lady must have thought I was crazy because I then asked her tons of questions to verify I heard her correctly.

Conversation went like this: "What about roosters?" "That's fine mam." "I can have as many chickens as I want?" "Yes mam." "What about property lines?" "5 to ten feet mam." "So if they complain about my chickens I will be ok?" "Yes mam."

So I am already prepared for the complaints and I will tell them to shove it as politely as I can and maybe THROW an egg at them !

A postcard sent! What a coward! At least address you in person! What I have learned from my neighbors is that some people are never satisfied no matter what you do. In my opinion you can only be nice with these unreasonable people for so long until you then have to tell them to plow sand! Just my humble opinion!

 

[Fowl-Language]

How annoying that people can be so petty - sorry this is still going on. I'd suggest calling your city's zoning office and see what the official word is. Then I'd forward their response to your neighborhood's listserv. I'd be tempted to invite the postcard sender to "man up" so you can address the so-called problem with him or her directly.
Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Sounds to me like you need a barking dog to add to your chickens. It could act as a sound mask. LOL (not really a good suggestion, your house would probably be egged or something if you get a barker).

Maybe you should ask the neighborhood if they would rather you have geese instead, and then see how much they truly appreciate the cluck cluck cluck of the chickens instead.

I feel for you. My new next door neighbor has been heard yelling and cussing at the neighborhood dogs(mine included) because his yard is surrounded by about 6 others(yards with at least 2 dogs each), all of which have animals of some sort. I swear I heard a goat the other day. HAHA. I just wanted to ask him "Did you not see the nearly dozen or so dogs that barked at you when you came to see the property?!?! Hello! hint hint knock knoc wink wink, this may not be the neighborhood for you if you don't want to hear barking"

I grew up around it, I don't hear it as much. I wonder what he thinks of the local fire alarm(located just behind our loop-like neighborhood).

I hope you do not have to get rid of your chickens.

-Kim

 

[chickenannie]

If all your hen is doing, is "cluck cluck cluck" for an hour a day, that's no worse than:

a lawnmower
neighbors arguing
family BBQ
dog barking
cat meowing
loud motorcycle
etc

If they are LOUD, then I could understand the complaint. But if it's really not that noisy, I would take a very gentle, yet firm and Educational approach with your neighbors.

Sometimes there's that ONE neighbor who you can't please, as mentioned already. I wouldn't get rid of your hens for that reason, but maybe you can find out exactly WHY it's a problem for them.

IF it's a mild noise, and just a mentality of the neighbors, meaning they don't want "farming" in their hood, or they think chickens are weird, or smelly, then they just need an education.

Don't let them make you get rid of your chickens unless it's truly a problem. You're obviously a conscientious person and have been making efforts to keep your chickens in line.