Freaking out over chicken noise - Help!

[SpottedCrow]

Darn...I'm so sorry, Fluffhead...I was hoping that it was gonna work out...

You couldn't make them house chickens?

Yes that IS a real solution...I'm not insane...much.

 

[jjthink]

I am really sorry to hear this. I'm sure your birds love you as much as you love them. I just don't understand people. Dogs barking, loud music, revving engines - chickens yakking it up pales in comparison to most of the noises we all endure. I'd rather listen to chickens any day of the week than all that other stuff. I'm really sorry.
JJ

 

[lovethechickens]

Hi. I feel bad for you. I tell you what though, you also have rights. Are they any louder than a dog barking? I live out int Antioch, and I have neighbors, and I have 2 roosters. What I do is lock everybody up at night, and dont let them out until about 8 or 830, sometime 10 on the weekends. I talk with my neighbors, and repeatedly let them know what Im doing, give away eggs, let their kids playin my yard, and keep basicly a good public relationship. I would imagine, that if you promised to make some changes, and if you faced your neighbor head on, you wouldnt be in this positions. Heck, bring them inside at night. Dog kennel...... shavings........... no problem. Just a suggestion. Good luck to you!

 

[CathyB]

I am so sorry to hear that things did not work out for you. I hope you find great homes for your chickens.

 

[Oblio13]

This thread makes me appreciate my neighbors.

 

[mthrclckr]

Fluffhead,

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. It's funny because a few months ago, I FreeCycled a child car safety seat to a Berzerkeleyan. Well, he took one look at my chickens and sort of grimaced. He said that he had neighbors with chickens whose noise would wake up his young children during their naps. I inferred from his comments that he and his neighbors put an end to that... I'd a liked to slap him and tell him to "get real." I have kids, too, so I'm not insensitive to non-chicken-keepers. Like the other person said, I just can't imagine that two hens could be that big of a problem. The wild birds make their own noises in the early morning hours, dogs bark, motorcycle engines rev...

But anyway, I keep my chickens in the house in cages at night. My roosters go off in the mornings while they're still in the house. I keep their cages covered and by doing so, the crowing doesn't start until about 7AM (maybe earlier when the days are longer). I have two laying hens (one is a bantam Easter-egger) that are trained to lay in the house so I let them in when they're pacing back and forth at the glass door. The EE does NOT make any loud announcements when she lays her eggs, but in general, she's just noisy. My "quiet" hen (a salmon Faverolles bantam) actually does bu-KOK very loudly after she lays and keeps it up for like 2 or 3 straight minutes, but if my neighbors ever complained, I'd just keep her inside until she shut up.

I also appreciate my neighbors. I've given them a letter with our phone number so that if they wanted the chickens to stay in until later in the mornings or for us to bring them in earlier in the evenings, they can just let us know and we'd be happy to oblige. Neither neighbor has complained AT ALL.

I KNOW there are areas of Berkeley that are chicken-friendly. There's even that school (I think Adams Middle School) that has a hen house and keeps like 15 or so laying hens. I've read of Berkeley communities that maintain their own gardens and chickens for eggs... If you do move, I don't think you would necessarily have to move far to keep chickens. You were just unlucky to have intolerant jerks for neighbors. Just be sure to check the rules in any homeowners association or neighborhood ordinances so that if a similar situation arises in your new place of residence, you have the written law to back you up. I'm NOT supposed to have "noisy fowl" but I was told that it's not a problem at all until a neighbor complains.

Best to you and your beloved "ladies." Boo-hiss to your nasty neighbors.

-Naomi

 

[jadel]

My chickens are the loudest aniimals I have ever heard. I have two leghorns and two Plymoths and they all are about one year old. They all lay one egg a day consistantly for the last 7 months.
They all squak really really loudly and not when laying. They wil just be hanging out in their coop, which has a nice open run, and it's as if they are calling to me to let them out. When I do they seem to quiet.
Today they chased a cat as a group out of the yard.

 

[chickenannie]

Cat shouldna been IN the yard!!

 

[twentynine]

I work shift work. Have been working shift work for 31 years, the number of times I have been awaken in the middle of my day of sleeping is unnumberable. Hundreds of times, lawnmowers, salesman, loud cars, motorcycles you name it. For what it's warth I take all these disturbances with a graine of salt, most of the rest of the world is on a daylight to dark schedule, I can't hold them responsible for my sleep requirements. Most noise laws pertain to times in the evening hours.
For instance: You/I, live next to a empty lot, some one buys it and decides to build a home. Are the caprenters not aloud to work during the day because you or I work night shifts?

Nieghbors and chickens:

In the situation the OP is describing, evidently a very closely built urban setting. Quiet professional nieghborhood. With out a doubt I can garauntee, even if those chickens were completely and totally silent, one of the nosey rosey nieghbors will have something negative to say. Some people can't stand to see their nieghbors enjoy life.

It may have been discussed earlier, do you have any laws, bylaws, or covenants applying to the housing of chickens? Are they being adhered to? If so, mind your own business and enjoy your chickens.

I have recently, discovered that my long term nieghbors will be moving. They have been the best nieghbors anyone could ever have. An elderly couple in their 80s now, been there for 20 years. Even though my children had grand parents, this old couple became a "third set" of grand parents to my children. Welcomed my dog, into their home. Were invited to all family functions. Now they are moving to be close to family. Kind of made me feel bad, like saying to me I haven't been good family to them. By the way these are the only nieghbors we have within rifle shot. Going to be some new folks moving in soon, I bet it's gonna get interesting with my chickens and roosters. My wife says, the nieghbors are not buying the scenery, and no laws against chickens. Me I'm waiting to see, praying that we get another good set of nieghbors.

 

[elmo]

Do any of your neighbors mow their laws with a power mower? If you complained about that noise, would they throw away their mowers and use a push mower instead? If not, maybe you shouldn't be giving away chickens you love just because some of your neighbors have a problem with occasional chicken noise.

My daughter is on the autistic spectrum and has strong sound sensitivities, particularly to the sound of chain saws and similar power tools. But it would never occur to me to complain to our neighbors about using chain saws and weed whackers because to me that would be an unreasonable intrusion upon their use of their own property. So I got my daughter some good earplugs.

Being a good neighbor is a two way street, and it seems to me you have some neighbors who are trying to make it a one way street running in their direction only.