complaining neighbor

[chickennovice]

Does anyone have advice about handling a complaining neighbor? We thought we had girls but ended up with five roos and one pullet. We sent three of the roos back to the farm, but kept our two favorites. One of my neighbors keeps complaining about the roosters. We are building a more sound-proof coop, and in the meantime, we put the roosters in cat carriers in the garage at night, with the garage door closed. Then we put them out at what I think is a reasonable hour in the morning, then back in the garage at night. Despite all my efforts, this particular neighbor still makes irate calls to me and wants me to get rid of my roosters. It's legal in my town to have them. Any suggestions? Thanks so much!

 

[lacyloo]

Well i would just tell him to shut up.Because if your aloud to have roosters then he/she cant do a dang thing about it. !

 

[speckledhen]

Check your ordinances, etc. If there is one against nuisance noises, they could try to get you on that one. My friend Lynn had the same situation. She was allowed to have poultry for breeding by covenant, but there was the noise thing. Animal Control kept coming out. Now, she doesn't have her rooster. This type situation just burns me up! Why is a rooster crowing a nuisance while loud music, ATVs, bad mufflers, racing engines, gunshots are not? And why do those people always want to control everybody? Guess they'd rather live in a silent cocoon than in the natural world. un
I almost wish a neighbor would have the nerve to complain about my roosters! I might have an answer for them, after I picked myself off the floor and caught my breath from laughing.

 

[mdbucks]

I would check the laws and find out if noise ordinance exist. If not and the complaint is that you roos are waking them up too early, I would set my clock(actually I am already at work) for 4 am and start calling every day to let them know that the rooster is probbably about to start crowing and you didn't want it to wake them up. Eventually they would get the hint that a crowing roo sn't the worst way to get woken up in the morning.

 

[chickennovice]

Thanks for all your support! So far, I can't find a noise ordinance that seems to apply to roosters. Just dogs, machinery, etc. The one about barking dogs states that continuous barking can't occur for more than 30 minutes; I don't think that could be applied to the roosters.
There's also a nuisance ordinance about lack of cleanliness of animal pens, but that doesn't concern me.
I think they'll try whatever they can, though, to silence my little boys. Luckily, I have some other neighbors (who are much closer to my house and chickens) who think the birds are wonderful. : )

 

[rwcmick]

My only advice is to be careful. Tiffs with neighbors can escalate into much worse with little provocation.

No matter what the regs the neighbor probably isn't going to cool off easily. I guess I'd ask myself how much the fight is worth, especially since you were only intending on getting pullets to begin with?

Life experience has taught me that mean people tend to get what they deserve sooner or later, so it might be a bitter pill to take now but you next door buddy might get some karma later on down the road.

 

[chickennovice]

Thanks for your wise words. They are definitely food for thought.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Give me a crowing rooster over a barking dog any day!!! They do not crow constantly. Even when I had about six this spring they were still quieter then my neighbors dogs. My neighbor has two little yappy dogs that they tie out when they go any where and from the time the owners leave until the time they get back those dogs bark constantly!!

If you're allowed to have them, and the neighbor keeps calling you, call the cops on him for harassment...maybe that'll get him to shut his mouth.

 

[rooster-red]

I'd have to tell him to move. Then I'd make him really want to move.

The question was raised " is it worth the fight"
Freedom always has been.

 

[joanc]

Maybe you can smooth your neighbor's ruffled feathers by giving him some eggs when you get them. Does he have(assuming it's a man) any kids who might be interested in learning about chickens--you might get him to calm down if he sees other aspects of chickens. Then he might be okay with a rooster crowing every so often. Good luck.