Crowing ordinances in massachusetts

[Hugteri]

So I have 20 chickens and 3 roosters. One that is the king one that thinks he’s the prince the other who thinks he’s the outsider. Have had the chickens for 5 years with no problems they have a coop a pen my yard is fenced in and they free range. Now I live at a 4 way intersection in a rural area. Now out of the blue because the house that is on one corner is home because of Corona the husband came by this morning complaining she is trying to pray that the roosters who have crow collars are to loud and if I can do anything about it. Every morning they will crow in the coop which is wood with a window on the south side the neighbor is on the north. And complained also about the chickens when they lay eggs. Needless to say we give all our neighbors free eggs. Except this guy who buys them. Any suggestions??

 

[aart]

Now I live at a 4 way intersection in a rural area.

So you've moved?
Well, is the law on your side at the new house?
How long have you been there?
Tough spot to be in.
3 crowers can make a lot of noise, sometimes they 'egg'(haha!) each other on and more than triple the noise.
Hens also can be quite noisy.

 

[Ridgerunner]

To me it sounds like the new people are the ones complaining, but that's pretty irrelevant. They are complaining about the roosters and hens both.

What is relevant are the rules and regulations where you live. HMO's, towns, cities, sometimes counties can have rules or regulations about what chickens you can keep (if any): sex, how many, and maybe how you have to house and manage them. A lot of the time those rules aren't enforced unless there is a complaint, but if there is a complaint they have to do something about it.

You need to find out what the rules and regulations are. And see if you are "grandfathered in". Sometimes those rules only apply to new chickens, but that will vary by jurisdiction. It is something to check.

Unfortunately it is not that unusual a situation to be in. Good luck!

 

[Mrs. K]

Could you reduce your roosters? Get more hens? I think that if you only had a single rooster, he will crow a lot less. Roosters often have a crowing competition. A single rooster would be alright for that many hens. Maybe if the roosters crowed less, they would be more tolerant of the hen's laying.

A big question for me, is how close are they. I love my rooster crowing...down at the barn. In other words, not next to my house.

Always difficult situation.

Mrs K