Finally!! My noise complaint

[dbounds10]

If you are legal and you are already keeping them in the coop until 7am (which you say is the ordinance) I would not do a thing. It makes me nuts that instead of knocking on your door and letting you know what is bothering them....they call in a complaint! That blows the proactive attempt at harmony out my window. To me it's a spineless cruddy thing to do.

 

[arcatamarcia]

Quote:
I'm curious about why you don't let them out until 7AM? I know my girls are MUCH quieter when they're in the yard than when they're in the coop. So the first thing I do in the morning (usually about 6:15AM) is let them out to forage. That keeps them quiet until I leave for work at 9.

 

[bloom_ss]

First off,

Hello neighbor!! As far as the noise complaint, I don't think I would worry about trying to sound proof or anything like that since you are 100% within your legal right to own chickens. It sounds to me like you just have some grumpy neighbors that would rather call someone to deal with the problem rather than speaking to you themselves. I know what you mean about valuing your privacy and not really wanting to go over to their houses, but maybe taking them a few eggs would solve the problem for good?

 

[zengrrl]

My 4 silkies make way less noise than any dog that lives here!

 

[mcjessen]

Quote:
I'm curious about why you don't let them out until 7AM? I know my girls are MUCH quieter when they're in the yard than when they're in the coop. So the first thing I do in the morning (usually about 6:15AM) is let them out to forage. That keeps them quiet until I leave for work at 9.

Our city's noise ordinance prohibits loud noises before 7 am and after 10 pm. For example, you cannot operate heavy machinery, law mowers, blowers, etc before 7 am. The construction companies LOVE that law. The only exception to this is the garbage trucks. My girls make more noise out of the coop because they want out of the run into the yard or want a treat. I do not reward this behavior with any kind of acknowledgment toward them.

I too wish who ever complained would have come to me first but it is what it is. I'm not going to worry about it until I get another complaint.

 

[boogiedog]

I must agree with "Allpeepedout". Despite being legal, people can still complain about noise, smell, blight - and those are likely completely seperate ordinances. And officers are required to check out all of these complaints regardless of how crazy. Not that anything may ever been done (citation, order to quit, etc) it can become ridiculously stressful. I live in a VERY urban area and am fortunate to have an unusually large lot. I have 4 alpacas and 27 chickens. (BTW I find that letting my chickens out VERY early, i.e. 5:30, with lots of treats tossed around has virtually eliminated the usual daily a.m. ruckus. The later I waited the more frustrated they became...)

Every neighborhood has some jackasses, so I certainly didn't want to advertise my zoo. However, I have invited immediate neighbors over to meet the animals - esp. those with kids - and had the kids help me name the chickens, showed them how to collect eggs, etc. It has been a huge hit (it is surprising how many people have never seen/met a live chicken...). I do give eggs, and they in turn give their extra veggies, etc. It really has become a nice co-op sort of atmosphere here in the middle of urban America.

I'd just go ahead and fall on my sword and reach out to the neighbors. Once they realize you are a decent person who doesn't intend to inconvenience them the noise issue maybe all of a sudden become no issue at all.

 

[wbruder17]

I live in an unincorporated area and can have as many chickens, roosters etc as I want. We have a large yard and everyone around me has chickens and roosters. My old neighbors ( wife a mail order bride from Moldova who HATED chickens) complained about the coop smelling bad ( it ABSOLUTELY DID NOT) and then complained to the city that our coop was too close to their house, so we moved it to within code and I basically gave the woman the finger from then on. She continued to be crazy about it (they were by NO MEANS as bad as she thought they were) and I eventually had to call the cops when she tried to barge down my door yelling at me about them. She was totally crazy, I might add.

Anyway, I wouldn't have pacified her with eggs if it would have saved my life.

My friend's neighbor once told the city on her about her dog and she marched over to his house and called him a coward for not being able to come over and talk to her personally about it. I thought that was GREAT.

 

[kmerkley01]

Quote:
My parents have a neighbor that is a bit like this. The wife complains about everything....the noise of the trains drives her batty (then don't buy a home within 1/4 mile of the tracks!), the neighborhood dogs barking (altho we have to listen to their ankle biters all the time), and the smell of my parents compost pile (which isn't bad at all). We were afraid that they would be complaining about the chickens, but (surprisingly!) she grew up with chickens and enjoys the sounds. Although her company complained that they could hear the hens when they were having a bbq (the company, not the hens!)

My parents live in an unincorporated area of the county so can have the chickens with no problems. At first it just took the neighbors a little while to get used to the new noise. The girls carrying on over some treat or one of the cats being in the garden is definitely not louder than dogs barking or the train....just new to the ears.

Kasey

 

[mcjessen]

Hello all -

Thank you for everyone's response. This whole situation has really irritated me to the point of researching sound buffering options and toys for my girls to keep them entertained throughout the day.

I email the code enforcement officer and explained what I had planned on doing to help remedy the noise situation. I also asked for a copy of the complaint and questioned the status as I couldn't remember what we had talked about. He emailed back and said that he documented the report with NO VIOLATION/NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED.

Yippee!! I'm so happy. So, I will not be taking sound buffering measures at this time but I will be providing more toys for my girls to keep them busy until hubby lets them out of the run in the afternoon.

Big sigh of relief!!! Thanks again for everyone's input. I really appreciate that backyard chicken owners have this site at a resource.

 

[zazouse]

Quote:
Sorry ya are going threw this

If you are speaking of foam board you will have to cover it with something as chickens think it is something to eat