Freaking out over chicken noise - Help!

[CritterHill]

Sounds like the guy 2 doors down is asking for eggs!

Neighbors are a pain no matter where you live. We are relatively rural and in the summer when the trees are leafed out, you can't even see our neighbors' houses from our yard.

But we have one guy who managed to shoot our cat (long story, but the cat survived)! I haven't told him yet that we are getting chickens next month. I'm kindof afraid to...

Most of our neighbors are awesome though.

 

[fluffhead]

But we have one guy who managed to shoot our cat (long story, but the cat survived)!

oh my lord... thank you for the reminder that things could be a lot worse.

you are right. i should deliver some eggs today to the complaining neighbor. i only have one egg from my girl, but maybe i will toss a store-bought egg in there too and just not say anything about it.. hahah

good luck with getting your girls! sounds like it will be an adventure.​

 

[chickenannie]

Hey fluffhead... no more sprinting outside at sunrise in the undies with a handful of tortilla chips, yes?
From now on, you can stroll, fully-dressed, coffee cup in hand casually, out to the henhouse in the late morning.

(sorry, just makes me laugh...)

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I think it'll be too obvious that one egg is store-bought. Why not wait a day or two and give a few fresh eggs?

 

[fluffhead]

i actually DO have two home-laid eggs in my fridge...
but one of them is special.
(see my other post from yesterday: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=431472 )

how do you think she'd react if i gave her that one?

chickenannie - yes, it will be a dream come true! this has been ridiculous. 3 days ago i actually started putting my pants and glasses on at like 3AM so i could shave 5 seconds off the squawk-sprint once i jumped out of bed.

 

[fluffhead]

Well, I am happy to say that it has been 5 days and this project was a total success. The girls don't make a peep until I open the coop. They are dead asleep when I open it up.

My neighbor on the other side called me yesterday, saying she wanted to talk to me about the chickens. I stammered out the long story about how I had covered the open sides of the tractor and I'm so sorry about the noise and on and on and she says, "Oh, okay, I was just worried about them since I hadn't heard them in a while and I enjoy the noise."

I ran right over and gave her all my eggs.

 

[SeaChick]

That is the funnist ending to this story I can imagine!!!

 

[Dixiedoodle]

It's funny how we all think differently about noise! I actually go outside at 4am with the old dogs, JUST to hear the neighbors (not close) roosters crowing, the hens bawking and goats yelling for breakfast! They must feed really early but I LOVE the noise of farm animals... IF I had to live in town I would much rather hear farm animals than the boomboxes, stereo noise!!! Glad your girls are 'sleeping in'! Dixie

 

[allen wranch]

What are you going to do this summer when it gets hot and the chickens are closed up in a small solid coop ?

Since you know at least one of the neighbors enjoys the chickens, why don't you talk to the others and see how they feel. Twenty seconds of cackling really shouldn't ruffle anyone's feathers. As you said, they are not as loud as dogs and don't bark as long.

 

[fluffhead]

Oh, don't get me wrong: they are only in the coop until ~7:30AM. Otherwise they are in a 20X15 run, or if we are home, free-ranging around our yard. Also, it's a tractor (a-frame), so after 7:30 I just prop open one entire side of it so they go in and out as they please. Thanks for your concern.