Got illegal chickens?

[stuckinthecity]

I have 11 illegals. 10 hens and 1 rooster... I mean I'm sure the neighbor right beside the chicken house knows they exist, but they don't seem to mind. I bring the rooster in at night and try to keep them from making too much noise when I'm here. I have to run outside and throw them bread and usually that does the trick. My neighbors are very close, but we have a wooden fence on 3 sides, with dog kennel fencing on the side that faces the forest. No far...so good. (knock on wood)

 

[BellevueOmlet]

Are there any chickens that are any more quiet than others?

 

[alhanse77]

Is there a clause in your community covenants that allows you to petition to change the covenants to allow chickens? We were all set to have illegal chickens (we got a verbal OK from the neighbors), but then the cranky old man in the neighborhood got wind of our plan and promptly came over with a copy of the covenants. In the covenants there was a clause that said we could amend the covenants with a 70% vote from neighbors in the subdivision. We went out the very next day and successfully petitioned over 90% of the homeowners and the covenants were changed immediately. Long story short, we amended the covenants to allow each homeowner to have 3 hens and no roosters. That said, we immediately went out and got 4 chicks.

Now that we are the established neighborhood "chicken weirdos", we are going to get 2-3 hens more for our little flock. Unless the old man peeks in our backyard, we should be in good shape!

 

[johny]

Hey, peep, just do it.
Keep it clean. Keep it quiet, no roosters. Those two things alone deal with the main objections of the dangerously urban crowd who has no idea where their food comes from.

I'm no expert, but my Buff Orp hens are very quiet. They cluck quietly in excitement when I bring a dish of kitchen scraps or left overs. Otherwise they are very quiet.

The one remaining Buff Orp rooster crows regularily all day long. I thought that would be a problem living in town. But many neighbours say they like it because it reminds then of their childhood on a farm or of their grandparents farm. I guess our neighbourhood is special, with a lot of rural heritage neighbours.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

My neighbors don't like my chickens because they think it attracted eagles that ate their cat.
I feel bad about their cat but the chickens had nothing to do with the eagle eating their cat.
My BR wants to be a rooster since she is the alpha male and crows all day.
They complain but they are legal chickens so their is no legal repercussion for them.

I offer them eggs all of the time and they say No every time.

 

[gumbii]

city came and i had to cut down my flock... i had about 30, and cut it down to 18 or so... i'm only allowed 2 hens... LOL... i have 3 roo's but they are OEGB... today the inspector went to my neighbor's house, so i had to hide my roosters and loud hens in my room in boxes and shoe boxes... it was a crazy morning... but my neighbor's love the chickens... they know that later on they'll have fresh eggs, and i've offered them some chicks, but they need to build a coop first...


my advice... if you don't have a great relationship with your neighbors, i would at least find out before you get them if they are okay with them... if not, i wouldn't get them... just gonna start trouble IMO... i hear and see too many sad stories on these boards... not worth the heartbreak...

 

[twentynine]

You are setting yourself up for a heart ache!

You get chickens--- I promise you, some busy body next door knows better than you neighbor is going to turn you in almost as soon as you get the first egg.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Quote:
Ive had them for about four years now. Maybe more. Second time around. First time, I didnt talk to my neighbors first and the one turned me in because "the chickens were keeping him up all night"...yeah, right. I gave them to my brother-in-law. Waited a couple years, then tried again.
I live the law of "I will never say anything about what you do, just leave me alone" in my neighborhood.
I put up with the neighbors' stupid dog barking all day and night, the other neighbors' hotrod, drunken neighbor fights, gunshots from the neighbors house behind us,etc etc etc and I never complain. I am nice and polite and I give out eggs.
So far, so good.
I have eight ducks and a few chickens.
Of course, my neighbors on the three sides of me know about them. Cant help that- they can see em through the fence slats. I have told neighbor visitors that they are "poodle chickens" (show girls) and "african ground parrots" (silkies), and they have never questioned it.
I lost a hen once- she was running up and down the street- and everyone saw. Of course, I couldnt let her go- I had to go catch her. Removed all doubt of where she came from. So far, so good. My husband has lived here for about thirty years, so the neighbors all know he has a "crazy wife"...ha hah ha..

I keep my yard immaculate, I keep my animals quiet. I have polite good kids, and we help our neighbors out. Some days I want to tell them off- or call the law for some of the most irritating things- but I never do. (that darn barking dog)...so that I can keep peace and keep my illegals.

I suggest just having a plan B in case you get busted.

 

[featherbaby]

Plant very tall dense shrubs. It helps baffle the noise and hides them visually. I am going to put an official looking sign on mt coop that says: Auburn UniversityTherapy Animal Study In Progress.

 

[Buugette]

I don't have chickens... I have 2 Very rare Chernobyl Rabbits and 3 even rarer Hungarian Giant Crested House Pigeons! And no one can tell me different!