Help and advice please

[glocke12]

My neighbor has had chickens and/or a rooster for the past 15 years.

There has never been an issue for me with them and in fact I've helped them round up their bird when they've gotten over here onto my property and have tried to live trap and relocate foxes that were attacking their birds.

Something changed within the past two years, I think she had eggs hatch and most were males because since roughly 2020 I've been dealing with rooster noise that often lasts 12-16 hours a day at 10-15 second intervals.

I believe the main reason for these incessant vocalizations is the fact that she has 4 or 5 roosters (she doesn't even know) and only 5-6 hens. My research on this site tells me the correct ratio should be 1 rooster per ten hens.

Their chicken pen is probably 25-50 yards from my bedroom window and is heard plainly in my bedroom (they start at 330 am often times).

I've tried for two years to be a good neighbor and get used to this noise but it's impossible.
It has basically become something that has destroyed my quality of life as I cannot enjoy my outside spaces with that noise going on nor my inside spaces as I hear it throughout my home. White noise does't drown it out and it is unreasonable to expect me to wear ear plugs inside my home.

I asked them in a nice, calm, rational manner to address this by moving the pen further away on their property, putting sound proofing on their pen or changing the rooster to hen ratio. They basically told me to go pound sand and told me to my face that this issue is a " me " issue due to some health issues I've been having (I've been home on disability since may for back issues/surgery). This simply isn't true as I've been complaining privately to friends and family about this for well over a year and can provide those emails and texts to a judge or jury should it ever come to that.

here is a recording I made yesterday, these vocalizations had been going on all day long and did not stop until roughly 6 pm: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dgWAkYnpyIOpoEx5BUu1lLVkmaRMAR9M/view?usp=share_link

To make matters worse, this woman is a vegan, does not consume any eggs from these birds and she considers them to be pets.

I know for a fact that in the past the roosters were poking holes in each other trying to establish dominance and one question I have is are the frequent vocalizations part of that behavior ? Are these roosters vocalizing this much because their biological need to care for a certain amount of hens is not being met ?

I am quite simply at my wits end here and this is going to end in one of two ways. Either me spending thousands of dollars I don't have by hiring a lawyer and getting this declared a private nuisance or by me moving to get away from it.

any advice this community can give me would be appreciated.

This is the type of person that ruins a hobby or interest for everyone else by being irresponsible.

 

[DLA]

You might start by checking what the local ordinances are regarding chickens and what the ordinances are for excessive noise. That may perhaps give you some recourse.

 

[glocke12]

You might start by checking what the local ordinances are regarding chickens and what the ordinances are for excessive noise. That may perhaps give you some recourse.

I've been down that path, there is nothing. Local zoning for raising of fowl was written assuming people would be raising these as a food source and not as pets and was also written assuming people would be following good animal husbandry practices and maintaining a proper rooster to hen ratio.

Noise ordinances don't kick in until after 11 pm.

Its basically a private nuisance and is looking like my only recourse is to either move or take legal action. Fortunately there is case precedence here in PA for that.

https://chestercountyramblings.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/592_Law_Reporterv68_Issue44.pdf

This is the equivalent of living next door to someone who is playing some obnoxiously loud music 12 hours a day that you can hear inside your house starting at 4:00 am

 

[DLA]

That's a tough situation. Where I live does have noise ordinance also but it has an exemption for normal and necessary activity in farming and animal husbandry because this is pretty rural and still a good number of farms around. Unless she's not feeding, caring or cleaning up after them you'd have no recourse as far as reporting her for neglect. Having a bad hen to rooster ratio probably wouldn't qualify. You have my sympathies.

 

[K0k0shka]

What are your zoning laws regarding how close chicken structures can be to human dwellings? Sounds like her chicken pen is too close to your house. You can start there. If there's nothing specific about chicken coops/pens, look up animal shelters in general - barns, corrals, pens, etc. and the setback requirements for those. You may have a case there. Also look up general domestic disturbance regulations - there's usually some kind of something in place for daylight hours, so you don't have to wait until 11pm for the nighttime noise ordinance to kick in.

And last but not least. Sounds like the neighbor's chickens wander onto your property (which in itself is another problem...) How about any chicken that makes it onto your property becomes your dinner. As far as the neighbor is concerned, the chicken may have gotten lost in the woods just as well, or been eaten by one of those foxes you've been trapping. Stop trapping foxes, maybe even leave food out near the property line to draw them in and let them do their job. That would draw the chickens in, too, make them easier to catch. Unreasonable neighbors don't deserve reasonable treatment.

 

[EuroChook]

Is your municipality one in which keepers of chickens must have a permit?

"Chester County Municipalities with Backyard Chicken Keeping Regulations. As of March 2019, approximately eight Chester County municipalities have zoning ordinance regulations related to the keeping of backyard chickens. Most require permits." As far as I can discern there are also regulations limiting how many chickens are kept and so forth:

https://www.chescoplanning.org/MuniCorner/eTools/04-BackyardChickens.cfm

 

[glocke12]

What are your zoning laws regarding how close chicken structures can be to human dwellings? Sounds like her chicken pen is too close to your house. You can start there. If there's nothing specific about chicken coops/pens, look up animal shelters in general - barns, corrals, pens, etc. and the setback requirements for those. You may have a case there. Also look up general domestic disturbance regulations - there's usually some kind of something in place for daylight hours, so you don't have to wait until 11pm for the nighttime noise ordinance to kick in.

And last but not least. Sounds like the neighbor's chickens wander onto your property (which in itself is another problem...) How about any chicken that makes it onto your property becomes your dinner. As far as the neighbor is concerned, the chicken may have gotten lost in the woods just as well, or been eaten by one of those foxes you've been trapping. Stop trapping foxes, maybe even leave food out near the property line to draw them in and let them do their job. That would draw the chickens in, too, make them easier to catch. Unreasonable neighbors don't deserve reasonable treatment.

I've been through the zoning laws with the zoning officer. Gist of it is there is nothing there that can help me. They are vague, and presumably written assuming people would be responsible with the raising/keeping of fowl and livestock.

I'm going before the board of supervisors to encourage them to amend the ordinances so they are empowered to address situations like mine by adding specific language about keeping an acceptable rooster to hen ratio, adding in language to address nuisance animals, and also something that addresses soundproofing. I don't expect much to happen but it will be a start at least.

I won't comment publicly on wandering chickens or coyotes and foxes.

It is a truly unfortunate situation and it is bird owners/livestock owners like this that ruin it for everyone else. At times I feel like a complete " Karen " about this but it's gotten to the point where it's a true quality of life issue.

I'm not the most quiet person in this neighborhood, but as a property owner I can't imagine generating that amount of noise on a daily basis all day long. I'd feel bad and would do something about it.

 

[glocke12]

Is your municipality one in which keepers of chickens must have a permit?

"Chester County Municipalities with Backyard Chicken Keeping Regulations. As of March 2019, approximately eight Chester County municipalities have zoning ordinance regulations related to the keeping of backyard chickens. Most require permits." As far as I can discern there are also regulations limiting how many chickens are kept and so forth:

https://www.chescoplanning.org/MuniCorner/eTools/04-BackyardChickens.cfm

Im in Bucks County sadly. The case I referenced was Chester County which is in PA also which tells me there is legal precedence for the courts being on my side of this with regards to it being a private nuisance should it come to that.

 

[Ocho 8 Farm]

Maybe you can reach out to some of the other neighbors. I wonder if anyone else is irritated by the noise. Maybe if a bunch of the neighbors confronted this person she would realize it’s not just you and maybe she would do something about it. Sorry you’re dealing with this.

 

[Jenbirdee]

sometimes there are state laws when there is no local law.
I have neighbors with extremely I mean ridiculously loud cars and motorcycles that wake me up at 4:30 am and on and off during the day and they blame me for being too sensitive when I tell them its hurting us (m 83 yr old Mom is suffering of it) Had to move all my coops and runs to other side of my yard where theres no natural shade too. (spent alot on artificial shade) but anyway thats my problem We are trying to help you with yours....
I was told to contact the county commissioner.
Have not done it yet though because it seems they are running their engines less than they used to after I mentioned the state laws to them.