How Many Chicken Owners Live in Urban Neighborhoods?

[blueyzjg]

My neighbor feeds all the stray cats and we have lots of yappy dogs, thats the problem, not my chickens!!! Plus I live near the train station, so no one has the right to complain, we have a train whistle blowing every hour all day long!! LOL Jackie

 

[7 Biddies]

There's a nice article about urban chickens in this month's Southern Living magazine. You might find it interesting:

http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/raising-chickens-00417000079166/

 

[Sunnysimplelife]

I live about 30 minutes outside of Los Angeles on a small city lot but we are allowed hens. I too get nervous with the egg clucking. It can get loud. I try to keep them busy with treats or greens when they start up and it has helped. I hope my neighbors don't complain because I frankly think my dog is louder when she starts up but I shoosh her or bring her in when she does. Not so easy with a chicken.

 

[galanie]

I have a half acre in the city. Our neighborhood is a bit different from most of the city. The lots are all 1/2 acre and we leave each other alone so it's sort of like being in the country. So long as you don't bother your neighbor here (mostly with loud music) then you can do whatever pleases you. No HOA. Love it here for the most part.

 

[erinszoo]

We have almost a half acre in a very urban neighborhood but it's a small town. We have one neighbor who whines about our chickens but given that she spends hours each day running her weedeater and purposely trying to annoy my birds, I have little sympathy for her. She's also built two storage buildings over our property line and we're currenly going to court with them, so her whines fall on completely deaf ears. We've had several people who live within a block of us come by with their kids and tell us that they didn't even know we had birds because they've never heard them. Most of our neighbors like our chickens and like the fresh eggs that go along with them. Since in our town we are allowed to keep all kinds of poultry as well as horses, cows, goats, rabbits, etc and we only have to keep within the confines of the noise ordinances (quiet between 11pm and 6am) and then they only do something if they get three separate complaints, we are good to go. I agree that there is no way to please everyone. You can be the most conscientious animal keeper ever with the best coop and cleanest yard and still someone will whine just because they can. You can only do what you can do.

 

[bcmama]

This is my issue. We have about 1/2 acre 1/4 of it in the backyard. I personally think we have a beautiful backyard, very landscaped with a garden, trees, grass completely fenced. We are building a coop in the middle of the yard away from anyone's fence that is very appealing to look at (if worse comes to worse it can be converted into a greenhouse easily) though only one of my neighbors will see it and she wants chickens too and wants to build a coop in the spring, so that's easy. And just being me it will be kept clean, just like the dog poop gets scooped. So while my city allows up to 15 chickens including 1 roo, my neighborhood has covenants, though not enforceable, but it gives someone the right to sue you if they deem necessary. So why put in chickens if you have covenants? Well the neighborhood is old (not an excuse) and the covenants were written back in the late 60's (again not an excuse) and no one abides by them. My grumpy neighbor had a parrot that they let sit outside every spring through fall for the 1st eight years we lived here and she would constantly sing Ethel Merman songs. No parrots allowed per cov. They also have a workshop that used to have a kiln outside, nope not allowed. Also a trailer for towing. Again not allowed. Other neighbor has a trailer in yard. Many have RV's. You guessed it. Not allowed. Neighbor across street, 14 chickens. Other folks in our area have let their yards go to hell. Oops not allowed to do that. So I can choose to abide for whatever thats worth and we have and do (except for this) or I can go with the flow and hope for the best, but at the same time I don't want to bug anyone and push it, so that was my concern with the noise. My husband keeps saying that it's not an offensive noise, chickens, just hoping they sort of keep it to themselves, but got a bit stressed reading about just how noisy they get with people running out to their coop in their underwear to shhhs them. Don't want to be doing the underwear run in the morning...hahahaha.

 

[galanie]

Your neighborhood sounds like mine. But a parrot that sings Ethel Merman songs? No one should have to hear that!!

 

[lizanne]

I live on almost 1/4 acre in a suburb about 20 minutes north of Sacramento. We live in a court, so we have 5 neighbors that share a backyard fence. Two on the sides, and three in back (the houses in back are newer with teeny tiny back yards. We fenced off part of the sideyard towards the front of the house, so the neighbors in back can't see the chickens or the coop. The neighbor on the other side (where the chickens are) has 2 German shepherd, that are constantly barking and howling (doesn't bother us), so she really couldn't say much anyway. A couple of the neighbors in our court know about the chickens, and even come over every once in a while to visit them. =) I built my garden in between the coop, and the fence facing the road in front of the house, with plants growing up a lattice built onto the back of the coop, so you can't see the coop. It's worked out so far. In my area you are only allowed to have chickens if you live on a 1/4 acre or more. We are about 85 square feet short of that. =(


From the front of the house



In the chicken yard- The garden in front of the coop.

 

[7 Biddies]

Your neighborhood sounds like mine. But a parrot that sings Ethel Merman songs? No one should have to hear that!!

I used to live in a subdivision with covenants, and my neighbors played opera, LOUD, every Sunday out by the pool while they read the paper. In the nice weather, with the windows open, it was like being in an opera house. I liked the neighbors, so never complained. Other than this, they were great. Point being, when you live around other people you have to take the good with the bad. If you can't, go buy a private island.

If the neighborhood never enforces the covenants, tell her to do her worst. If they enforce the rules for one, they're going to have to enforce them for all ... including her. You'll see to it that they do.

 

[Leah21]

I live on a 1/4 acre in a historic neighborhood just a few miles from downtown Nashville, TN. I have good neighbors...thank goodness, but really most people have no idea they are back there. Mine just started laying and the girls are a bit noisier than before during/after egg laying (not for very long though), but not near as bad as the crows/dogs/kids/construction/etc. My Buff Orpington isn't laying yet, but whenever her Best Bud the Black Australorp goes in to lay the Buff Orp just goes crazy squalking! I keep their area clean, too. I have 3 young boys and their friends think it is really neat.

We also have a bee hive and veggie garden. It is very educational & fun! Here is a link to a Printable Neighbor Handout...if you run into a sceptic neighbor.
http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2010/02/backyard-chicken-pr.html

When in doubt give them Free Eggs!!!