I need the truth about chicken noise - ASAP

[tomato lady]

I live in the country so my neighbors are further away. Still, I hear their dog, them talking outside, their children, etc. The one thing I never heard were their chickens. I do not know how many they have, but I did not even know they were there until I cleared a little brush to put my goat fence through. When I could see their yard clearly, there were several chickens quietly going about their business eating bugs or whatever. Now that I know they are there I am more alert and occasionally hear an egg song.

My dogs have never barked at their chickens. However, they bark at mine every time I go into the run or the coop. They hate it that I go in there.

So, my advice is enjoy your chickens and ignore her complaints. She probably will complain because she already told you SHE didn't want YOU to have chickens in YOUR yard. Some people!

 

[speckledhen]

You won't know how loud your particular hens are until you get them--that is an individual trait. I used to say who needs a rooster when you have a bunch of loud women yelling their heads off, but they aren't loud all the time. It's mainly when they lay or are just about to lay an egg.

Does your neighbor not want to bear any responsibility for her yappy dog? Doesn't she realize how much it has irritated you over the years? And now, she is saying that your hens will "make" her dog bark more? She needs to control her dog's barking, not act like it's just something that happens, but in your favor, if she doesn't, she has no room to complain about your chickens, if they are legal for you to have.
That always amazed me, the folks around me who leave their dogs out all night and they never seem to hear their own dang dog making all the racket that keeps me up all night. Just astounding.

 

[mamagardener]

I would just very politely tell her, I really don't think 3 chickens will be nearly as loud as your dog is. Get the chickens, and ignore her, but watch out for her dog.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
This is good enough to maybe stick.

 

[newchickmom]

Our neighbor across the road has a little terrier dog, in an outside kennel, that barks a lot and is definately louder than my, close to 50, chickens. I live outside of town in an area that is all 5-acre parcels, so we aren't that close.

Get the chickens and enjoy.

 

[rainbowgardens]

You could borrow a barking dog to keep in your yard for a while. After that she may be grateful if you trade it in for some hens!!
Sorry, I can get really spiteful thinking about somebody preventing another from enjoying their chickens.

 

[zoomia]

Quote:
I totally agree with this. You are being a good neighbor with your concerns, but the fact that the noise caused by her dog barking at your chickens is HER problem, not yours. I'm all for good neighborliness, but at some point, enough is enough.

But if it makes you feel any better: One of my neighbors has three dogs who go crazy anytime they see anything in the alley. My coop is actually on my neighbors 3/4 acre (it's kind of a joint project), and they used to go nuts whenever they saw me or heard a chicken. Now they've gotten used to it and ignore us all. They still bark at other stuff. None of my neighbors mind my rooster--I've gone around and asked--but they all have bad stuff to say about these dogs.

 

[Happy Chooks]

You have done all you can to be a considerate neighbor. She is not going to be happy no matter what you do. She is refusing to accept responsibility for her dog. It's HER fault her dog is the way it is, not the neighbor's, their cat or their chickens.

My pullets, even at their noisiest (and yes they can be very loud), are nothing compared to a barking dog. My loudest one would do her egg song at 6:30 for about 5 minutes, then you heard nothing out of her until she laid the egg at about 9:00. I don't think that is an unreasonable amount of noise. I only have a couple that I consider loud, the rest are very quiet.

So get your chickens and enjoy them. Be prepared for her complaints though, because you are going to get them. And make sure she can't do anything to your chickens.

 

[LizzyJo]

Quote:
You can only hope so! You have been putting up with this neighbor and her dog for seven years and you are worried about annoying her?

I'd point that out to her, tell her that your hens will be legal, but her barking dog isn't, and get on with your project. I'd also amp up the complaints about the dog the first time she complains about your feather people. And yes hens can get loud, if they have something they want to advertise. ("I laid an egg! I laid an egg!"). But they don't go on for hours like some dogs in my neighborhood.

Just a side note here. Why would a hen be compelled to yell to every predator in hearing distance that she is there and a defenseless egg is there too?

 

[Imp]

Just a side note here. Why would a hen be compelled to yell to every predator in hearing distance that she is there and a defenseless egg is there too?

I've wondered about that as well

Imp​