I need the truth about chicken noise - ASAP

[jonbanks]

You know explain to people next door that your getting the hens and that it. Tell them they enjoy dogs and you enjoy chickens. Eplain that your not upset but htat heir dog is loud and agressive and you dont complain and wont. tell them everything will be ok and do as you please

 

[redhen]

If they are legal where you live,I would not have even told them about it..its none of their business.

 

[speckledhen]

Truly, no one asks you if they can get a dog, so if chickens are legal on your property, why ask them if you can have them?

 

[kassy68]

Well, like everyone else said.. Get your hens.. I understand you do not want to make more waves then necessary. I would research out the breeds as they are all different and find one or 3 that are known to be quiet... Black Australorps are sposed to be quiest. I have an adult EE, Buff Orp , Barred rock(noisiest in my bunch) and RIR .. I can honestly say they are not loud enough to disturb anyone unless they are laying an egg.. And honestly.. some days they are loud about the process and other days they don't feel the need to announce it. Good Luck and if the neighbor really is that nasty.. then get them and prove to her that chickens are a stinky annoying creature.. cuz they really arent' I"ve got 35 all ages right now and if you stay on top of poo.. its really fine..

 

[eggsforsale]

Only three hens? Good grief children (and dogs) make a lot more noise than 3 hens would. No one asks their neighbors if they can have a baby. Enjoy your hens...sorry about your picky neighbor. You sound like the kind of people who are considerate and anyone would be lucky to live next to.

 

[goldeneggtees]

I believe some breeds are quieter than others, buff orpingtons are supposed to be quieter, so far, mine are pretty quiet. I'm sure once they start laying, the noise level will rise. But not to the point where they will be a nuisance. Of course a rooster is a different story! :–)

 

[kycklingar!]

I say get the hens. My neighbor's dog sits and whines at our fence half the day, and has even made attempts at digging under, but the neighbor does keep her on a tether.
Ultimately, you are not doing anything illegal, and really, if someone has a "nuisance animal" in this situation, it's her. The citizen service bureau (or whatever equivalent you have) would be more likely to get on her back for neighbor complaints than yours.
But because of the ill-will, you really will need to watch your back and make sure you really are sticking hard and fast to all the legalities. She will look for the tiniest thing to get you for.
Hens have made my life SO much better. A greenhouse would be cool, (I really do want one...) but not nearly as loveable as hens.
Just my 2 cents - (oh, and i have a rooster. All my neighbors are lovely about it. They even enjoy his crowing! But I'm lucky, I guess.)

 

[goldeneggtees]

You are soo right here with that comment! Wild birds do make a heck alot of noise. Especially mocking birds - I've heard them sing their whole repetoire of songs at 4:00 a.m. in the morning! And crows, whew, once they get going, it's incredible. I've been woken up many times to the tune of a bird(s) outside our windows. And none of my neighbors have ever once asked me if it's ok to keep these wild birds in their yards!

Get the chickens, you'll be happy you did.

I'mnewtothis :

Go ahead and get your girls. At least when they sing it is for a reason unlike a dog who just can't shut up. In my honest opinion I love the sound of birds much more than barking dogs or loud children. I suppose she would like to get rid of all the wild birds also..........​

 

[tulie13]

If it's legal in your neighborhood, I would go ahead and do it. I asked my neighbors before I set up my coop - TECHNICALLY it is against our neighborhood covenants (expired but "auto-renewing" unless changed by a majority of residents, blah blah blah) but it's not against any county rules, etc. So the only recourse any of my neighbors would have to get me to get rid of them would be to file a civil suit - I'm not breaking any regulations.

My neighbors on both sides are looking forward to the eggs, and one neighbor brought his family over last night to come see the girls.

They are excited about the prospect of fresh eggs, and their little (human) girls watch my (chicken) girls through the fence and are entertained by them.

I hear more dog barking in my neighborhood than I do any noise from my chickens, and the dog barking goes ON and ON!!!

A few random chicken noises shouldn't bother her, and if she complains, you could always complain about her barking dog...

Just be prepared if you accidentally get a roo - you will need to get rid of him!

Edited to add: And the wild birds in the area ARE much louder than my chickens!!!

 

[OrpingtonManor]

You are trying to be a good neighbor, and that's fantastic. It would be a shame if she bullied you into missing out on the joy of chickens. Since you said you have another spot in your yard where you could put the coop, I would go the extra mile and level that spot. Then you could say to her, "I wanted to consider your concerns as I get the chickens, so I placed the coop as far away from your dog as possible. I think this is the fairest compromise. I need the eggs from the chickens to feed my family." And then, go enjoy your chickens.

I have 4 BO's in a suburban neighborhood. They sing their egg song, yell if they don't like their food, but are generally so quiet that my neighbors ask about them. ("Are they okay? We haven't heard them.") I had one neighbor that is a little like yours, but she has gotten quite used to the chickens. I don't have barking dog issues, and yes, we have both stray dogs and leashed dogs here. None of them seem aggravated by the chickens. (I know I have an ideal situation.)