I hate to say this, but if any town (rural or otherwise) was considering passing an ordinance regarding the legal keeping of chickens and they read some of the posts on this thread, I am certain that some officials would cite these responses as a valid reason for refusing to allow the keeping of chickens. So many of you really sound unreasonable. Maybe I just can not relate to the initial problem because I live out in a wooded area and only have one (or perhaps two) neighbors who could ever hear a rooster. I know, however, that if I ever had a complaint about anything from a neighbor (reasonable or even unreasonable) I would do everything I could to appease the situation. More then anything else I do not want to be out here with neighbors that are fueding with me. Too many bad things can happen in that situation, especially in the country. Dogs, guns, lawsuits just to name a couple. Also, I am certain that for those who mentioned that they would be happy to see their neighbors dead and gone, your neighbors feel the same about you and that is a horrible way to live. For the original poster, save yourself a lot of misery and just ignore all of those people who are basically advising you to tell your neighbor to drop dead and go about it a different way. A way that will appease and not cause you both a lot of grief.