These laws only apply when you have other properties within a given distance from your boundaries (can't remember how far off the top of my head), and do not apply to nature. They do not specifically apply to roosters either, just ANY noise source that may be an annoyance to others. We do not have laws that say you CAN keep chickens or roosters, we merely have property covenants that say when you CAN'T.
I believe this is different in the US isn't it? Am I right in thinking you have laws in particular areas which say you cannot keep livestock at all? Surely this is more ridiculous? A blanket ban on livestock seems a bit over the top. In the UK there is no such ban ANYWHERE but individual houses may have covenants, byelaws or restrictions written into the deeds and urban councils have a 'duty of care' to its residents to ensure noise levels are not unreasonable. This would apply whether it was your neightbour's crowing cockerel, their trombone playing five year old, their heavy metal loving teenager or their elderly grandmother listening to the TV too loud!!
So, the law does not state you may have chickens but must keep them quiet, it states you must me a reasonable and considerate neighbour if you live in close proximity to others....despite having had to give up some very much loved geese because of these laws, I agree with them totally. It is extremely unpleasant to have noisy neighbours....I would not want to be woken by a cockerel at 5am despite being an absolute nut over my chickens. I equally would not want to be kept awake by barking dogs, loud music, arguing people or any other such things so am glad the law is there to protect me....but it's there to protect the person being complained about from over-reactors....hence the noise tests.
I believe this is different in the US isn't it? Am I right in thinking you have laws in particular areas which say you cannot keep livestock at all? Surely this is more ridiculous? A blanket ban on livestock seems a bit over the top. In the UK there is no such ban ANYWHERE but individual houses may have covenants, byelaws or restrictions written into the deeds and urban councils have a 'duty of care' to its residents to ensure noise levels are not unreasonable. This would apply whether it was your neightbour's crowing cockerel, their trombone playing five year old, their heavy metal loving teenager or their elderly grandmother listening to the TV too loud!!
So, the law does not state you may have chickens but must keep them quiet, it states you must me a reasonable and considerate neighbour if you live in close proximity to others....despite having had to give up some very much loved geese because of these laws, I agree with them totally. It is extremely unpleasant to have noisy neighbours....I would not want to be woken by a cockerel at 5am despite being an absolute nut over my chickens. I equally would not want to be kept awake by barking dogs, loud music, arguing people or any other such things so am glad the law is there to protect me....but it's there to protect the person being complained about from over-reactors....hence the noise tests.
