My neighbor is complaining about my rooster :/

[Pele]

Fred's Hens :

I too am allowed roosters, but do not keep them, in deference to our neighbors, who are also good egg customers. We do our breeding and keep our roosters at a brothers place, who has no neighbors, anywhere. Our lots here are each a few acres, but the sound travels 1/4 to 1/2 mile with no problems. I am grateful to have good neighbors and so I defer. Also glad I have an option you may or may not have.

Bless you for being a good neighbor, there really arn't enough out there. I like your solution of borrowing roosters for breeding, and not having them there for the rest of the year. I am sure that there are other owners of silkies in the area that would love to cross out thier flock, and get a couple of chicks for the rental of their rooster.

Telling your neighbor to 'just deal with it', or to get earplugs is likely to make him freaking hate you, and start retaliating. Remember, it's his home, and he has the right to be comfortable and happy, just as much as yourself. If he had a yappy dog that woke you up at 2 in the morning, then told you to just deal with it, you'd be seeing red.

I've been a victim of a neighbor who owned a yappy dog who NEVER stopped barking, and I can tell you that I thought of evil solutions I would have never dreamed I would. But month after month of sleep deprivation tends to really bring out the worst in people. I think my other neighbors thought the same thing, because one day the dog mysteriously died.

Sorry to ramble, my main point is to be sympathetic with him, and tread carefully. Look for options, maybe even recruit him to chat over different things. Maybe hanging blackout curtains on the coop?

Best of luck to you!​

 

[Blue]

The dog crate suggestion is good. Also, is there any way you can lock him up in the coop, i.e. close the coop doors, windows to muffle the sound, so your neighbor can't hear it? Then you could let the rooster out later in the morning.

 

[cackydoodledoo]

From your post it sounds as if he roosts outside? If so can you not build him a small enclosure that he has to stay in until you let him out? My neighbor is only about 1/2 acre away and can't hear mine and he is loud!

 

[pixiedouglas]

I've heard if you black out the windows so he sees no light at all and put a roost up really high so he can't stand up to crow that might help.

I also know of a woman who takes her bantam rooster into her garage at night and puts him in a dog crate to sleep where he can't stand up to crow so he won't crow at night/early morning to bother neighbors, then she lets him out into the yard when she gets up in the morning.

Hope some of that might be helpful!

 

[neverbdone]

Roosters have to be able to raise their heads to crow. When I have guests, I put mine in a dog crate. I have a standard roo so my dog crate is a medium crate. The roo is comfortable, but can't stand up or fully raise his head. Since yours is a bantie, you may need a small crate. It can be your roos new personal sleeping suite

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

Quote:
Maybe your drunk neighbor should leave the bar earlier.

Seriously though, there is nothing you should be required to do if you are legally allowed to keep chickens. Your real problem is how to deal with a cranky neighbor.

My guess is that this is a city fool living the country idyll and is perturbed that country life includes animals, insects, allergies, and manure. If that is the case, get a restraining order on him right away. Make sure he knows about your shotgun and trespass laws.

If your neighbor is sensible, then fresh eggs might help a bit. If he is married, give his wife the eggs. Let her do your work for you. Ask her if she wants to try hatching eggs. You might be complaining about his roosters next year.

 

[gdplum]

...is your neighbor worth keeping on your good side...if yes, get rid of the rooster...if no, keep the rooster and live with the complaints. If I were your neighbor, I would find a way to silence the rooster.

 

[aggie9296]

I'm a farm raised country girl back in the country with chickens (no roosters, because I don't like to hear them either). If I had a neighbor with a rooster that kept me up all hours of the night crowing, i would be PEEEEEVED. I would say something to you also. ANd it might not be so nice. Doesn't matter if it's legal. If you have animals, kids, dogs, hot rods, motorcycles or whatever that regularly make noise in the middle of the night and disturb your neighbors, you are being a rude neighbor if you do nothing to try to fix it.

He let you know there is a problem at least. If you suggest that he suck it up and deal with it, you may get a sleep deprived neighbor turning into a "call animal control and the county commission until they do something about that #$%^ rooster" neighbor. That ain't going to be pretty for anyone and you COULD be forced to get risk of your rooster pet. It can happen even if it is legal to have them.

Try some of the suggestions on here to help keep the peace. At least let the neighbor know you're trying and you might get a little more patience from him. If you do nothing, "bad things" have been known to happen to offending animals. People can be nasty when they are super angry (and sleep deprived).

And for all of you bozos that said to tell the neighbor to get ear plugs, watch your back and your animals. That kind of attitude usually gets some retaliation. Ear plugs/muffs really suck when you are trying to sleep. He should not have to resort to that. You should fix the problem.

 

[jenkassai]

And this is why I LOVE these forums, love learning stuff!!! I did not know that roosters can't crow if they can't raise their heads. It makes sense, I just never thought about it before. I'm glad to read this because I think I would eventually like to get a rooster and hubby has already said no because he does not want it waking him up. Sounds like that problem could be solved!!! We are already planning on insulating our coop, so now I have another solution to try (dog crate) if it turns out that wasn't enough! Thx!

 

[patman75]

Get 4 more roos, then when he keep complaining get rid of them and he will be happy you just have 1.