Neighbor says she'll take me to court over coop placement

[Murraym0]

I have had chickens for over a year now and I love them. Right when I got the chickens I received a letter from the town saying a "concerned citizen" aka nosy neighbor noticed I build a shed without a permit. So I went to the town and found out I was supposed to pay $35 for the shed permit. Chickens are legal in my town so the only thing they could get me on was the permit. Now a year has gone by and the neighbor says if I don't move the coop to the far side of the property away from her she'll take me to court and win. Our coop is within the range it needs to be from the property line. Does she have any grounds to take me to court? She claims the chickens smell, but they really don't unless it rains. We are putting plastic on one side of the run closest to her property and putting up trees to try and block some of the smell. She came over to ask if we were moving the coop and we said no, but were trying to improve on the smell. She said it's not going to do anything and walked away in a huff. This woman is driving me nuts! Help!

 

[Chick Charm]

Well, I feel for you. I like to have happy neighbors personally, and I am glad that I do.

If you are able to move your coop, I would consider this just to make a neighbor happy. You may be aware of things to cut down on odor. Lye, or a sand run can help. Dry, Dry, Dry keeps smell and most nuisances down to a minimum. Cleaning the coop more often than you need to can also help. Truth be told if your in city limits she could cause you trouble by saying that there is a noise issue as well.

I hope for your sake all goes well. Wish ya the best.

 

[TheCrazyClucker]

Stinking people. Why do they have to ruin other peoples' fun?

 

[Murraym0]

We really can't move the coop because it's almost 100 square feet. We have 26 chickens. We checked with the town laws before getting the chickens. There are no restrictions on anything to do with chickens, even roosters. Our yard isn't even that big. Moving the coop 50 feet isn't going to do that much. I'll gladly go to court to fight for my chickens, I'm just worried there's a chance I'll lose.

 

[StephieSky]

25 chickens is a lot of poop.
I have 2 and I've only had them a week and still I could smell the chicken sheet.
I started with a pine shaving bedding abouit 4" deep. I have since added straw to keep it "fluffed", rosemary and lavendar clippings to keep it smelling nice. It smells like a wicked good herbal shampoo. I have a 15' row of lavendar and a 3x3 bed of rosemary. I used the rosemary for cooking and 2 tbsp to 2 cups boiling water cooled to brush on my cats to prevent fleas and mites.
You might try growing a hedge of lavendar, rosemary and sage around the coop and adding the trimmings to the bedding on a regular basis. It can't hurt to try and honestly, I wouldn't put my 2 chickens right next to my neighbors if they stunk like **** all the time. I'd put them right next to my own house first and figure out how to deal with the smell so it isn't offensive. Seems only fair to me.
Hopefully you'll find a solution and still be able to be civil with your neighbors before they become chicken haters with a grudge.

 

[chfite]

Did you pay the fee for the shed and get rid of that problem? No sense leaving any loose ends.

Chris

 

[Amastacia]

i'm pretty sure they have no ground to stand on. if your town allows it, they can't really do anything about it. make sure all fees are paid for the coop, because that can become a problem. and personally, it sounds like you won't be able to make this neighbor happy, so don't try too hard. sometimes there is nothing you can do. and odds are it doesn't really have anything to do with your or your chickens, there is probably something else that is wrong and she is just projecting on you.

regardless of everything else, good luck.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Properly kept chickens and a well-maintained coop/run should not smell, except possibly after wet weather that lasts awhile. Lime is not the best to add as it can burn the birds feet if you get the wrong kind. Sweet PDZ or Stall Dry will help keep odors down, as will regular cleaning. Sweet PDZ chemically alters the ammonia from wet manure, it does not mask odor, it eliminates it.

Better quality feed is more completely digested and used by the bird (or for that matter any animal), resulting in a smaller volume of manure with less odor.

Do you let your birds out to range in your yard? Or keep them enclosed in the coop? 100 sq ft is pretty small for 26 adult birds. Letting them range in your yard will spread the manure over your lawn and gardens and there will be less in the coop.

I'd suggest inviting some friends who are willing to tell you the truth, not just what you want to hear, over to see whether they consider your coop to have enough odor to be objectionable. It is pretty easy to become so used to a nuisance that you do not notice it. Someone who is not always subjected to the condition can look at it (smell it) with a fresh point of view.

 

[BrendaJ]

Check with the city & make sure she doesn't have one up on you. Its better to get all your "ducks " in a row so to speak. Do what you can - neighbors can be a pain. Have you offered her fresh eggs? Maybe that will dull the fire under her butt. Best of luck

 

[cafarmgirl]

Make sure you are within your rights in every way, shape and form and do everything you can to keep the coop clean and dry to keep the smell under control. If you are in line with any and all of the city's requirements then she has no grounds to take you to court. The burden of proof is on her and if she cannot show that you are breaking any law or ordinance then she has no grounds to sue you.