New member in Boulder, Colorado - need advice with neighbor complaint!

[boulderdad]

Thank you, weimarmama!

Your sig made me think of the 4-6 weeks we had out first dozen chicks living in an ever-expanding straw-filled box in the downstairs bathroom - cute at first, but never again! What a mess!

 

[wsmith]

Welcome to BYC Boulderdad!

Sorry you're having trouble with your neighbors. Do you know which one(s) is complaining? Can you appease them with fresh eggs?

Anyway, Be sure to check out our Colorado thread. There might be others on there that are in Boulder who could assist you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/68894/colorado/12250#post_10561431

 

[moose59]

I'd start with a FOIA request with emergency dispatch. For you to be contacted at 7:00 am your cowardly anonymous tipster more than likely called 911 to file the complaint. Also you can obtain a copy of the written report filed by the Animal Control Officer using the FOIA request method. That should be enough to reveal the identity.

Once you have properly identified the individual responsible you have several choices... a friendly little chat to work out the differences... start looking for their own little "sins" and complain about each and every one... sue them in civil court for anything you want. The idea being to tie them up financially and generally just harass them into submission. Maybe even a Restraining Order or Personal Protection Order.

If you're going to give away eggs... go talk to your local prosecuting attorney. Take coffee and a couple dozen fresh eggs. They can file all the charges and complaints they want... but it has to get past the prosecutor to get into court.

1. In the winter months your chickens should see no more than 12 hours total combination of artificial and natural light. The only reason for the light is to fool the chicken's reproductive system into thinking it is Spring.
2. Keep your chickens inside during the night hours. If a predator strolls through your yard in the middle of the night it will spook your chickens and they will become very noisy.
3. Get a camera set up to monitor your yard. If a predator does wander through to stir up the hens and the neighbor does make that call once again, you will at least have video to prove the noise was provoked by the predator and animal control should be filing charges against the owner of the trespassing predator.
4. Make sure to record sound and that it is time stamped accurately. You are collecting evidence for court, should it ever be needed. A cheap webcam should work wonders.

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

I never provide heat to adult birds, even at temps much lower than 25 degrees. Remove the light and allow them to wake with natural light. Make sure your coop is well-ventilated to reduce risk of frostbite, many people enclose thier coops much too tightly.

 

[Dnetschke]

from Berthoud CO.
As WSmith said check out the Colorado Thread @ https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/68894/colorado/12250#post_10561431

Make a post and ask for input. I know there are some people from Boulder on there.

Again, it's all about ordinance's and knowing the enforcement element in your area.

Drop into the Colorado Thread and we'll try to help you out.

 

[Dnetschke]

Check out these 2 links

http://www.colocode.com/boulder2/chapter6-1.htm

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/boulder-colorado-chicken-ordinance

Looks like a good place to start is a talk with the City Manager.

 

[sourland]

Good luck in dealing with this nuisance - I don't understand how there can be validity in 'anonymous' complaints. That just goes against my sense of 'right and wrong'.

 

[1muttsfan]

How can there be a noise complaint unless the ordinance officer heard the noise? Anyone who wanted to cause trouble could just file a complaint against a neighbor, valid or not. I would certainly question them about how the complaint was validated - was the complaintant the only one who heard it?

 

[ChicksandWeeds]

regarding heat at night for subfreezing: deep littler method helps, possibly straw bales on the outside ...but really - good ventilation without a draft.

 

[liz9910]

from California, sorry to hear about your neighbors. I have some "farmers" on one side of me and the other with yappy dogs so no one can complain about the egg song lol.