Noise ordinances? Egg songs?

[poodlepill]

YUP my hens are LOUD when they are in the coop laying eggs, outside not so much but just today I was out there and geeze thoes gals can get loud

 

[jomoncon]

Quote:
Josie, You're right about this. I got i the habit of giving them treats when they were too noisy, and then they started making a racket just to get a treat! It took quite a while to break them of this habit. Giving them a cabbage or even a whole broccoli plant does keep them quite.

 

[eggsontoast]

If you toss a treat on the ground, they do shut right up.

One of mine will go on and on, until she finally finds the flock. We have a lot of acreage and sometimes they're too far away for her to see, when she comes out of the coop. If I toss a treat to her, she shuts right up. Plus, the others hear the door close and me talking to her. They run over to get a treat, too. All are reunited and all is well in the world. And quiet.

I wonder if you could rig up a noise sensor on an automatic treat dispenser??? I need to get on this and make a fortune!

Good advice. Mine have been particularly noisy in the morning (egg-laying time) and I don't want my neighbors to get upset. I just hope they won't see a treat as a "reward" for crowing and making a ruckus!

 

[Guvnah]

I have 7 hens. City ordinances specifically allow for up to 10 within the city limits (unless your HOA disallows them, which is not an issue for me.)

Mine all do this. Some days one or another will go on for 10 minutes like that. (And that's only the days I'm home to hear it.)

I just got a letter from the neighbor who lives behind me. He just put his house on the market, so I can understand his concerns about the noise. He is demanding that I "do something" about this. To be blunt, the only "doing" I can do is get rid of them.

I just contacted the city code enforcement asking if he has standing to complain about chicken noise if the ordinance allows up to 10 chickens and I have fewer than that. (Is noise an expected part of having chickens, and if so, would a complaint about that noise have any merit?)

I'm considering unloading the chickens for now, until he sells and moves. He has been the neighborhood grump for decades, so helping him sell would help me in the long run. Once he's gone, I can get new chickens and "groom" the new neighbors with promises of weekly eggs when the new ones start laying...

For the record, all the other neighbors are happy having the chickens (and eggs!). Guy next door grew up on a Texas ranch, so he's tickled to have a small piece of "farm" in our suburban neighborhood. The old lady across the street brings me kitchen scraps most days to give to the chickens.

 

[Guvnah]

End of saga: I agreed to re-home my chickens. If it helps this guy move, I'm doing the whole neighborhood a favor.

I have posted re-home posts in the re-home forum, in the Colorado Forum and the Colorado Springs forum.

It's sad, really, but I'll get over it.

 

[Mutt Farm]

Thank you for the replies ~ any others are welcome here too

Have you checked your zoning? That should tell you how many you are allowed and how far from your a residence property lines the coop needs to be. I wouldn't think 3 hens could initiate a noise complaint unless they were all bgawking at 4am! Where I am, the coop needs to be 50 ft from any residence and 20 ft from any property line. Noise nuisance kicks in from 10pm-8am, or for constant noise like bands, stereos or incessant barking. I can't imagine someone fussing about 3 hens. good luck!

 

[Fentress]

Yes, the egg song is loud especially when they all join in, which cracks me up, even the cock joins in for a chorus or two. But unlike the cock who crows well before dawn, the egg song is during the day and normally mid to late morning.

 

[Guvnah]

End of saga: I agreed to re-home my chickens. If it helps this guy move, I'm doing the whole neighborhood a favor.

I have posted re-home posts in the re-home forum, in the Colorado Forum and the Colorado Springs forum.

It's sad, really, but I'll get over it.

To close the loop on this story, new neighbors have moved in.

Today I found out that they were wondering why I have a chicken coop but they can't hear any chickens. They want to buy eggs from me.

When I get new chickens in the spring, I'll have them pay for one, and I'll give them a half dozen per week moving forward. No charge for eggs.

Springtime can't come fast enough now.

 

[aart]

Quote: Great follow up on your story...kudos on how you handled it all.