Official BYC Poll: Have Your Neighbors Ever Complained About Your Chickens?

[K0k0shka]

I’m impressed by the poll results so far. So many lucky people with good neighbors! One of my neighbors made my life hell because of the chickens, before I even put any chickens in the coop! He was against chickens on principle. Against everything about them. Against animals in general, actually - he said animals other than dogs or cats were filthy and had to be kept far away from people Total nutjob, mean and aggressive.

 

[Sablehaven]

I live in a rural area with a lot of space, so even when I had a flock of seven roosters crowing up a storm as they awaited butchering, no one ever complained.

In fact, the only time a neighbor has ever commented on my chickens was when we lived somewhere much more urban, and our neighbor was a wonderful old man who took every opportunity to rave about how cute our duck and top hen were, because the duck followed her everywhere that was Dionysus and Hestia, and Dio would pace by her nest while she laid an egg, and would only swim if you held her above the water by him.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I said no.
They never have complained but have mentioned they can hear the roosters crow and the treadle feeder banging each time it closes.. I put a dampener on the feeder so it's not so loud and well the roosters are what they are

 

[BDutch]

I live in a town that allows roosters as long as the neighbours don’t complain. The distance to their houses is about 20 - 25 meters. I had complains twice (different roosters, coop in another location, different neighbour, different year) about a bantam rooster that made shrieking and loud noises. Especially when they started to crow early in the morning in spring.
I did understand bc these roosters woke me up too at 5-6 in the morning. So after fertilising the hens they had to go. End of problem.
Another neighbour said it was a pity they couldn’t stay, because he loved the sound. It reminded him of his childhood.

Now I have another bantam rooster of a different breed (bantam RIR). He started to crow a month ago but his tone is less shrieking. I asked the neighbours to tell me if he bothers them.

Other things that were a nuisance : when my chickens free range they often go to gardens of the neighbours, but they don’t mind the trespassing except for 1 neighbor for a few weeks in spring when they started a veggie garden. So I kept the chickens locked in for a few weeks if I can’t supervise. Now this neighbor has a dog and my chickens avoid his garden ever since. Except for eating seeds and sprouts all my neighbors like to see my chickens visiting their garden.

Having nice neighbours is great. They like to take care of my chickens if we are on a vacation. And we look after their animals when they are on a vacation.

I’m impressed by the poll results so far. So many lucky people with good neighbors! One of my neighbors made my life hell because of the chickens, before I even put any chickens in the coop! He was against chickens on principle. Against everything about them. Against animals in general, actually - he said animals other than dogs or cats were filthy and had to be kept far away from people Total nutjob, mean and aggressive.

I have read about you’re problems and the parasols. This , my own experiences and a few other stories triggered me to suggest this poll. I hope everything has settled now kokosha, and hope you and you’re chickens are fine as far as can be with this nutjob.

 

[Boise-girls]

My neighbors are all great. It helps that our lots are fairly large, and I do give them eggs. The 80-something neighbor behind me told me today he's been enjoying the music from our backyard. It took a couple beats for me to figure out that he meant the hens! He said he hadn't heard the egg song since he was a farm kid in the Midwest, and loves to sit in his backyard and listen for it. What a sweetie!

 

[DaisyBuff]

The back side of my property borders a subdivision. When I first got chickens, The president of the subdivision committee drove over to my place. Then with a paper copy of their HOA laws in hand. Began to inform me that their HOA did not allow chickens or the type of fencing that I had started constructing around the perimeter of my property. I asked to see the paper. He looked very confused and taken aback when I started writing on it. Explaining that my address was on the county road. That I only had to construct a fence to detain my animals and that by state law. Anyone that shared a border with me where the new fence constructed. Was liable to pay a portion of the cost. That also if they did not detain their pets and they harassed or harmed my animals. That the pet owner was liable for all damages and that if deemed necessary to protect my livestock. I could use lethal force to dispatch their pets. Then politely asked him to make sure to fully explain what I wrote at their next meeting. Then show himself back down the driveway.

Woah, I don't fully understand why chickens are banned in some places, some have logical explanation, but I bet some people are trying to ban chickens to just be plain mean because they don't like them. Now, a few years ago I wanted to move into this house in a large neighborhood. I had some chickens 8 of them I do believe. I did not have Daisy, ( my BYC famous and my favorite Buff Orpington) At the time. I was reading over the regulations and I saw that chickens were not allowed! There was this guy that is trying to convince me to move there, but since chickens were not allowed, no can do. So I moved here. That sure was a nice place I turned down, and it was a reasonable price to. But that is how much I loved my chickens. Some people call me crazy, but chickens is just one animal I do not want to live without.

 

[DaisyBuff]

I’m impressed by the poll results so far. So many lucky people with good neighbors! One of my neighbors made my life hell because of the chickens, before I even put any chickens in the coop! He was against chickens on principle. Against everything about them. Against animals in general, actually - he said animals other than dogs or cats were filthy and had to be kept far away from people Total nutjob, mean and aggressive.

I just don't understand some people....... If someone like that was my neighbor and they said they hated EVERYTHING about chickens I would ask them, hey, you know you could not cook a lot of the food you make without eggs you know.

 

[Isadora]

If someone like that was my neighbor and they said they hated EVERYTHING about chickens I would ask them, hey, you know you could not cook a lot of the food you make without eggs you know.

Haha, funny, but that wouldn't win over a lot of people, especially people that eat a lot of processed food and don't appreciate fresh. "just because I eat beef and drink milk, doesn't necessarily mean I want a bunch of cows in a pasture right near my house", for example.
I totally get why people don't want chickens in neighborhoods. Crowing/egg songs can be annoying, , there can be smells (especially if the chicken keeper is not being diligent about maintenance) or the chickens may escape and get onto their property. Just because I love chickens and tolerate a lot of things they do, doesn't mean everybody does, unfortunately.

 

[Ascholten]

So I moved here. That sure was a nice place I turned down, and it was a reasonable price to. But that is how much I loved my chickens.

It just STARTS there once those HOA nazi's get started they find all kinds of garbage to make your life miserable. Funny thing is, most those snooty old sob's half of them will be moved out in a few years because they can't afford those fancy houses. So much for chickens ruining their property value. Maybe if the taxman said your house was worth less you could still be living there because you could afford it then you sob.

Funny thing is, I give eggs to 3 of my neighbors, I was talking to my one neighbor a few weeks ago and the guy on the other side of him comes by, ... a mr snooty type, he come walking over I think because he seen me giving the other neighbor the eggs. He started his mumbo jumbo and oh man, you givin him eggs? Man oh Man. I got 3 neighbors around me who have chickens and I can't get eggs for NOTHIN!! This gimme dat, the for NOTHIN was the key word there. I knew of one other neighbor a few doors down that had chickens too, I heard them on occasion but was not aware there was yet a 3rd. anyways. I just said, oh really? man oh man, that's crAAAAzy, because every chicken owner I know loves to give away free eggs, we just get so many, wow, you must be a real a hole of a neighbor if nobody wants to give you eggs. he just kind of snarled at me and about a minute later, walked back to his house. You know what buddy, maybe if you'd treat people better and quit crying to the HOA about every little thing everyone does people would be nicer to you.

Daisy, sometimes things that look like disappointments, turn out to be blessings in disguise, you are in a nice place and you got your chickens. The girls make it all worth while.

Aaron

 

[BY Bob]

Our chickens are well received in the community. Except by 1 of our neighbors. Now she spends her winters in FL. So when one of our 2 new chicks turned out to be a rooster, and started crowing after Christmas, we were OK for a while. But when she returned from Florida and heard Jabberwocky crowing at 3 am she was not going to stand for it.

Did she address me directly though? No, she called the township. If she had spoken to me she would have known I was working to rehome him. He was gone the next day after the township called me.

The really sad thing is that to this day my other neighbors will comment on how much they loved his crowing. They miss him.