Please help me understand why it's OK for a rooster to crow....

[Oblio13]

Now that I've made my obligatory smart-a*s post, I'll make my customary contrarian post:

Yes, I think it's rude to annoy your neighbors. I bend over backwards to keep mine happy because, well, I have to live next to them and stuff.

I don't allow my dog to bark incessantly. I don't mow my lawn at 5:00 a.m.

Here are some constructive suggestions for your neighbor:

HOW TO KEEP YOUR ROOSTERS QUIET:

-Black out the bird's cage at night

-Bring your rooster indoors at night

-Put a muzzle and collar on the bird

-Put a hood or a sock with a hole over the bird's head, and cut out space for the beak and nose

-Soundproof your pens

-Raise the roost close enough to the ceiling so he can't stretch up to crow.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Welcome to the board. You have some good points... But it is nature. Thankfully, I own hens (who can be loud enough!), and am thankful every day that we don't have to listen to a rooster crow.

But we do have to listen to a neighborhood dog with separation anxiety bark for hours because she's left on their deck when they go out.

Animals make noise. People do too. Don't even get me started about people riding straight-pipe motorcycles!

 

[joebryant]

Having a rooster on large acreage is one thing; having a rooster in the suburbs with many very close neighbors being awakened every morning is something else. It's just as bad as a barking dog.
I suggest your calling your rooster-owning neighbor every morning at 5 A.M. is she is still asleep and telling her that her rooster just woke you up. Personally, I'd call at 3 A.M. every morning and tell her that her rooster would be waking me up at 5 A.M.

 

[speckledhen]

If there is a definite ordinance, and I mean an clear one, against owning chickens in your neighborhood, then she is in the wrong, unenlightened though many of those ordinances are. If there is NOT a specific law against it, then you need to deal with where you live. Learn to enjoy or tolerate it or move. I have seen stupid ordinances that say one is allowed to breed chickens for their own family's use, but then a conflicting noise ordinance. You cannot breed chickens without a rooster and you cannot stop a rooster from crowing. This is what I mean by an unclear ordinance-they conflict with each other.
Secondly, she cannot stop her roosters from crowing. You cannot train a rooster not to crow. It's their nature. It isn't just okay for a rooster to crow early and sporadically throughout the day, it's normal and natural. I find the barking of dogs and the roar of lawnmowers and weedwhackers much, much worse. Do you ever make noise at your house? Do you use machinery? Then maybe you're bothering her. Just trying to give a little perspective here. And just because there is no ordinance against a dog barking or lawn equipment doesnt mean people shouldnt be kind to their neighbors in regard to them. I love a rooster's crow and cant understand anyone who is really bothered by it. But that's just me.
Edited to add: that is alot of birds on a small lot, I agree, however, if properly managed, it can be done. Perhaps she just has too many roosters. Hens are noisy, too, though, as witnessed by the cackle chorus I hear every morning about 7 a.m.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

Cock-a-doodle-DON'T :

Hello,

I'm a dreaded neighbor who does not enjoy the noise a rooster makes. I don't like hearing it all day long, but I can deal with it. At 5.00am I cannot. I do not understand how someone living in suburbia can allow their roosters to crow this early.

City ordinance or not, it just simple common courtesy to keep your animals quiet when people are trying to rest. I've read many posts on this board about people dealing with complaints and most are extremely defensive. I just don't get it. To me it is irrisponsible and inconsiderate to allow this. If you cannot or will not control your animals you should not be allowed to own them.

I'm posting here because when I confronted my neighbor about her noisy birds (for which there is an ordinance) she gave me an earful and sighted many of the same nonsense excuses I've read on this board (excepting the occasional voice of reason) and rudely told me where to go.

So before I take my complaint to the city, how can the keeping of 50+ chickens (including roosters that crow before 5.00am) on a less than one acre lot be justified? Would not even chicken fanciers agree this is bad manners?! I do not understand how any reasonable person could believe this is OK.

Thanks...I needed to vent.

I hate being woken up by the neighbors dog. Or not being able to get to sleep because of the neighbors dog. However the neighbors who own the dog dont seem to be bothered by it's constant annoying barking. Ok, I will admit it. I really do not like dogs.

Anyway. if it is legal for the chickens to be there. And you have tried speaking with your neighbor about the crowing at 5am. And there IS a ordinance dealing with "noise" I would begin calling about the noise.
You shouldnt have to be woken up at 5am because your neighbor doesnt mind it.

BTW- I kept a rooster in my basement for a winter(he was a "rescue" of sorts) One set of neighbors is deaf(older couple) other set of neighbors thought they were going crazy because they could still hear him, but it was muffled.

Some times Fred would wake up at 4am and crow. It wasnt muffled for us. When spring came I found a home for Fred. Now all we deal with are the wild birds(430am) and the neighbors dog shortly thereafter. But I am not saying a word about the dog, that way I can use it if anyone complains about some clucking.​

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Quote:
It sounds like to me that you are tyring to add fuel to this persons flame. Crowing comes by nature as others have mentioned. If it is legal for a person to own chickens, including a roo or 2, then let well enough alone.

The main problem that we have in society today is that people can't mind there own business.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Thanks for the GREAT tips. Right now I only have ten chicks and a silkie hen. I have 6 1/2 acres, and I will be buying/having a rooster in a few months unless I get complaints from what few neighbors I have. I was not going to let him out until after 8 A.M. (maybe noon) though.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

I have to agree with poster. Seems some of you didn't read that he DID contact the neighbor and there IS an ordinance.

So in essence his neighbor is acting just like any irresponsible dog or cat owner that lets them run loose or bark at all hours of the day & night. It's disrespectful and the reason WHY so many others in small neighborhoods can't have a few chickens in your backyard.

Some years ago, a 'neighbor' who lived nearly 1/2 mile away ACROSS the Susquehanna River stopped by our house to let us know that our outside dog, who often barked at night, was annoying him. Seems the noise carried in such a way it felt like she was barking outside his window. (We barely noticed her.) She never stayed outside at night after that. Didn't matter that we live on 50+ acres with nothing surrounding us but rivers, woods, and other farm fields. You can still be annoying and being a good neighbor is what it is all about.

The poster isn't too happy about reporting his neighbor, even though he can. Seems he'd be happy to overlook her chickens if she contained her rooster (or removed him) so he didn't crow at 5:00 am! Sounds like a reasonable request.

 

[speckledhen]

Just because he's inside early doesn't mean they can't hear him crow. Think of summer when your coop windows are open-they will hear him. Frankly, on that much acreage, and I have a little less than you, Joe, if you are allowed roosters, why would you really worry too much about neighbors? Anyone who moves to the country and doesnt want to hear a rooster crow needs to move back to the city so he can hear his soothing sounds of horns blaring, airbrakes, lawn equipment, etc, etc. If someone complained about my rooster where I live, they need an attitude adjustment. Every holiday I hear ATVs, jeeps, loud music, gunfire, etc, from my neighbors. I'd love a quiet holiday! And daily, dogs are allowed to roam and bark all night long at the deer and raccoons they see while outside. I haven't complained about it to them and they dare not complain about my roosters. This is all in regard to the country. The city has many ordinances against everything.

 

[bluey]

It sounds like to me that you are tyring to add fuel to this persons flame. Crowing comes by nature as others have mentioned. If it is legal for a person to own chickens, including a roo or 2, then let well enough alone.

The main problem that we have in society today is that people can't mind there own business.

I disagree. i think the main problem we have in society is that people think the world revolves around themselves. I was taught to keep other people's feelings in mind and to be courteous to others, regardless of what I'd like to do personally.

If everyone showed a little courtesy to their neighbors, the world would be a better place. Unfortunately, we live in a "me first" world. It really grinds me when people say "Well, if it legal...just do it!". Laws are arbitrary and can always be changed by a squeaky wheel. At some point we have to let a little common sense prevail.

My three cents.​