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

[ChickPeas]

Well, If I was confronted, I'd tell you where to stick it as well. If was approached and told that my birds were causing a rucus, I would try and do something imediately to ease the situation.

If what she is doing is on the up and up and legal, there's really nothing that can be done. Maybe if you kindly asked her to help you out by somehow quieting her birds, then maybe she will.

If you get pissy with her and try to have her animals taken, then be prepared...you may not like what she might do to you!

Try to live peacefully......hopefully she'll understand and rearrange her birds or something...

Good Luck!

 

[GAhen]

My son lives in the city and loves to hear his neighbors rooster crow.....
I hope you do all the right things as a good neighbor.
When I lived in a subdivision, my neighbors son played his music so loud one Sunday afternoon my husband went and asked him to turn it down.
Well he did and then turned it right back up (rattling the windows).
So my husband went back to ask again, the young man's mother was hiding in the car and jumped out to complain about my dog barking......( she never told me there was a problem before).
So I brought my dog in and moved her to the back porch for her outtings.....
Neighbors can be a pain.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

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.

if the rooster is WAKING the OP up at 5am. Monday thru Friday.. It IS THEIR BUSINESS!

And why should the OP have to move? They have just as much right to live there as the neighbor with the rooster. And they have the right to a decent amount of undisturbed sleep.

Granted, if the OP moved in knowing that it was a farming community or that the neighbor had roosters then it was stupid to move into the house and expect things to change. But if the rooster is a "new" addition to the neighborhood,, well then the OP has every right to complain.
I called Animal control several times on neighbors(that have since moved) that allowed their two dogs to bark continuously. I own a dog, but when he begins barking he comes in.

The neighbor of the OP is rude. In a close neighborhood chicken owners, Heck ANY owner of ANY animal, should be thoughtful of others.

 

[clarkestep]

Before contacting the City, I would do one more thing. I would send her a certified letter stating your grievences.

I would start the letter off by positive by stating how you are not against her having chickens/roosters. Tell her that you went online and even researched poultry raising/ (here at BYC) etiquite (I can't spell worth a flip). Explain that you want her to be able to keep her chickens as you know how much she enjoys them. THEN bring up a solution to the situation, giving a few ways to compromise. See if she would be willing to talk with you.

After the letter (I would also keep a copy), I would wait a week and see what happens. See how she responds to your letter, if she wants to talk or if she does something about the noise without contacting you.

In the letter I would NOT even bring up going to the City. You want your letter to be non threatening, and just state the facts. I would also not be emotional in the letter. Facts only.

If she responds negatively or fails to respond, I would go ahead and contact the City. I would also let my complaint be public so she knows who complained. It is not that you have anything to hide. You were nice to her, you tried to rectify the situation, so you have done nothing wrong.



AND TOTALLY A SIDE NOTE: (this is my smart mouth side talking) as for the keeping the wild birds quiet before she will keep her roo quiet. You could have responded, "if they were under my care they would be inside a closed avery until after 8am every morning. I tell you what, why don't you just set your chickens free and let them make all the noise they want! Then you wouldn't be responsible for their noise."

I hope you can work things out with this neighbor.

JC

 

[coffeemama]

Well I would be upset if someone elses dog, car, stereo, lawnmower, or rooster was continuusly waking me up at 5am. If you are on a 1 acre lot, you are pretty close to each other. I live in town and can't have roosters, and respect my immediate neighbors enough to keep my teen roosters looking for new homes inside at night until late morning. I live on a small city lot, and just don't think it's right to disturb them or myself for that matter, at 5am. They in turn, they do not let their dogs bark all day. So, I try to keep it quiet for my neighbors, and they try to keep it quiet for me. If they were disturbing me, I'd be looking for numbers to call as well!

I wanted to specify that I do live in a neighborhood with houses 15-20 feet on either sie of mine-I would not be calling the city etc. if I lived in the country and someone's roos were bothering me. At the most, I would try talking to them and offering some solutions to make us all happier.

 

[Half-a-dozen]

 

[Guitartists]

Quote:
I agree. HOWEVER, when my rights conflict with their rights, why are mine less important just because it relates to a chicken? I have a right to raise chickens and keep a rooster for breeding. Why do I have to cowtow to someone else? Cant please everyone, so I wont try. Do you see my point? Should I tell them they can't ride their ATVs and jeeps and have fun on holidays because I hate that noise? They'd laugh in my face, Im sure. SO, I let them do whatever as long as it's not on my property and they need to allow me the same courtesy.
Sorry, Mayberry, you really cant keep a rooster quiet, especially when the coop windows must be open in summer. You can keep from having way too many for your property size, but they will crow, one or ten.

Edited to add: Note that I did say if she is in violation of a clear ordinance, then she really doesn't have a leg to stand on. It just brought up some side issues we are all discussing.

Conflicting rights is one thing... but this is a case where the rights of the person in question are already laid out on paper. Granted.. if it's legal to have your roos and have them crow when they feel like it... then, it doesn't really matter what the neighbors think

However... I imagine this too is also how many of our chicken keeping rights have gotten revoked over the years

All it takes is one guy who knows someone higher up and viola! An ordinance saying you can't keep roos... or chickens all together!

It's hard... it's one of those super heated topics where most people involved are at one end or the other.

 

[Denece&Lacey]

I am in a similar situation, except on the opposite side. My Grandmother gave my daughter a rooster (we have other chickens just not grown roosters!!). Anyway he starts crowing at 5 a.m. I can deal with it but my husband dosent care for it. I get tickled because I am usually up getting ready for work anyway. I dont want it to bother the neighbors. I had thought about asking them if it bothers them before sending him back to my Grandmothers house. I do care if he bothers people. Then again I own my property and nobody can tell me what to do with it. I live in a small town. I have over 50 chickens in the backyard. I have dogs, cats, rabbits. I have actually put 2 goats out there before. My yard is one of the biggest on the block. My back neighbor is a friend and said she hasnt heard the rooster. I just worry about the others. I dont want them to be mad at me and just not say anything. As of now the rooster is either going home with a friend from work or going back. Although nobody is making me do it.

 

[blue90292]

i'm sorry, you say she has 50 chickens and only one rooster? how did she manage that?

 

[beekybuzzard]

Just be ready for the same thing to come back on you. If you file a grievance and cause her to lose her birds then you had better expect her to file as many as she can against you for anything that she is able to.