Preparing for "The Talk" w/neighbors

[echickenlove]

I think the letter is an excellent idea indeed!

 

[lurky]

Again.......you dont need permission. If you let them know you are going to be getting chickens, it might benefit by them knowing who they belong to. I thought you said you had a fenced yard? If you are within your rights to get just hens, dont let them think you are asking them, rather letting them know in case they see them and wonder where they came from. IMO if people think they can have any say in it, they will. (of coarse, i live in mass....its typical here) I have a fenced yard, mine have never (yet) left it.

 

[Scrambled Egg]

I sure agree with Lurky and everyone else that said don't talk to the neihgbors...no way would I let my neighbors have any power, perceived, or otherwise over my decision to keep chickens. Not only that but I would be irritated real quick when I would asked where his eggs were everytime I walked out the door and I have one that would sure do that! I am of the opinion that the less information I sare with them, the less they have to complain about except the noise...and I hope I dont have to but I will get a yappy dog if that becomes an issue!!!

 

[possumized]

I checked with the city and with Animal Control before ordering my chicks, there were no rules so I didn't talk to my neighbors.
I ordered all pullets, but of course one turned out to be a rooster. We did get visited by Animal Control, someone anonymously complained -- not once but four times in one month! We think it was a neighbor who had their house up for sale, maybe they were afraid they couldn't sell for as much because of us, but they did sell their house to some people who like chickens.
We do put the rooster in a cat carrier at night and put him away in a bedroom, when he crows at 5 am people outside the house would have to really strain their ears to hear him. And of course he crows a lot during the day, but there are lots of other noises then. And some people have told me how they love hearing him crow. The people from Animal Control said that even though there is no law against a rooster, there is if he is a nuisance -- of course they pointed out that I don't need a rooster for eggs, but I kinda like the guy. And recently I've been selling some of the eggs for hatching, which you do need a rooster for.
No complaints in a long time, now. My kids still think it's weird to have chickens, but the neighbors all seem to accept it. My back yard is steep, rocky, and heavily shaded, so the chickens live in the front yard for all the world to see.

 

[Scrambled Egg]

so the chickens live in the front yard for all the world to see.

...how neat is that!!!!!!!

 

[gobbles!]

I live in a semi-rural area. The law here is silent about animals, which means you can do whatever you want. Either way, I don't care much what the neighbors think. Their problem.

 

[CarriBrown]

I live in a great town that allows you to have SIX roosters per half acre!

It's a horse community, so everyone has horses, dogs, chickens, goats, potbelly pigs etc. and there are even a couple people in town with camels and ostriches.

Imagine my surprise when I saw a camel riding in a horse trailer while I was sitting in Starbucks.
My neighbors on either side have young kids that love to see the chickens out on the lawn. We share a solid wall with one side and a chain link fence with the other side. The neighbors on the chain link side are great. We're really close and keep an eye on each other's horses and their 6 year old catches all sorts of gross bugs for the girls. The girls thank her by laying fresh eggs, which Lauren loves to go collect for me!

 

[Scrambled Egg]

 

[speckledhen]

My take is this: if there is no ordinance against chickens, then I do not have to ask permission and would not ask. Who ever asked me if they could get a dog that barks all night, that roams at will? Nobody. They didn't ask about their pet that makes noise and poops and I won't ask about my pets that occasionally make noise and poop. I much prefer a rooster crowing, even at 1 a.m. on occasion, to ATVs, loud music, bad mufflers, gunshots at 11 p.m. and all sorts of noise from neighbors on holidays when I prefer peace and quiet. But do I complain? No. And they'd better not, either.

 

[CarriBrown]

Quote:
GO CYN!