Rooster is waking up the neighbor. *MORE UPDATES*

[Chickenaddict]

I hate to say this but it was probably the rooster

There is noooo way to keep him quiet without taking him into a more muffled place ie: garage or basement. If he is only going to be in overnight it won't be too bad, if you are still against that idea well then i am afraid the only advice I have for you is to rehome him

 

[mrbstephens]

Quote:
OK, but the neighbor said that it didn't really happen, it was just a dream and that she said not to worry about him.

 

[Brindlebtch]

Good.

 

[Chickenaddict]

whew thats great news!!!

 

[BarkerChickens]

I have a very similar situation. We live in a 1/2 acre with neighbors on all sides (well, the two adjacent homes are now repos, but still have people in front, rear and diagonal in all directions. Our roos sleep in the hen house all night (window open during summer), but come outside around 5:30- 6 am.

Anyway, most of my neighbors keep their windows closed with air on as well and many said they didn't even notice we had roosters (we have several!). Maybe it is because the dogs in the neighborhood are loud...who knows.

Chances are, the only neighbor that is really hearing them is the one that is leaving her windows open and it may because she is having trouble sleeping anyway (if I wake up for other reasons and listen, I can hear my roos too). The winters will be easy since you will close the windows, but the warmer months...well, here are a couple options that may help. Was your neighbor complaining that the roo wakes her up or was she just being polite and letting you know that he is crowing in the wee hours?

1) add sound proofing to the walls and roof (inside). This will help reduce noise.

2) on the outside of the coop, add wood window covers that attach at the top of the window. Have it propped open to 45 degrees (or a little more...still better than open completely). This way it blocks direct sun or light (such as car headlights, which can set of a rooster) and it also helps direct sound towards the neighbors. Since you have glass already, the window cover can be a permanent fixture or you can make it hinge and it adds as wood covers for hurricane season.

ETA: I agree about taking out the odor part in the letter (unless it is too late, of course)

). Some neighbors will see one fly and immediately blame the chickens, so I think it's best to not plant the seed.

If they're never gonna smell anything, don't bother bring it up. Their dogs poo can stink too if not cleaned up.

 

[Uppity Peon]

Someone in here described how they put the rooster in a special box at night that is so short that he can't stretch his head up and crow properly.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Quote:
It doesn't work. At for me, it doesn't.

We have roos that crouch and hang out under the coop during the day. The ground slopes, so the height varies from a few inches to two feet. They hang out in the short side (~1 foot high).

They crow from under there. If they can't stand and stretch, they'll sit and stretch their neck forward to crow.

 

[mrbstephens]

Quote:
Turns out she is just being polite and letting me know that he is crowing in the wee hours. It seemed like she was complaining, but I think she is just tired. She's going through a divorce and her father is ill so she's not sleeping and she hears him crowing so she's focusing on him and thinking...."that rooster is crowing at 4:00 am and possibly waking up other neighbors."

The windows are covered with hardware cloth and have a wood frame around them. The plexi glass slides into these slots in the wood frame.

I've actually decided to not hand out the letters. I don't want to make an issue of something that's probably not even a problem with anyone.

Thanks for everyone's advice. I think everything is OK for now.

 

[osagebill88]

I have a RIR and he is 3 years old. The only time he has ever crowed was when their was another rooster in the flock.

 

[mrbstephens]

My neighbor called to complain again. This time it was a definite complain. She claims that even with her windows closed that he is waking her up at 3, 4, and 5 in the morning. Liar! My windows are open and I hear his first crow between 5:45 and 6:30 every morning and that he is annoying her. My husband agrees that he does not crow any earlier than that. No other neighbors have complained at all. Her husband is moving out next week and she's taking her stress out on my rooster. I told her I'd close the windows to the coop, but I don't think I will because it's too warm at night still. I told her that if he becomes aggressive he'd have to go because I have young children. I said I had my eyes open for a place for him in case that were to happen. Immediately she suggested a farm that she knew of. I told her that I wasn't going to give him to anyone who would eat him, because he is our pet and that I wouldn't be able to live with myself. She laughed. So I was stressed about this phone conversation. I remembered someone else in the neighborhood who also has chickens and two roosters to boot! So I got in my car and drove to her house thinking that she may have some words of wisdom for me. She says she's gone to court over the noise that her roosters cause....but then again hers are always free ranging and would sometimes crow under the neighbors window.

She said she didn't have to pay a fine or rehome the roosters. It IS legal to have roosters here so there was nothing they could do about it. She suggested that I keep my rooster and ignore my neighbor.