I wasn't sure exactly where to put this.
Backyard chickens were recently approved in our municipality - Nanaimo, BC. We are allowed 4 chickens, no roosters, in a fully enclosed pen/coop and certain distances from dwellings and lot lines. We have... 6 chickens. 2 of them don't lay yet. Aside from that all rules are followed. We have a corner lot with two neighbours. Down the hill, the neighbours are friendly and said they both had chickens growing up and don't mind. There is a solid 8-foot fence separating the properties, and the chickens are closest to these neighbors. To the side is a young couple with an older single guy living in a basement suite. The single guy is really strange but relatively harmless. My husband has spoken to him and he says he doesn't mind. The couple upstairs seem to be the problem. My husband has heard the wife on the deck yelling at the chickens to shut up (one had just laid an egg and had something to say about it). The guy downstairs told my husband that the couple has asked him what he thinks and invited him up onto the deck to see if he could smell the chickens. Apparently they all agree, they can smell it.
I think they're full of it. The chickens have been here for about 3 weeks and we've only had a few rainy days. It's been relatively dry. They have an 8' fence on their side, but they can see into our property from the deck. There is a big cherry tree between them and the chickens and a bit of yard, too. My husband is going to take them half a dozen eggs later today, but he thinks it's too late - their opinion has already been formed.
Right now the chickens have their regular coop and a temporary enclosure. We will be starting on their more permanent pen soon. What can we further do to appease these neighbours and cut down on "smell" and noise? I'm thinking a covered enclosure to keep it dry (is it true poop only stinks when wet?). I'm not sure about noise because they really just wander around quietly clucking on occasion and only complain about life when they lay eggs (and I think it's only one who really squawks).
Backyard chickens were recently approved in our municipality - Nanaimo, BC. We are allowed 4 chickens, no roosters, in a fully enclosed pen/coop and certain distances from dwellings and lot lines. We have... 6 chickens. 2 of them don't lay yet. Aside from that all rules are followed. We have a corner lot with two neighbours. Down the hill, the neighbours are friendly and said they both had chickens growing up and don't mind. There is a solid 8-foot fence separating the properties, and the chickens are closest to these neighbors. To the side is a young couple with an older single guy living in a basement suite. The single guy is really strange but relatively harmless. My husband has spoken to him and he says he doesn't mind. The couple upstairs seem to be the problem. My husband has heard the wife on the deck yelling at the chickens to shut up (one had just laid an egg and had something to say about it). The guy downstairs told my husband that the couple has asked him what he thinks and invited him up onto the deck to see if he could smell the chickens. Apparently they all agree, they can smell it.
I think they're full of it. The chickens have been here for about 3 weeks and we've only had a few rainy days. It's been relatively dry. They have an 8' fence on their side, but they can see into our property from the deck. There is a big cherry tree between them and the chickens and a bit of yard, too. My husband is going to take them half a dozen eggs later today, but he thinks it's too late - their opinion has already been formed.
Right now the chickens have their regular coop and a temporary enclosure. We will be starting on their more permanent pen soon. What can we further do to appease these neighbours and cut down on "smell" and noise? I'm thinking a covered enclosure to keep it dry (is it true poop only stinks when wet?). I'm not sure about noise because they really just wander around quietly clucking on occasion and only complain about life when they lay eggs (and I think it's only one who really squawks).
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