Mogs Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 I have 3 lovley indian runners in my garden, which backs out onto the Basingstoke canal - which Co Co, Donna and Jesse cannot see but chat to the wild ducks on the other side, which is also where Daisy, Bill & Vera live until I can find a field to keep them all in. I also want to buy 6 chocolate runners next year. Anyway, my stupid neightbour has complained for the last year about my 3 dogs to the council, dog warden and now has complained about my 'geese' which he said are noisy smelly and attract vermin! How 3 duck can look like geese I don't know, I think he has told them that to make it sound worse, also Daisy and some of the other ducks are very noisy, especially around 7 am when they expect me to feed them, as well as lunch and tea. Costs me a fortune to live here, I have around 30 regulars and then the swan family as well. Has anyone else had similar problems? My 3 follow me around the garden, know the difference to me saying 'pen' (if I am going out) and bed and all go to the correct place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 it puzzles me how your neighbour complains about ducks when you back onto a canal!! Surely the canal was there before your neighbour moved there so living next to a canal/river you would have to expect waterfowl etc wouldnt you?! Ignore your neighbour - thats my advice....some people complain about the silliest things in a village near us a resident who has just moved in is complaining about the sound of the church bells!!! Unbelievable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 I don't see how they can complain if you back onto a canal with resident wildfowl I would think that once you've pointed out that you don't have geese and all the noise comes from the wild ducks ........... ......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mogs Posted December 12, 2007 Author Share Posted December 12, 2007 Hi Chelsea, That is the route I will go down when the council people arrive, will probably be the same lady who was sent to check on the dogs, who jumped all over her and she thought they were lovely and well-behaved. I have spent hundreds of pounds on proper fence panels, 2 houses, and all the other stuff ducks need, so can do without getting rid of them. Donna was Donald Jesse was Jessica Co Co stayed as Co Co The lady we got them from sexed them wrongly so we have 2 egg laying girls on the canal and 1 in the garden, and I spend a fortune on food my my wild gang and only get one egg per day in return, and she only started laying 2 weeks ago. Miserable neightbour has complained about every one and not one person has complained about the screaming matches her and his wife have each summer, the language is very bad too. I am looking to rent a field/paddock/farm yard no longer used - difficult in a town! so that I can expand my group. I adore dark birds and that is why I shall get Choc runners, then maybe Black East Indians........... Vera is black with white diamond on her chest. Dark Cambell Bill is stunningly handsome Dark Cambell I think the garden lot are Indies crossed with Cambells. As I could not part with any boys -seems so unfair, I would like them well bred and might go into showing. Said that about my Skye Terriers but then rescued a Jack Russel, so that was the end of that. Must stop listening to sob stories Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 I can't see how he can complain that your ducks are attracting rats when you back onto a canal? Just keep everything as spotless as you normally do and ask how he knows which "quack" is from your ducks and which from the neighbouring wildfowl. Also...how does he plan to silence the wildfowl? You could always get your retaliation in first by complaining about his noise. If he is a regular complainer they probably won't take much notice. Stand firm and good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Stand firm and good luck. I agree with Eglutine Mogs. Neighbour is probably "testing you" to see if you'll crack and get rid of your pets. I dont think for one minute anyone would be able to make you get rid of "noisy" ducks when you back onto a canal. Try not to worry. As I said, the canal was there before your neighbour moved in and you or anyone else cannot do anything about noisy ducks on a canal!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mogs Posted December 12, 2007 Author Share Posted December 12, 2007 Hi, Daisy must be the noisiest duck on the canal, Daphne her chum was noiseir, I once went out to feed them all in summer at 3am as she was yelling for attention, as I thought did not eat just wanted a chat.... I have actually already exploded about the dogs and after last letter went to speak to him and ended up yelling at him to drop dead - did lose my rag tho'. He has a cam corder and peers over fence, makes dogs bark, then records them barking! Probably doe sthe same to the trio. they do - or donna does - make a small noise in the mornings (7am) when I let them out, Donna shouts yum yum yum as she searches for grubs, while the boys follow me to feed the canal gang and sit the other side of the fence peering through at the chaos and fighting for the food platform. The guys does have a bad reputation and am hoping as usual the council will side with me. All calls/letters are annoymous so they tell me, and each time I tell them it was him and he is miserable git. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted December 13, 2007 Share Posted December 13, 2007 You need a camcorder to record him peering over the fence and causing mayhem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mogs Posted December 13, 2007 Author Share Posted December 13, 2007 Normally I just ignore him, I have done nothing wrong, losing temper means he feels better for annoying me. He sweep off the food on the wood platform i have in the water, so any duck who feels safer eating in the water can, the others eat the food on the bank. The water board own the last five feet in front of the canal, so he thinks it is OK to walk on it, would go mad if I did the same, do not want to excourage the ducks to go to his area. This man thinks all cats should be caged or shot! I like cats, don't like the cat that hassles the ducks, however most are fine - its a cat 'thing'. Hoping to cath Bill & Vera very soon as canal frozen this morning and ducks/swans could not get through the ice to reach breakfast, Daisy was yelling from other direction were ice worse, no sign of the other 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sally1958 Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 have you solved this yet? If its any help when we first got chickens we called environmental health and told them we were keeping hens as pets for the childremn and invited them to inspect our property. they were really surpised, made a note and eclined! i explained the defra website sugested doing this nad they had never had a call previously. BUT we thought it best to ward off complaints - and we told all our neighbours first and promised we wouldnt get a cockerel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mogs Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 Hi, Have not heard from him for a while now, he is away this week on hols. We did not have council to check on us either, although they do know we have ducks x 4. We had visit last time we were complained about - although barking was not our dogs. (same neighbour) The 2 drakes are now quite aggressive though and my dogs are frightened of them and refuse to go in garden when the ducks are out of their pen - which is only 12ft x 12ft, so cannot stay in there, have run of garden most of time. Have got advert out to part with the main problem - Jesse, my partner wants him to go on the canal behind us as he feels that freedom is best - cannot quite grasp that runners do not fly and is amazed that the khaki Cambell cannot/will not swim in the bath! Men............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
