bokbokbok Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 First post! Have been lurking all day doing searches about this so please don't peck at me if it has been answered before! I live in a village in a small development. There are houses on three sides of our garden. In one direction the countryside is on the other side of our neighbour. I get on well with the 2 neighbours nearest to us and don't WANT to upset them. I have only found one post where neighbours were getting upset by the noise. Next door to us (not connected to our garden) is a house with two dogs which bark non-stop and no one has ever done anything about them so I think I am probably safe enough . . . I am wondering if there are some breeds less noisy than others? Does anyone have a Breeds By Noise chart they could point me in the direction of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Hello any danger and welcome to the forum! We don't peck at newbies Not much anyway and it doesn't really hurt All chickens are different, some are noisier than others. I have 2 pepperpots, one is quiet the other makes a racket when she lays (not often now :roil:). A couple of chickens in your back garden will be fine i'm sure. As you say, no one complains about the dogs barking and that can be non stop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 hi and welcome to the forum. Your house/garden sounds very similar to us (small village/cul de sac). We've had our chickens 2 years with no complaints. Some people have only just realised we've got chickens! I would say my girls are noisy, but that is just me and im a constant worrier I think it sounds noisier in my garden than it does the other side of the fence. I suppose what im trying to say is that if you have a neighbourly dog who is barking constantly then hens will be less of a disturbance. Mine really bok bok when they've just laid eggs or if they communicate across the garden to each other Breeds - hard to tell really as all are different. We picked cochins because they are in all breed guides stated as placid and quiet - quiet they are not - they are my noisiest hens! good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 I can only speak about my 3 types of chook. All hybrids. I have Omlet Gingernuts and Pepperpots, and an Amber Star. The Amber Star is the most noisy, but the gingernuts sometimes gang up together. I have found that 99% of the time they are quiet. A gentle cluck cluck as they go about their business and you can't really hear that next door. Sometimes when they lay an egg they "bok bok" for a few mins. I'm afraid that untill you actually have chickens you won't know what I mean by "bok bok" but take it from me, it's a definate message to be heard. It doesn't last long. And very often mine don't bother now to announce an egg. When they feel threatened an alarm call will go up. This morning at 9am mine all "bok boked" in the run and stopped when I ran out to see what it was. Turned out to be magpies annoying the girls. My neighbours are great and the "bok bok" is a lovely, farm yard, natural sound that is not annoying. Dogs barking, cars reving, loud music is much, much worse in my opinion. But I guess some neighbours may object. When my eglu was on order I popped next door and told them the chooks were coming and the reaction was OK. May be you could test the water, I showed them the Omlet catalogue too so they could see I wasn't building a huge structure next door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokbokbok Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 Yay! Thank you for the replies! I agree that the other noises are far more annoying than what I anticipate they will be making. Reading through the forum earlier convinced me that I should think about 3 girls rather than the 2 I had initially thought of. Would you all agree with that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokbokbok Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 Actually! I could arrange for catalogues to be sent to be sent to all the neighbours and we could ALL get a girls together! My children have just told me that the local nursery school has an eglu with chickens! How small is the world!!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Actually! I could arrange for catalogues to be sent to be sent to all the neighbours and we could ALL get a girls together! Now that's an idea..... Maybe you could visit the nurseries eglu (or book on an Omlet course or visit an eglu owner - see the other section on this forum). When you actually see the set up it's great to get an idea of sounds, size of eglu, smells etc. PS. smells are OK in my opinion but a routine is called for in poop picking and hosing down the lawn etc. Tis a good routine though and I enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Reading through the forum earlier convinced me that I should think about 3 girls rather than the 2 I had initially thought of. Would you all agree with that? Would definitely agree with that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluckbok Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Yes definately go for 3 girls. We got 3 and it works well. Only 2 are laying so you can imagine if we only had 2! I wouldn't worry about noise, our neighbours dog barks all day long aswell. I think the chickens are alot more pleasant noise than a barking dog all day. They only make a noise when they lay sometimes and if they are startled by something. Don't you worry, you get your chooks! I personally wouldn't go for a White Star, cause I think they are a bit vocal apart from that, not sure. Ours are mainly quiet, only the Speckledy has clucked loudly when she been on the nest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Good evening and welcome to the forum. Pets & children always appear to be noisier to ourselves than they really are.Things like fences,shrubs & trees baffle noise plus worry always deceives you into thinking its louder than it actually is. I have two Omlet hens and my Pepperpot is much quiter than the Gingernut who almost growls for food when she spots you,but neither would i say its loud either.I have asked my neighbours if the chooks have caused them offence in anyway (noise or smell) and they've all said no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokbokbok Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 Yay - all very reassuring - thank you A friend's dad has a few hens at his farm/ small holding and currently has Pekins - from what I read they aren't as busy layers as some others. I'm not looking to feed a family on nothing but eggs mind you! Anyone have any of these? I haven't noticed anyone mentioning them in the posts I have read so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokbokbok Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 I have had a quick look at the eglus we can visit and there seem to be NON in Northern Ireland - surely that can't be right? Is there ANYONE from Norhtern Ireland loitering around here? If Omlet need a Northern Ireland representative . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Pekins are bantams anydanger and can have a tendency to go broody. They generally do not lay in winter. Many do keep them though Their eggs are smaller, but they are good with children. They also tend not to scratch up the lawn as much. I don't have bantams, but there are quite a few on here that can give you better advise. It is all down to personal preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Welcome to the forum. I'd recommend three hens also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbey Road Girl Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 I've recommended four. Belt and braces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Welcome to the forum, Anydanger . Sounds like you've been reassured already, but I agree with the others. You will get the occasional loud squarking but generally it's gentle bok bokking which is a lovely sound. And definitely get three . There is another Northern Ireland member - I'll see if I can find out who it is . Edit: found 2, one's never posted, the other one's Spike-J. I have a feeling there's another one too but unless they've put their location in they aren't easy to find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I worry about the noise too. My OH says that we can always offer our neighbours an alternative - if they object to our hens we will build an aviary and fill it with budgies or parakeets. Actually Zebra finches are even noisier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bokbokbok Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 This is very addictive. . . I came on looking for advice on noise, then looked at numbers, now am browsing RUNS! Some of the photos of the runs are fantastic and I think it would be as easy to fence off the area I have in mind for them. . . When free-ranging - how high would a fence have to be to keep them out? Their run will be right next to the vegetable patch and I don't want them in there but don't want to have to put a gate on the patch . . . h the decisions I have to make now! Thank you so much for all your comments - am really enjoying the *craic* as we say here - nothing to do with hatching though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yolky Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I worry about the noise too. My OH says that we can always offer our neighbours an alternative - if they object to our hens we will build an aviary and fill it with budgies or parakeets. Actually Zebra finches are even noisier! Lol my husband said if the neighbours say anything he will tell them it was either chickens or one of those yappy dogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
