4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[helen5848]

Hi everyone - after months and months of internet researching, doubts and discussions i am finally going for it! My chicken coop arrived on Sunday (it's a large specially made wooden one with a large run attached). Its being assembled this Saturday morning and then, fingers crossed, saturday afternoon we are going to a local farm to look at hens (appointment made and boxes ready!!!!). I already have my beware of the chickens sign on the gate!

I posted a question when I first started thinking about getting hens, about my whinging neighbour and my concern re the noise that the hens may make (basically my neighbour is one of these that complains about whatever she can - we keep birds (only a couple of finches/ doves etc in an aviary) and she has taken great delight in complaining about their alleged noise allready!!!!!)

To be honest this worry is still concerning me - i've waited so long for the chickens it would break my heart if she complained and I was made to get rid of them!

 

I was considering bantams at the time and I got many replies recommending full sized hens. The farm that I am going to only has large fowl - marans and warrens have been mentioned.

 

Does anybody have any last minute experiences re noise that they can share with me? If my neighbour does complain to the council where do I stand?

Any marans vs warrens - what are your opinions re the best type to go for?

 

Thanks in advance

[Aggienator]

If my neighbour does complain to the council where do I stand?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Over her dead body with a smoking gun

 

More seriously, have you checked with the council re bye-laws etc. I have read in a few places that if there are no bye-laws the council will take an objective view of the level of nuidance and usually find in favour of the chooks.

 

Cheers Aggie

[Boybeck]

When I got my first chickens (3) in September I was worried about noise too. I must admit I did panic a bit about their egg laying announcements, it can be quite noisy and at first it went on for about 20 minutes! Now though, I don't let the chickens out of the eglu until 8am so they do all their shouting inside and it's muffled.

 

I do think they have also calmed down a bit because I don't hear them very much at all now. And I've had no complaints from the neighbours. In fact one came around the other day from down the road to ask if I had chickens. I though to myself "uh oh, here comes a complaint" but in fact she was concerned I had got rid of them because she wasn't hearing the noise anymore. It turns out she loves hearing them... how funny.

[Egluntyne]

If your neighbour complains to the council they may investigate.

 

If it is a noise isue, they may visit and monitor, but can only act on what they find and not on what the neighbour says. A bit of cluck clucking is a different matter to relentless crowing.

 

If there is a complaint about vermin, so long as you can show that your hens are well are for and that adequate measures are taken re food storage, and resonable measures have been taken to address the problem, they probably won't do anything.

[Guest]

mine are no nosier, in fact much less noisy, than the various neighbourhood dogs. I used to work shifts and next door but one had a German Shepherd that they'd put in their garden from 8am to 6pm and it barked constantly all day, and I mean constantly! It must have had some lungs on it. Anyway, I couldn't sleep during the day because of the dog so I tried to reason with them and they said they'd keep it inside but after a cple of weeks, out it went again!

 

At the end of my tether, I phoned the council and they told me I would have to keep a 'noise diary'- basically, make a note of the time it started barking, how long it went on for, could I hear it over the TV, could I hear it at the front of the house, the back of the house etc etc

 

My point is, it's not easy to complain and you have to jump thru hoops to prove there is a noise problem and chickens aren't that noisy in my experience, well at least my girls aren't. Plus we have elderly neighbours who are a bit deaf AND we give them eggs now and again

 

Oh and the dog I complained about, well, the owners ended up getting divorced and moved away and gave the dog to the police force, as far as I know so thankfully I never had to follow it through! I don't mind a bit of barking but that was beyond acceptable.

 

I have double glazing now and can still hear the dogs barking in various neighbours gardens but, with the windows shut, I can't hear the girls. I've taken to sleeping with the window open a crack as I don't like NOT being able to hear them, just in case there's a kerfuffle.

[Larkspurs]

I think you are safe as long as there are no covenants on your deeds that prevent you from having chickens and you have checked with your local council for byelaws.

 

Even if the neighbour complained about the noise the council have to investigate rather than take the complaint at face value and ban your birds. If your chickens are fairly quiet you should not have anything to worry about.

 

We have had our girls three weeks and they rarely make a sound, although on one occasion Pecks did make a racket when she saw our cat we don't think our neighbours are aware yet. It is likely that one neighbour may complain as she is a bit of a busy body.

 

But we are prepared for her because she leaves food out for the wild birds each morning and they make quite alot of noise early morning, plus she leaves the food out at night which could attract rats and mice.

 

I hope this helps

 

Dave

[helen5848]

Thanks for all of your quick responses to my concerns - its great that you have all taken the time to try and put my mind at ease. I am determined that my whining neighbour is not going to stop me from getting my chickens!

 

All of my family think i'm mad even giving the noise another thought - but it's just something thats in the back of my mind

[mostin]

I checked with the council before I got my girls as my next door neighbour can be very awkward. They said that they only care if you have over 50 hens or if the hens you have aren't being looked after properly or are causing smells or if there is a cockerel causing early morning crowing. They don't care at all about a few chooks clucking away.

[Gallina]

Go for it: you may get quiet hens. I have just the one noisy hen, and the rest hardly open their beaks.

 

I find the wood-pigeons in my garden much noisier than the hens -- and the sound they make is so monotonous.

[Happy chickens!]

Gallina wrote

I find the wood-pigeons in my garden much noisier than the hens -- and the sound they make is so monotonous.

 

Yes - couldn't agree more! And the neighbours dogs ditto.

 

Had to laugh the other day when the chickens chased a pigeon away - unexpected chicken benefits!!

 

Hope you get some girls - I'm sure you won't regret it.

[..lay a little egg for me]

We also have a whining neighbour, who appears to need absolute silence in order to function, and the only thing he hasn't complained about is the chickens...

[helen5848]

Thanks again for all of your positive responses! Feeling slightly more positive now! It's quite surprising to hear just how many whinging neighbours there are in the world! I thought that it was just mine!