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[seraphine]

It's a thread asking if people would mind if their neighbours decided to get chickens, I'm amazed at the amount of people replying that they would indeed mind.

 

Some of the perceived problems mentioned:

 

Noise

Smells

Attracting rats

Very anti-social to keep chickens

 

And I quote: "chickens are really hard work, they scratch away the surface of their runs and have to be moved around once or twice a year. You need a reasonably big garden to keep them.

 

The eggs are nice, though, but it is a fair amount of work."

 

How true would you say any of the above to be? Obviously I'm totally green where chicken-keeping is concerned, though I am doing my best to learn lots and educate myself before our ladies arrive, but from speaking to you guys on here I really cannot believe they can be *that* much hassle - or cause that many problems to your neighbours?

[Space Chick]

I can only speak from my limited 1 week chicken keeping experience.

 

However:

 

They are very quiet, unless you speak to them first or have some grapes or sweetcorn

They do smell a bit, but there are things you can get to help eg. garlic powder or bokashi bran

My cat brings us "rat presents" anyway, and they say you're never more than 10 foot away from a rat. I wouldn't worry.

I think its a very social hobby - I've loved speaking to everyone on here!

My neighbours think they are fantastic, in fact I've spoken to my neighbours more in the last week than ever before.

They are less work than a dog or cat.

My garden is normal size and they have plenty of room.

Lots of people don't move their chickens around, I'm planning a permanent spot for my girls.

Had my first egg today and it was fabulous.

 

Don't let the negative people put you off, you won't regret it!

[Janty]

What forum is that?

 

My girls can be noisy but I do have 23!

They don't smell because I look after them and clean them regularly.

I have only ever seen rats in the garden before we had the chickens. We have had a few mice but it's only a few and these have been eaten by our cats and the chickens.

 

As for being anti-social, my neighbours love the chickens. Giving the neighbours eggs is an excuse to talk to them. The neighbours' children come over to hold the chickens.

[seraphine]

Thanks both. I knew from reading on here and various books/articles that keeping chickens simply cannot be that much hard work/hassle, else you wouldn't end up so addicted and with so many!

 

Janty - it's a parenting forum called Baby Greenhouse.

[Guest]

Hi Agree with all responses so far and i have a dog and it is more demanding than the chickens and I had rats in my garden before chickens arrived(but u can keep that problem to a minimum anyway by good husbandry)

 

Cats are dirty (ie digging their poops in neighbours flower beds )

Cats can fight with other cats making a racket and I am sure in london there are more human noise makers than chickens

barking dogs etc etc

 

my neighbours didnt realise my chickens had arrived..I had them about aweek before they realise. I clean their house 2 week and as the house is plastic dead easy to clean and I would say less rat trouble etc

 

People that feed the birds in their gardens are more likely to get mice and rat problems etc

 

So go for it...I work and just let them out in the morning and they put themselves in the evening as long as they have food /water/and are protected from predators no trouble at all & u wil get some free eggs so go on prove them all wrong....

 

Good luck

[Aggienator]

Getting the hens was a really good decision. I mentioned them to the neighbours before getting them (though neighbours both sides have new cats adn didn't ask in advance). I think the main thing is fear of the unknown from people. Since they arrived there have been no problems. I do think the eglu is an excellent piece of design as it is so easy to clean out. They are the lowest work pet I have ever had (dog, cats, guinea pigs and rabbits).

My only regret is taht I didn't get them years ago when my son was little - I think they must be great to have with small kids.

[furryelephant]

Hmmmm....

 

Well I've had my girls for 12 months now and I'll be honest with you...

 

1- They are noisy, but no noisier than a barking dog

2- They don't smell if you clean them out regularly

3- Our neighbours loud BBQ habits and kids playing football in the street are far more anti-social than our lovely hens

4- Never seen a rat in our garden but often see them next to the canal down the road... and there's no chickens there!

 

Edited to add that our girls are in a designated place in the garden which we dug out and covered in woodchips... they don't need moving around and very rarely need raking over as they do it themselves!

 

"I believe that chickens are the future"

 

Paula

[Happy chickens!]

What would the answers have been if asked if they would like the neighbours to get a dog? All my (non-dog owning) neighbours have said how much they enjoy the gentle chicken noises, and all the others (with barking dogs) don't have a leg to stand on, IMHO!!!

[Raina]

I've only owned chooks a week

 

and mine are

 

Quiet (apart from yesterday when Orakiah got scared lol)

The don't smell (I Clean them out everyday)

We haven't had any rats (but loads of birds come on our garden now for the chooks food )

 

and the neighbors love em lol

[LaPoule]

I've kept cats, ferrets, hamsters, and chickens - chickens are certainly not the hardest. I've never had problems with noise - except for a brief stint with a rooster (I was talked into it - I was new!). Some chickens are loud though - but it's not a given.

 

If you keep a reasonable number of chickens for the space you have, clean them regularly, and keep them healthy, there really isn't much smell to speak off. Unless someone is sticking their nose inside the coop on a hot day, but that really shouldn't concern your neighbours.

 

I've kept chickens for 5 years and never had a complaint from the neighbours. Maybe they're just very stoic? The ones who have mentioned the chickens have only have ever said they either like it or don't notice.

 

Oh yeah - and as for the rats, they're just as likely to have been attracted by the huge lumps of bread that the neighbours leave out for the birds. All the chicken food etc. gets taken in every evening. I know loads of people who have rat problems, and don't keep chickens.

 

Go forth and chickenify in good faith! The eggs are more than nice

[Kit]

I have 2 cats and 3 hens and whilst I agree it can be a pain in the backside with the poo picking it is relatively easy.

 

I strip and clean the eglu and concrete run fortnightly, sometimes every 3 weeks which takes under 2 hours and in all honesty it is not that hard. The hardest bit is reeling out the hose pipe and jet wash.

 

my hens more or less free range all day in an 1 acre paddock and our front garden 4 days a week, they do not make much noise unless one of them has accidentally separated themselves from each other.

 

go for it...it is not hard work at all ...I get immense joy from just watching them going about their daily business of being happy chicks.

 

Kit

[poppy33]

I have had my three girls for a year now and I was so nervous that my neighbours would complain. I managed to keep the girls secret for two months and then one day whilst I was chatting through out very large hedge Hettie started making squarking noises and I had to come clean to my suprise the neighbours were very interested but did say...what about rats and wont they smell I am pleased to say the girls have been an absolute joy, very easy to care for, no smell as they are cleaned regularly and the seagulls are far more noisy and start at 5am I do however have a little mouse visiter who can be seen quite often in the run finishing crumbs, he's quite tame and cute the only draw back id my beautiful garden has been wrecked by the feathered hooligans so we are in the process of building a large enclosed run with only a small amount of freeranging daily. But I could never be without chickens, I simply love them.

 

Poppy x

[Olly]

I think the problem is that most people aren't familiar with chickens. Cats can ruin your garden, dogs bark etc - but we all know cats and dogs, even if we didn't grow up with them we know people who keep them. There's a perception amongst some people that chickens are really farmyard animals and that they don't fit in an urban setting.

 

My neighbours have been fine with it, and in fact yesterday I spoke to the people whose garden backs on to mine, and she said she loves to hear the chickens. She comes from a rural part of France, and so it's quite natural to her.

 

All those things mentioned (except maybe noise) can be avoided. I don't think the noise is a real problem but again it comes back to perception, people expect to hear helicopters/emergency vehicle sirens/lawnmowers etc, but not chickens.

[poppy33]

A regular little gift of 1/2 dozen fresh eggs usually wins them round

[seraphine]

Thank you all so much, really helpful replies as usual!

 

I'm so excited about getting our chickens and there is no way I'm going to be put off, but I was starting to wonder if I'd overlooked some potential problems. We've already discussed the cleaning rota (my husband's job!) and I know I'll be poo-picking and cleaning out the poo tray daily anyway.

 

We've checked with both neighbours (we're in a semi) and both are fine with it, they did both ask that we didn't get a cockerel though No surprise there!

 

As for noise, I'm learning some good tips about early waking and keeping the Eglu dark until an acceptable (to humans) time. We've gone for a green Eglu which I believe is the darkest anyway? Now if someone could sort out my 13 month old's 6am wake-ups.....?!