Minty_76 Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Hi everyone I've been thinking about getting chickens for ages and thought I would have to wait until we could afford a larger house and garden but that's just cloud talk! Looking at the eglu I thought it would be possible to have chickens in the back garden. The more I delve into it the more complicated it gets! Looking after chickens would be no problem ( we already have 2 rabbits) but the legal stuff bothers me! The deeds of the house (built 1980s) says no poultry and if I did just ignore that what if someone complained? I have two nice neighbours but one of them us a bit of a busybody. I wanted to ask how noisy they actually were. I would be looking at getting an eglu go with 2 chickens. I just don't want to bother anyone and make a nuisance! Thanks for any advice and sorry for rambling but I can't let it drop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 On the whole, hens are pretty quiet (cockerels are a different matter, but I assume you're not looking at cockerels). However, they can have their moments. Some, but by no means all, like to announce to the world that they've laid an egg. This can be quite noisy but doesn't usually last more than a minute or two. Some hens also can get a bit noisy first thing in the morning in summer, especially if they are shut in a run and are trying to tell you they want to get out to free range! It really depends on the hens, which I know is not a particularly helpful answer. Mine are quiet as mice in the winter, you wouldn't know they were there. In the summer, they like a good shout first thing in the morning (4am alarm call, anyone?!) but will potter about quietly for the rest of the day. I'm sure others will post with their experiences too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella14 Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 I wonder if some breeds are quieter than others? I expect someone more experienced than me will post on that! Our Barnavelder and Rhode Rocks (Black Rocks) are extremely quiet, the Orpington has a bit more to say. The white Sussex Hybrid is the only one who can be 'very outspoken', but even she only does that ocassionally for a reason (eg when our dog was outside). You say that you have a good relationship with your neighbours. There is a good chance that only you know about the restriction in the deeds, as if they don't want hens or anything else 'unusual', they may never have checked them. If I were you, I'd ask them, in a casual way (as if its a bit of a thing you are just being polite about - not a big deal) if they would be happy for you to get a couple of hens, tell them 'its cockerals that make all of the noise' and you won't be getting one of those. They may just say its fine. If it works, I'd suggest having their wings clipped by the supplier before you bring them home, so they don't fly over the fence at all and keep everything clean and tidy, with all food removed at night so there is no encouragement of rats. Good luck with it, two hens are unlikely to make much noise and no smell if kept clean. Just be careful about the Morehens disease (I want more Hens!). I was going to have three, I got four and last weekend I went back to the supplier for two more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minty_76 Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 Thanks for your advice everyone. I am just a worrier! Although we are not in a new estate where the houses are 1 ft apart from each other I am thinking of the neighbours at the back of the garden although surely hens are not that noisy that they would be bothered by them? Is it safe to leave them in the attached run in the summer months at night? Not sure I fancy them waking up the neighbours telling me they want to get out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanTheDiver Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Mine are generally quiet most of the time except if they want treats and if they get spooked by something in the garden. I live on an estate too and I keep my neighbours sweet with eggs every so often, they like that. I rarely close the door to the cube at night (even in the Winter unless it gets below -10 which is not often round here), but I do make sure the fox proof run is locked up, the girls come & go as they please and this makes for happier hens and I don't then have to get up at 4am in the morning to let them out I would say as Stella14 says, if you are friendly with your neighbours just ask if they mind, I am sure you will find them accepting. Good luck & enjoy your girls if you get them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacake Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Hi Minty, we are in the same situation, our deeds say we can't have chickens, but we are hoping to get some anyway, we've asked one set of neighbours and they think it's fine, just have to ask the others - who we never see anyway. I'm hoping they've never looked at the deeds and don't know. We want a classic, and a run extension and 3 chickens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minty_76 Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 Well actually he rents next door so would have no idea which is a bonus! I will try to mention or casually when I see hi And ask if he had any queries. I know they spend a lot of time in their garden in the summer so as long as there wasn't any impact on him he would be ok about it hopefully! Their next door neighbours have a dog that barks and howls sometimes though! We have rabbits already and sometimes they will thump very loudly if something spools them in the early hours and no one has said a word about that! Good luck with your chickens teacake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 If the clause on the house was years old I'd say ignore it but it is fairly recent so many of your neighbours may well know about it so checking with the neighbours as your plan is a good idea Sadly people dont think twice about barking dogs or screaming children but chicken noise seems to upset some people for some reason - perhaps its because its alien to them, many people do love to hear them though Its really down to the individual personality of the chicken as to whether they are noisy - also depends on how much is going on in the area as they will alarm call if there are lots of dogs/cats/garden birds/planes in eyesight. My ex battery foster hens are pretty quiet as are my Pekins and Wyandottes, I have an Orpington bantam who is very noisy though so I do think its the luck of the draw! In saying that the heavier birds are usually a bit calmer so those or some of the small bantams may well be ok If you reason for wanting chickens is the eggs then you'd have no choice really but to go for hybrids as pure breeds take a break from laying over the winter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
