How can I find my old pictures?

[thelurch]

From looking at your breeds I'm guessing it's your light Sussex girls that are starting it. They're noisy little madams. Could you fit an electric pop hole so they can free range once it's light. I do feel for you, I wouldn't want to give my girls up

 

Sorry the list of my hens on my profile were last updated 5 years ago, don't have light Sussex anymore. Two bluebells, three white ranger, three brown tails now.

[thelurch]

This year we seem to have been invaded by gulls, we don't live near the coast and they are now making their racket much earlier than my hens, and they are much worse!

[Cat tails]

This year we seem to have been invaded by gulls, we don't live near the coast and they are now making their racket much earlier than my hens, and they are much worse!

 

I agree! Not that many gulls in my neighbourhood luckily, but I used to live in a neighbourhood that was swarming with them. There is one bird that is way worse though: those loud nile geese. (which are actually ducks...)

[thelurch]

Well the inevitable has happened, a letter arrived this morning from the local environmental health officer at the local council offices letting me know they had received a complaint......but about rats!

 

It seems one of my lovely neighbours has told the council that my chicken keeping is encouraging rats, bearing in mind we've had chickens for over 6 years now and Ironically we've only seen one rat in our garden and that was 6 months before we got our first hens.

 

I'm guessing that whoever has complained has really wanted to complain about the noise but guessed that it would be easier to mention rats as a way for the council to tell me get rid of them.

 

The letter states that the inspector has visited and not seen any evidence and the complainent did not provide any evidence and that it could be from elsewhere.

 

They offer advice to not leave food out at night and store it in a rat proof container which is a little condescending to be honest.

 

We only ever give them layers pellets or treats of corn/grapes/tomatoes but only in the walk in run, and they never last more than about 10 seconds! We never give them food out in the garden, the grubs never leave the run.

 

But I find it ironic that our immediate next door neighbour throws almost a whole loaf of white bread on his back lawn once a week to feed the birds and has about 10 bird feeders full of bird seed which has a permanent pile of fallen seed on the floor beneath it. If there are rats about then that's certainly not helping.

 

The other ironic thing is that, the house at the back of us who I assume complained moved in about 5 years ago (whilst we had chickens) but before they bought it, the house was rented and a family of 'undesirables' lived there who filled the back garden with rubbish bags containing God knows what, it was piled 6ft deep.

 

They got evicted by the landlord and the house was empty for at least 6 months with this festering back garden. I contacted environmental health then and they had a look and agreed it needed to be cleared immediately but would be difficult to enforce.

6 months later and the rubbish was cleared.

 

I will call this guy from the council next week and invite him round to show him that all food is kept within a walk in run made of 1/2" weld mesh on slabs so no rat can get near the food and the rest is stored in a shed, within a steel cabinet, within a metal box.

 

I think I would have rather had a complaint about the noise!

[mullethunter]

At least it sounds like common sense has prevailed on the part of the Environmental Health

[Chortle Chook]

I agree - though the letter may sound somewhat condescending, I think the environmental health officer has shown sense and done his best to show 'due diligence' while not exactly up-holding the complaint. I think this year, because of the warm winter, the rat problem has been quite bad.

 

On Crocus you can get a Squirrel-proof seed feeder and I can vouch for it being anti rat too. It has a sort of metal thing that comes down over the food if anything tries to climb down from above.

It is on offer too at the mo. One customer has reviewed it and says it does not work but that could be because they have not hung it up correctly. There is no point hanging it where the squirrel (or rat) can lean over to it.

[thelurch]

I agree - though the letter may sound somewhat condescending, I think the environmental health officer has shown sense and done his best to show 'due diligence' while not exactly up-holding the complaint. I think this year, because of the warm winter, the rat problem has been quite bad.

 

On Crocus you can get a Squirrel-proof seed feeder and I can vouch for it being anti rat too. It has a sort of metal thing that comes down over the food if anything tries to climb down from above.

It is on offer too at the mo. One customer has reviewed it and says it does not work but that could be because they have not hung it up correctly. There is no point hanging it where the squirrel (or rat) can lean over to it.

 

Thing is there isn't a rat problem, and I'm a little confused as to why you are suggesting I buy a bird feeder? It's next door who have the bird feeders which spill over the floor and I'm sure they won't want to buy new ones. I don't have any bird feeders. Confused

[thelurch]

Just thought I would update, we've had to sadly get rid of our hens.

Not due to the rat complaint, but due to the original early morning noise.

 

Having kept hens for 6/7 we've had about 4 or 5 'lots' .Each time, different breeds and this last lot were by far the noisiest. We got them just over a year ago and as soon as they started laying, they found their voices.

 

It's all come to a head over the last few weeks as a few of the neighbours at the back of our gardens have snapped with the early morning noise. We are pretty sure it's one of them that made the complaint to the council about rats (unfounded) thinking it would make the council demand we get rid of the chickens. Obviously that didn't happen.

 

But we've had an anonymous letter through the door which is signed 'tired residents of xxxxx road'.Its not a rude letter at all, but just asking if we can do anything to stop the noise in the morning.

 

As we approach longest day, the hens have all been kicking off bokking every morning at pretty much exactly 3.50am! It's barely even light.

 

We have tried locking them in the cube and I planned to let them out when I go to work at 6.30am but still they kick off bokking in the house at around 4.30am.

 

We have covered the cube in black material to make it dark inside, makes zero difference.

 

We've even made a curtain to hang in front of the open door to help reduce light coming in.

 

When we've left the house door open, I've gone up to the walk in run before bed and tried hanging veg up, corn on the cob, scattered corn/grain on the floor of the run so they see that first thing to keep them busy.

 

But none of it made the slightest difference, we were getting exhausted waking at 4am running up the garden to shut them up.

 

I know there is the risk that, like children they learn that making a noise will get attention so do it more but there no way I could leave 8 birds 'bokking' at 4am every morning, even if it is for about 8 weeks of the year. It's not fair on neighbours sleeping with windows open.

 

So with a heavy heart we have re homed them as we were shattered ALL the time and dreading the May - July period every year.

 

I appreciate all the comments on this thread with advice and to those who have never had hens that truly 'bok' you are very lucky.

 

And to make it clear once more, this isn't just an egg announcement noise or general clucking but this is ear piercing 'bokking' which when one starts, they all start.

As I've said before, we could hear it from 130ft away, through closed double glazed windows, with ear plugs in.

 

So in summary, to anyone reading this thread, thinking about keeping hens,

PLEASE give this issue some thought. I hadn't even thought this would be an issue when doing my research before getting hens. I was far more worried about red spider mites, other bugs, foxes, hen illnesses but actually we've had none of that at all.

 

You may get lucky, and get quiet hens that stay quiet but if you get some like our last lot then be prepared for 4am wake up calls!

 

We are adjusting to not having to do the 4am run up the garden, we manage to sleep to the alarm now, and not the chicken alarm call!

[gavclojak]

Thanks for the update.

 

I too have the same worries although my girls are very quiet at the moment, waking around 7am. I have said to my OH when these girls go I am going to take some time out. I am an early riser but I too would like the occasional lay in and not have to worry and I also, do like my holidays and find it very stressful finding somewhere I am comfortable leaving them.