ethansmum Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Okay this may seem like a silly question, but please bear with me. I know lots of you have allotments or huge gardens and are able to keep as many chickens as you like, but for those of you who keep hens at home with small/medium gardens in built up areas- how many do you keep? I ask because we live in a 'new estate' , detatched house with a medium sized garden. My three 9 week olds (bantams) don't make a sound at the moment. My neighbours are all s"Ooops, word censored!"s, - we are probably the laughing stock of the estate for getting the chicks. They aren't happy about them, but I'm tired of pleasing other people. I have checked the deeds and livestock or other pets aren't forbidden. Anyway, I want.......need more bantams. I want to get another 2 or 3. They will all free range- will they make alot of noise? It can't be as bad as the neighbours dog that barks...and barks ...and barks. What do you think? Should I get more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I have had chickens for 2 years now and we have 4 lovely girls. We live on an estate in a terrace block of 6 houses .Our garden is about 25m x 15m at the most .The girls have half the garden with a WIR and when we are home FR all the time. They come out of the coup at this time of year at about 6am.Apart from when they are giving out an alarm call ,or when Bonnie wants to tell me she has laid an egg they are really quiet. Our neighbours either side have dogs which bark and there are pidgeons in next doors conifer that make more noise. I am sure that you think they make more noise than they do and I bet your neighbours don't hear them a lot . You pay your rent/mortgage and a right to live your life ,unless you are a nuisance neighbour I would not worry and enjoy them.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good_egg Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Sounds like our bit. We needed permission to get chooks (deeds) despite the estate being called "farm" and us being an old farm building!! We have stuck with 4 LF and are happy as they have plenty room and the garden survives! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 My garden is 9x9m so pretty small! We currently have 4 hens but have had up to 7. I wouldn't really want less than 4. Whenever we've got down to 3 hens we've got ourselves another 4, so we tend to fluctuate between 4 and 7 girls. Thankfully our neighbours all love the hens! ETA - mine are all big girls, not banties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethansmum Posted May 16, 2013 Author Share Posted May 16, 2013 Thank you all for your speedy replies and sharing your perspective. Although I've only had my babies for 3 weeks, I just love having them around and wouldn't be parted from them. We got them as pets - any eggs are a benefit. So I'm thinking of getting a couple more to have a real flock. 3 just isn't enough is it Lavenders Blue I think I'm going to do it- sod the neighbours LOL! PS: I don't think we are nuisence neighbours- we just refuse to conform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 3 just isn't enough is it Lavenders Blue No it definitely isn't Especially when you get to the stage where you have one or two retirees. You need the extra girls to ensure you actually get any eggs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I can't see it makes much difference whether you have two, four or six ... Once you get into double figures then it could have more impact, but I've had six hens in a suburban garden for years, two hens could be just as noisy. I bet your neighbours won't actually know how many you have unless they count them going in and out of the Eglu! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethansmum Posted May 18, 2013 Author Share Posted May 18, 2013 I went and ordered 3 Pekins- they will be ready in a fortnight! thanks for your advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 I'm a bit late to this, but I have a tiny garden (5m x 5m) and neighbours very close on either side. I have 5 girls who have taken to squawking loudly at 5am a couple of times recently but I just go out and tell them to shut up and they do . The neighbours haven't complained in 5 years and some have said they quite like the noise. We now have a huge housing development being built at the end of all our gardens so I'm not too worried about the noise we make for the next 4 years . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 I live in a Victorian terrace which these days is right on the edge of a large modern development. We have a 20m garden. Worried about noise I started four years ago before the new houses were built with just 3 . . . . now, with the houses all about, I have 8 . . . and a cockerel Any neighbours who have mentioned them say they really like the cockerel as he reminds them of the country. What I have found is that most of the noise is created by just one of my chickens - a little white Silkie who shouts her head off if anyone else is in the nest box when she thinks she just might want to lay an (does not mean she actually does lay ). She is louder than the cockerel! As the modern developement has got bigger (and it seems to be mighty posh unlike our terrace) I have found that people know one another less and less, so with the increasing anonimity of what amounts to a dormitory estate, I have got bolder and more inclined to please myself, and have even added 2 Call Ducks. This year I may add two more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethansmum Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 Thanks for posting Shabby and Aint "Ooops, word censored!"ody here. Yes, I have decided that I should think less about what the neighbours think and go with my heart. We have no restrictions with regard to keeping cockrels but we won't get one (just in case hes too noisy)and just stick with hens. Knowing my luck i'll get a really loud mouth girl Its interesting to hear about other peoples set ups, so thanks for posting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Well despite living in the country, my area is quite built up and houses on either side of me are just feet from my fence (plus new build behind me and across the road) I have 17 chooks and the ones laying do the' announcing egg' song all morning right up to 2pm. So far so good and it's amazing how a box of eggs from time to time is appreciated and I think a lot of people are fascinated watching them, even if they have no interest themselves. Don't have a cockerel but often joke that if the neighbours ever fall out with me I will get three! Kidding, but as I am 85% deaf would not bother me....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
