[austenozzy]

Hi there,

A neighbour has some bantams, and the cockerel has been crowing every morning from 4am.  We've asked if he could be kept in, and they said that "you can't keep bantams in".  She didnt say why. 

Do you know why these particular birds cant be kept in?

I'm not against chickens; we're intending to get a trio of rescue warrens soon.  But a cock crowing every morning at 4am is no fun.  The wife is really struggling and is often in tears.

We live in a village of about 15-20 houses.  The neighbour has said that it's 'country living', which is fine if she was on a farm with no neighbours, but it's so loud that there must be other neighbours being woken by it. 

What can we ask the neighbour to try in order to stop the crowing?  We dont want to go down the legal route, but if they wont make any effort at all then we'll be forced to make diary sheets for the noise pollution team at the env health and get a noise abatement order on them.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Austen.

[Aunt Sally]

In my opinion it is unreasonable to wake your neighbouts every morning at 4 a.m. 

If you had a barking dog at that time every day I'm sure your neighbour would be the one to complain.

I know of no reason why bantams can't be kept in a dark shed untill the morning.  It may not stop the crowing though 

[too many girls]

Aunty's right, there's absolutely no reason why bantams can't be kept in, whether shutting them in will stop them crowing i don't know, some people suggest blocking out the light but it doesn't work with mine, i'd have another word with your neighbour, if that fails write them a nice letter explaining the problem and keep a copy, that way you can prove you've done your best to resolve the problem amicably.

[austenozzy]

Thanks Aunt Sally & TMG. 

Even stifling the noise a little by keeping them in might help.  With summer coming, we don't want to have to sleep with windows & trickle vents shut, or with earplugs in.

Intrigued by the 'cant keep them in' argument though.  They're very small chickens and roam all over the place.  I had to stop my dog going for one the other day.  Maybe an extra meal for Rosie would solve the problem...  ;-)

Austen.

[Aunt Sally]

... write them a nice letter explaining the problem and keep a copy, that way you can prove you've done your best to resolve the problem amicably.

That's a good idea TMG !

[too many girls]

maybe if you told them their birds would be at risk from your dog if they didn't shut them away at night might help, then again, if the fox got them (and i don't know why he hasn't ) they may blame your dog, catch 22, like i posted here before on a different thread..........one visitor to our farm heard one of my cockerals crowing and thought it was lovely (just like being in the country she said, er, we are in the country, dur) another visitor heard them and said "i'm glad i don't live next door to you, that noise would do my head in" i have 10 cockerals, i know if just one of them woke my dad at 4am he'd be toast, luckily i have the option to move them further from the house if that should happen, i have lain awake with my window open and heard them at 4.30 and picked out which crow belonged to who, Ellwood, Littlefoot, Rodney, William, Anri Paul, and Pumpkin, if they had belonged to someone else and kept me awake........................................... i hope you can resolve this for your poor wife's sake.

[Big Jen]

I have 11 bantam cockerels and they are all shut in their houses at night and let out about 7.30am. They do start crowing a bit at about 4.30 but the sound is muffled by their houses. I dont think it would be fair on my neighbours or myself to leave them out all night. They like going to bed at night anyway, tuck them all in in their jimjams

BJ

[Foxy]

Firstly I applaud you for looking for a solution to the problem and looking to work with your neighbours than against them, I really hope you can come to an amicable solution.
Here are a few ideas:
1. Moving the henhouse  or changing the position- sometimes a few feet can make a lot of difference!
2. Blacking out the windows, I do have a noisy bantam -but he is kept in a heavy arc made of solid wood at night with no light until morning.
3. Bringing him in at night -or putting him in a box in the garage/outhouse

Good luck and I hope you can all can work it out and have a good nights sleep! Perhaps reccommend this site to your neighbour???